Portfolio Archive - Propellant Media

Southeast Public University Reaches Graduate Program Prospects Inside ChatGPT Advertising At $3 Cost Per Click

A public university in the Southeast runs a full omnichannel advertising program: paid search, Meta, geofencing, programmatic display and site retargeting. It is also the kind of institution that tests new platforms early, having run campaigns on Twitch, X and Reddit. When Propellant Media brought the opportunity to advertise inside ChatGPT, where prospective graduate students now do much of their program research, the university treated it the way it treats every new channel: as a test worth running.

The open question was not whether prospective students were in ChatGPT. The university already believed that. The question was what an ad there would cost, whether it would earn a click from someone mid-research, and whether that click could be attributed back to an inquiry. No benchmark existed for any of it, and a low channel minimum made building one cheaper than waiting for one.

What Our Team Was Tasked With

Launch ChatGPT advertising for two graduate programs, one in teaching and one in financial technology, and produce a program-level read on cost and engagement fast enough to inform the next round of graduate marketing decisions. Each campaign ran at $25 per day. The first went live on September 4, 2026, the second on September 11, and this write-up covers the preliminary data through September 17.

Media Plan We Developed

ChatGPT Advertising: One campaign per program, not one per university. Each program received its own audience brief and its own daily budget so performance could be read program by program rather than averaged into a single number.
Descriptive targeting: ChatGPT targeting works from a description, not a keyword bid. We supplied who the prospective student is, where they are in the decision, the questions they ask about each program and the keywords that matter.
Program-specific geography: Targeting was fenced to the markets each program actually recruits from, rather than a blanket statewide footprint.
Attribution build in parallel: GA4 conversion tracking was connected alongside the launch so the click data would eventually read through to inquiries and applications.

Ad copy and creative were written for someone comparing programs, not someone scrolling a feed. The person seeing the ad is mid-research, so the message reads as a next step in that research rather than an interruption of it.

Campaign Results

Program	Spend	Impressions	Clicks	CTR	Avg CPC	Avg CPM
Graduate teaching program (live Sep 4)	$252.31	~13,818	~85	0.61%	$2.97	$18.26
Graduate fintech program (live Sep 11)	$106.42	~5,065	~21	0.41%	$5.07	$21.01
Both programs	$358.73	~18,883	~106	0.56%	$3.38	$18.99

Platform-reported figures, preliminary through September 17, 2026. Impressions and clicks are derived from reported spend, average CPC and average CPM. Conversion tracking into GA4 is being connected, so no conversion figure is reported yet.

Click-through rate, by program

CTR · same $25 daily budget on both

Teaching program ~13,818 impressions		0.61%
Fintech program ~5,065 impressions		0.41%

The program a week further in also carried the stronger click rate. Treat the gap as provisional until the fintech campaign has fourteen days of its own.

What the Data Settled

Fourteen days in, the teaching campaign returned a 0.61% click-through rate at a $2.97 average cost per click and an $18.26 CPM. That is a program-level benchmark the university did not have two weeks earlier, and it was produced on $252.31 of spend.

Cost per click, by program

Average CPC · through Sep 17, 2026

Teaching program $252.31 spent · 14 days		$2.97
Fintech program $106.42 spent · 7 days		$5.07
Channel ceiling top of the $1–$10 range we see		$10.00

Both programs landed inside the $1–$10 CPC range we see on the channel. The teaching program sat near the floor.

The two programs ran on identical daily budgets and returned different results: a 0.61% CTR against 0.41%, and a $2.10 gap in cost per click. Averaged into one university-level campaign, that difference would have disappeared. Kept separate, it tells the university which program is finding its audience faster and which needs another look at its brief.

At $25 a day each, both campaigns produced a readable CTR and CPC before the combined spend reached $400. The low floor is the reason the test was affordable, and the reason it produced an answer in two weeks instead of a quarter.

What We Take to the Next Campaign

Build one campaign per program, not one per university. Identical budgets returned different CTRs and a $2.10 gap in CPC. Averaged together, that difference disappears.
Use the low floor to build the benchmark instead of waiting for one. $25 a day per program produced a program-level read in fourteen days.
Connect attribution before launch, not after. Clicks are real; the enrollment signal is pending GA4. The next program should go live with conversion tracking already connected.

