đź“„ Project Overview
This project was part of my university unit (digital and interactive marketing). The goal was to run a one-week Google Ads campaign with a budget of $40 for a brand of your choice (Pretzel Australia).
- Goal of the Campaign: Brand Awareness & Discovery.
- Budget: $40
- Duration: 16 Sept – 26 Sept 2024
🧑‍💼 Client Overview
Pretzel Australia is a trendy café brand celebrated for its signature pink-themed interiors and freshly baked sweet and savoury pretzels. With 11 locations across Perth and Melbourne, Pretzel has positioned itself as more than just a food outlet; it is an Instagrammable destination that resonates strongly with Gen Z and Gen Alpha. The brand’s playful aesthetic, combined with handcrafted pretzels and beverages, delivers not only a snack but also a joyful and shareable experience.
What sets Pretzel apart is its bold visual identity, affordable indulgence, and strong cultural connection with younger audiences who value both taste and trend.
đź’» Tools Used
đź“Š Campaign Results at a Glance
The campaign received a total of 684 impressions and 53 clicks, resulting in a Click-Through Rate (CTR) of 7.75%. CTR is calculated using the formula:
CTR = (Clicks Ă· Impressions) Ă— 100
CTR = (53 Ă· 684) Ă— 100 = 7.75%
The total spend for the campaign was $39.97, which led to an Average Cost Per Click (CPC) of $0.75. CPC is calculated using:
CPC = Total Cost Ă· Total Clicks
CPC = $39.97 Ă· 53 = $0.75
Keyword Research
Keyword research was conducted through Google Keyword Planner. The process began with the “enter a website” feature, where I analysed Pretzel’s website alongside competitor sites to identify the keywords already attracting visitors. This gave me an initial pool of industry-relevant terms to work with.
Next, I used the “search by keyword” feature to build a custom keyword list. I selected a combination of broad match and exact match keywords, broad match to capture a wider variety of related searches, and exact match to precisely target keywords such as “Pretzel” etc. To optimise results, I ensured a balance between short-tail keywords and long-tail keywords.
Keywords with high search volume, and low-competition were prioritized to achieve better CPC efficiency and maximise exposure within the campaign’s budget. At the same time, I excluded negative keywords such as “homemade pretzel,” “pretzel recipe,” and “pretzel jobs” to filter out irrelevant traffic and avoid wasted ad spend.
Finally, the forecasting feature to project impressions, clicks, and average CPC. These insights allowed me to fine-tune bidding strategies and budget allocation, ensuring that the campaign was both cost-effective and strategically aligned with Pretzel’s goal of boosting brand visibility and driving traffic.
📱 Reaching the right audience through right device
The campaign saw the strongest performance on mobile phones, which accounted for over 80.1% of impressions and 90.6% of clicks, highlighting the importance of mobile-optimized ads for our target audience.
In terms of timing, impressions peaked between 12 PM and 6 PM, aligning with typical lunch and post-school/work hours. Performance was highest on Fridays, followed by Thursdays and Wednesdays, suggesting increased user interest leading into the weekend.
đź«‚ Demographic Insights
The campaign attracted more female users, who accounted for the majority of impressions and clicks. Performance was strongest among the 18–24 age group, followed by 25–34, highlighting the brand’s resonance with a younger audience. Users aged 18–24 also recorded a higher click-through rate, indicating stronger interest and engagement from this segment.
🏆 Final Outcome
The campaign achieved a high CTR and low CPC, validating the effectiveness targeting, copy, and bidding strategy. Despite its short duration, this hands-on project experience sharpened my skills in setting up a Google Ads campaign and performance marketing. It gave me the confidence to independently launch and optimise Google Ads campaigns for real businesses, whether the objective is brand awareness, lead generation, or driving conversions.
🧠What I Learned
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Hands-on experience in conducting keyword research using Google Keyword Planner, including identifying high-volume, low-competition keywords and applying negative keywords to filter irrelevant traffic.
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Learned how to strategically use broad match vs. exact match keywords to balance reach and precision in campaign targeting.
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Understood the importance of maintaining a mix of short-tail and long-tail keywords to optimise both visibility and conversion intent.
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Developed skills in using the forecasting tool to project impressions, clicks, and CPC, and applied this data to adjust budgets and bidding strategies.
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Improved ability to structure ad groups based on user intent (e.g., menu items, location-based, brand awareness) to ensure relevance and higher engagement.
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Enhanced copywriting skills by creating headlines and ad descriptions tailored to Pretzel’s USP, brand positioning, and target audience (Gen Z & Gen Alpha).
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Gained a deeper understanding of how CTR, CPC, and impressions reflect campaign success and how to evaluate these metrics critically.
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Experienced the end-to-end process of setting up, running, and evaluating a real Google Ads campaign, which improved confidence in executing digital marketing strategies independently.