Post-Holiday Reset: How Strategic Video Investment Turns One-Time Buyers into Loyal Subscribers

The holiday rush is over. Your sales spiked in Q4, but now what? Some research shows that up to 64% of buyers won’t return—sending you back to expensive acquisition mode by February. 

Rather than coasting into Q1, smart brands are capturing gift card shoppers, converting holiday trial customers, and building subscriber bases that generate predictable revenue through spring and beyond. The question isn't whether to maintain investment—it's whether you're investing in the right channels to turn holiday momentum into year-long growth. 

Yet many brands remain locked in a bottom-funnel mindset, chasing immediate ROAS while watching customer lifetime value stagnate. They acquired thousands of new customers in November and December, only to lose them to competitors in January and February. For brands stuck in the acquisition-churn cycle, the right upper-funnel video strategy can offer a path to sustainable growth through high-lifetime-value customer acquisition 

When a CPG brand needed to break free from bottom-funnel dependency and churn, they partnered with GO to implement a strategic Streaming TV campaign to capture customers with genuine long-term value, not just one-time purchasers attracted by promotional pricing.  

GO's Strategic Upper-Funnel Integration 

Our approach centered on a full-funnel strategy with upper-funnel video at its core: 

1. Strategic Budget Allocation

We implemented a 40% Streaming TV, 30% DSP, 30% Sponsored Ads split—deliberately over-indexing on awareness-building channels to reach customers earlier in their discovery journey. This allocation reflected our dual-goal approach: customer acquisition plus loyalty retention. 

2. Audience Targeting for High-LTV Customers

Rather than broad reach, we used Amazon's first-party data to identify in-market and lifestyle shoppers demonstrating specific purchase behaviors aligned with Subscribe & Save profiles. Subscribe & Save customers typically deliver 2.3x greater lifetime value through reduced churn and increased order frequency—making them the ideal target for upper-funnel investment. 

3. Branded Search Lift Measurement

We tracked branded search frequency as a key indicator of awareness-building effectiveness, understanding that streaming TV provides the opportunity to drive brand consideration at the most impactful moments, particularly when integrated with lower-funnel tactics. 

4. Subscribe & Save Optimization

We aligned creative messaging and landing page experience specifically to drive Subscribe & Save enrollment, recognizing that products enrolled in Subscribe & Save see, on average, 30% more repeat buys than non-enrolled products. 

The Results 

Comparing 3 months pre-campaign to 3 months post-campaign: 

• +793% Subscribe & Save shipped COGS growth 

• +20% branded search frequency increase across Amazon 

• +49% branded search frequency increase in HPC category 

• +37% total brand sales increase 

• +44% total brand traffic increase 

• +70% growth for promoted ASIN specifically 

• +116% traffic increase for promoted ASIN 

The Subscribe & Save growth proved particularly significant. With Subscribe & Save customers typically delivering 15-30% higher retention rates and 2.3x greater lifetime value, the brand wasn't just driving sales—they were building a foundation of predictable, profitable recurring revenue. 

The seasonal timing amplified these results. Q1 typically represents a strategic window when competition for attention decreases as many brands reduce post-holiday spending. Brands that maintain consistent investment during this period capture disproportionate share of voice while building brand equity that pays dividends throughout the year. 

The Bottom Line 

The CPG success story demonstrates a fundamental principle: sustainable growth requires capturing customers earlier in their journey, before they've formed competitive preferences. By the time shoppers reach bottom-funnel keywords, they're often comparing based on price—but customers reached through upper-funnel video are evaluating based on brand preference you've actively built. 

As Q1 progresses toward Valentine's Day and spring shopping seasons, the brands investing in brand equity today will dominate their categories tomorrow. The question isn't whether upper-funnel video works—it's whether you're willing to look beyond immediate ROAS to build the sustainable customer relationships that drive long-term profitability. 

Is your advertising strategy building customer lifetime value, or are you stuck in the acquisition-churn cycle?