Measurement in this pilot currently ends at the click. The click data is real and reported by program; the enrollment signal arrives once GA4 conversion events are connected. Both campaigns remain live, and the university now has a cost and engagement baseline for a channel that did not have one when the month began. No enrollment outcome is claimed at this stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does ChatGPT advertising cost per click for a university?

In this pilot, $2.97 for a graduate teaching program and $5.07 for a graduate fintech program, with a blended $3.38 across both. That sits inside the $1–$10 CPC range we see on the channel, and the teaching program landed near the low end.

What click-through rate can higher education expect on ChatGPT ads?

This university saw 0.61% on its teaching program after fourteen days and 0.41% on its fintech program after seven, a 0.56% blended CTR. ChatGPT ads are a new format, so we do not cross-compare them to display or search benchmarks; these figures are the university’s own program-level benchmark.

How much budget does a ChatGPT advertising pilot need?

This one ran at $25 per day per program and produced a readable CTR and CPC on both before combined spend reached $400 ($358.73 through Sep 17, 2026). The platform’s low minimum is what makes a program-by-program test affordable.

How is ChatGPT ad targeting set up for graduate programs?

Targeting is descriptive rather than keyword-bid based. We supply who the prospective student is, the questions they ask about the program and the keywords that matter, then scope geography to the markets each program recruits from. Each program gets its own campaign so results read program by program.

Can ChatGPT ad clicks be attributed to inquiries and applications?

Not yet in this pilot. The platform reports impressions, clicks, CTR, CPC and CPM by program; GA4 conversion tracking is being connected so clicks can be read through to landing-page sessions and request-for-information events. The lesson for the next program is to connect attribution before the first dollar is spent.

Midwest Criminal Defense Firm Reaches OWI Defendants Inside ChatGPT At $8 Cost Per Click

A Midwest criminal defense firm built its practice on OWI and criminal defense work, and had already done what most firms in its position do: bought every channel a defendant searches on. Google Ads, Meta, programmatic display and geofencing were all live in its region, and all of them were saturated. Every added search dollar was buying the same click at a higher auction price.

The firm came to Propellant because we had been placing sponsored ads inside ChatGPT for a number of brands, and it wanted to be the first firm in its market to reach defendants there. The brief was not more visibility. It was a new place to be visible.

Criminal defense and OWI keywords sit among the most expensive categories in paid search. When a firm has already saturated that auction, the marginal dollar stops buying anything new. Meanwhile a growing share of people charged with OWI now ask an AI assistant what happens next before they ever type an attorney’s name into a search bar. No firm in the region was reaching them at that moment.

Channel state at brief

Google AdsSaturatedMetaSaturatedProgrammatic displaySaturatedGeofencingSaturatedChatGPT adsOpen

Four channels the firm already owned in its market, and the one nobody had claimed.

What Our Team Was Tasked With

Open a channel the firm’s competitors were not on, and prove it could put the firm in front of people researching a criminal charge in its service region, at a cost per click that justified running it beside search. Spend to date is just over $670 across the first seven weeks, Aug 1 through Sep 17, 2026, with the campaign ongoing.

Media Plan We Developed

ChatGPT advertising: A single sponsored campaign inside ChatGPT conversations, targeted by situation rather than demographics and confined to the firm’s service region within its state. It ran as an incremental layer beside the firm’s existing search program, not a replacement for it.

ChatGPT campaigns run on a written audience description and a keyword set, not bids. We wrote both from what the firm’s Google Ads account had already proven, so the new channel started from established intent instead of guesswork.

Google account

Converting terms and case types pulled from the firm’s search history

Audience description

Rewritten as a situation: arrested, cited, charged, researching

Keyword set

OWI, criminal charge and defense terms that had already converted

Regional geo

Service area only, inside one state

Placement in ChatGPT

Campaign Results

18,557

Impressions

Served inside ChatGPT conversations, regional geo only

Clicks

Every click from the firm’s service region

0.46%

Click-through rate

Situational targeting, no keyword auction

$7.99

Average CPC

On just over $670 in spend so far

Metric	Aug 1 – Sep 17, 2026
Impressions	18,557
Clicks	85
Click-through rate	0.46%
Average cost per click	$7.99
Spend to date	$670+
Effective CPM	~$36

Single campaign, single channel. The platform reported reach and cost for this flight; no lead or case claim is made.

What the Data Settled

Context did the work. There is no keyword auction inside ChatGPT, so the 0.46% click-through rate came entirely from the situational audience description, written off what search had already proven.
$7.99 bought a click the auction could not. Every one of the 85 clicks came from the firm’s service region, from a person already working through what an OWI charge means, before they had searched for an attorney.
The cost to be in the room was about $36 per thousand. That is the effective CPM for placement inside the conversation a defendant has before they search, a slot no competitor in the region held.

What We Take to the Next Campaign

Write the audience from what search already proved. The Google account is the research. Port its converting terms and case types into the ChatGPT description before spending a dollar.
Keep the geo as tight as the retainer. A click outside the service area is a wasted $8. Regional targeting kept every click retainable.
Instrument conversions before launch. This flight reported reach and cost only. The next one needs call and consultation tracking in place from day one, so the channel can be judged on cases, not clicks.

For a firm that had already bought every channel a defendant searches on, ChatGPT advertising opened the one they research on. Seven weeks in, it has put the firm in front of 18,557 conversations in its own region at $7.99 a click, and it is still running.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does ChatGPT advertising cost for a law firm?

This criminal defense campaign averaged $7.99 per click on just over $670 in spend across its first seven weeks. Cost depends on how tightly the audience and geography are defined; a regional, situation-specific audience like this one keeps every click inside the firm’s service area, which is what makes the per-click figure worth paying.

How does targeting work inside ChatGPT ads?

There is no keyword auction. A campaign runs on a written audience description and a keyword set, and the ad surfaces inside conversations that match. For this firm we defined the audience by circumstance rather than demographics: recently arrested, cited for OWI, facing a criminal charge, researching defense options. Geography can be set by state, city, zip code or radius; this campaign ran inside the firm’s service region only.

What click-through rate can a criminal defense firm expect on ChatGPT ads?

This campaign returned a 0.46% click-through rate on 18,557 impressions, with 85 clicks in seven weeks. The rate came from the situational audience description, which was written directly from what the firm’s Google Ads account had already proven converts.

Should a law firm replace Google Ads with ChatGPT advertising?

No. This campaign ran as an incremental layer beside search, not a replacement for it. The value of the channel is that it reaches a defendant during the research conversation they have before they search for an attorney, a moment Google Ads cannot buy. The Google account is also the source material: its converting terms and case types are what the ChatGPT audience description was built from.

Did the campaign generate cases?

The platform reported reach and cost for this flight, so this case study makes no lead or case claim. The standing takeaway is to put call and consultation tracking in place before the first dollar of the next flight, so the channel can be judged on cases rather than clicks.

Multi-Location Home Decor Retailer Drives 31 Design Center Appointments In Three Weeks With A Three-Tactic Programmatic Chain

A national home decor retailer with locations across the United States and Canada came to Propellant Media through our inbound lead system. The company already ran a mature marketing program built on paid search, social advertising, and local television. It had also attempted programmatic advertising twice before with other partners, and neither attempt produced a result the company could point to.

The engagement described here is a pilot: six store locations in a single Northeast market, with a path to additional locations nationally if the model proves out.

The Challenge

The retailer wanted geofencing. Its stores sit in dense suburban retail corridors with competitors nearby, and location targeting is an intuitive fit for a business that needs people to physically walk through a door and sit down with a designer.

The difficulty with geofencing as a standalone buy is that it is a prospecting tactic. It builds an audience of people who were recently near a store, a competitor, or a relevant point of interest. What it does not do on its own is give that audience a second and third opportunity to act. An audience gets built and then has nowhere to land. That is the most likely explanation for why two earlier programmatic efforts produced nothing measurable.

Our recommendation was not the tactic the client asked for. It was a chain: online and offline targeting feeding a return layer, so that the audience prospecting created had somewhere to go.

What Our Team Was Tasked With

Round out a mature digital program with the one channel the client had never made work, and produce measurable activity at six specific store locations. The tracked outcome was design center appointment requests and inquiries, captured by conversion pixel, with in-store visit measurement to be added as the pilot matures.

Media Plan We Developed

Geofencing: Location targeting built around each store’s trade area and the surrounding retail corridors, serving to devices observed in those polygons.
Audience data segments: Third-party behavioral and in-market segments for home improvement, interior design, and recent movers, run against each store’s geography.
Site retargeting: The return layer. Every visitor produced by the two prospecting tactics, plus organic and paid traffic from the client’s other channels, re-served across the open exchange.
Programmatic video (OLV): Three cuts at :15 and :30 carrying the seasonal promotional message and the brand story.
Static display: Five standard sizes running promotional and evergreen creative in parallel.

Every one of the six stores ran all three targeting tactics in both creative formats. That produced 36 individual line items rather than a single regional buy, which meant each location carried its own budget and could be read on its own rather than disappearing into a market average.

Creative And Format Alignment

Two creative families ran simultaneously: a seasonal promotional set built around a dated offer, and an evergreen brand set. Both were produced in five static sizes and three video cuts so that no targeting tactic was starved of format options and so creative performance could be separated from targeting performance in reporting.

Campaign Results

The figures below cover the first three weeks of delivery, August 7 to August 28, 2026.

Tactic	Impressions	Clicks	CTR	Conversions
Site retargeting	36,673	46	0.125%	19
Audience data segments	312,774	283	0.090%	11
Geofencing	213,151	138	0.065%	1
Total	562,598	467	0.083%	31

How the 562,598 impressions split

Audience data segments 55.6% · Geofencing 37.9% · Site retargeting 6.5%

What The Data Settled

Three weeks is a short window, and we treat it as directional rather than conclusive. But two independent signals in this data point the same direction, which is worth naming.

The first is where the conversions concentrated. Site retargeting carried 6.5% of total impressions and produced 61% of all conversions.

Share of conversions by tactic

Site retargeting		61.3%
Audience data segments		35.5%
Geofencing		3.2%

The second is click-through rate measured against our own programmatic display benchmark of 0.10%. Blended across all three tactics, this campaign ran at 0.083%, below that benchmark. Site retargeting was the only tactic to clear it, at 0.125%.

CTR against our 0.10% programmatic display benchmark

Site retargeting		0.125%
Benchmark		0.100%
Audience data segments		0.090%
Geofencing		0.065%

The wrong conclusion to draw from those two charts is that prospecting failed and the budget should move to retargeting. Site retargeting has no audience to convert without the tactics that build it. What the data actually validates is the chain: geofencing and audience segments create the pool, and the return layer closes it. Read that way, the concentration in retargeting is evidence the structure works, not evidence that two thirds of the plan is waste.

Creative format told a similar story. Static display took a minority of delivery at 210,081 impressions and produced 13 conversions, while video delivered 352,517 impressions and produced 18. Static was the more efficient format per impression in this window, which is now a live question for how the next flight is weighted.

What We Take To The Next Campaign

Never sell location targeting as a standalone tactic. Geofencing fills the top of a funnel. Without a retargeting layer beneath it, the audience it builds has nowhere to land, and the client sees a delivery report instead of a result.
Structure multi-location pilots by location from day one. Six stores running as 36 separate line items cost more to build and maintain than a single regional buy, and it is the only reason store-level performance is legible at three weeks instead of six months.
Agree the value of a customer before the contract is signed. When both sides know what an appointment is worth, early conversion volume becomes a conversation about pacing rather than a debate about whether the channel works.
Instrument in-store visit measurement alongside launch. For a retail pilot, foot traffic is the outcome the business actually cares about, and it should be measurable from the first week of delivery.

Where This Stands

The pilot is ongoing. In its first three weeks it delivered 562,598 impressions across six store geographies and produced 31 design center appointment requests and inquiries for a retailer that had twice tried programmatic and gotten nothing it could measure. The structural question the client brought us — why does this channel not work for us — now has an answer supported by its own data, and the next phase adds in-store visit measurement to complete the picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did geofencing alone not work for this retailer previously?

Because geofencing is a prospecting tactic, not a closing one. It builds an audience of people observed near a store or competitor, but on its own it gives that audience no second or third opportunity to act. In this pilot, geofencing delivered 213,151 impressions and produced one tracked conversion, while the site retargeting layer built on top of that traffic produced 19 from just 36,673 impressions. The tactic is not the problem; running it without a return layer is.

Is a 0.083% click-through rate good for programmatic display?

No. Our programmatic display benchmark is 0.10%, and the blended figure across all three tactics in this window came in below it. We publish that rather than reporting only the tactic that cleared the bar. The more useful read is that CTR and conversion concentration agreed with each other: site retargeting was both the only tactic above benchmark at 0.125% and the source of 61% of conversions, which is a stronger signal than either number alone.

How many conversions should a multi-location retail pilot expect early on?

This pilot produced 31 tracked conversions across six stores in three weeks of delivery. Early volume matters less than whether the structure is legible: because each store ran its own line items, delivery was near even across all six while conversions ranged from two to seven per location. That spread is what gets optimized in month two. A pilot that blends six stores into one regional buy cannot surface it at all.

Why measure appointment requests instead of in-store visits for a retail campaign?

In-store visit measurement is the right primary metric for a six-store retail pilot, and it is being added to this engagement. During the window covered here it was not yet instrumented, so every conversion reported is a design center appointment request or inquiry captured by conversion pixel. We report what was measured rather than estimating foot traffic that was not, and we treat the timing of that instrumentation as a lesson for the next retail launch.

Midwest Health Sciences University Generates 1,418 Graduate Enrollment Leads At $16.58 Cost Per Lead

A public health sciences university in the Midwest trains pharmacists, clinicians, and biomedical researchers across a portfolio of graduate and professional degrees. Its enrollment team competes for two very different kinds of applicants at once: traditional students weighing their next academic step, and working healthcare professionals considering a return to school mid-career.

Propellant Media was awarded the account through a competitive RFP process in June 2025, against a field that included national higher-education marketing specialists. The proposal did not lead with a promise of more leads. It led with full-funnel attribution in a shared dashboard, and a commitment to feed the university’s own back-end enrollment data into forward enrollment forecasting.

The Challenge

Five graduate programs needed to go to market inside a single enrollment cycle, on a single budget that could not be spread thin. The portfolio ranged from an established pharmacy doctorate with years of historical lead data to a brand-new clinical mental health master’s with no baseline at all, plus three specialized research and innovation degrees with genuinely small addressable audiences.

Splitting the budget five ways meant every program had to earn its own share. None could be carried by the others. And the two audiences shared almost nothing — a 22-year-old chemistry major and a 38-year-old hospital clinician do not respond to the same message, the same channel, or the same call to action.

What Our Team Was Tasked With

Build awareness and generate qualified, trackable interest ahead of the fall enrollment cycle across all five programs, reaching both audience tracks, on a $38,000 gross campaign budget across a five-month flight. Propellant handled media strategy, geofencing, audience construction, reporting, and the full creative strategy and production workload.

Media Plan We Developed

Geofencing: Two distinct fence sets per program. Traditional fences covered psychology, biology, and chemistry departments at colleges and universities across the region. Clinical fences covered hospitals, medical centers, and research institutions, reaching working professionals during the workday when a career-advancing degree is genuinely on their mind.
Programmatic Display: Static banner inventory across news, weather, and lifestyle properties, carrying top-of-funnel awareness for each program against geofenced and in-market audiences.
Meta (Facebook & Instagram): Every device identified inside a fence passed into Meta as a dedicated named audience, split by track and by program. Mid-funnel consideration creative held attention; bottom-funnel creative carried an in-platform lead form.
Past-Enrollee Lookalikes: Built from the university’s CRM lists where a program had enough history to support one.
In-Market Data Segments: For newer programs with no lead list to model from, behavioral segments signalling active interest in that specific field of study.
Retargeting: Applied across both programmatic and Meta, closing the loop on anyone who had already engaged.

Creative Strategy And Production

Propellant wrote and produced the entire creative set rather than adapting client-supplied assets. Each program received four dedicated units: two top-of-funnel prospecting ads — one written for traditional students, one for working clinicians — a mid-funnel consideration unit built to hold attention, and a bottom-funnel conversion ad constructed around that program’s own lead form. Twenty units across five programs.

Messaging stayed short and emotionally direct, speaking to where each audience already was rather than opening with a list of program features. Four additional units shipped mid-flight when one program was split into two concentrations.

Campaign Results

Program	Impressions	Clicks	Leads	Cost Per Lead
Pharmacy doctorate	834,919	6,729	532	$9.94
Clinical mental health master’s	735,607	6,299	369	$14.18
Health innovation master’s	484,247	2,828	168	$29.95
Biomedical research PhD/MS	454,909	2,651	215	$18.55
Health data science master’s	385,905	2,306	134	$29.59
Total	2,895,587	20,813	1,418	$16.58 avg.

Leads reflect Facebook and Instagram form submissions only. The university’s website inquiry forms were not trackable back to a specific ad during this cycle, so the true figure is higher than the one shown. Cost per lead reflects Meta spend against Meta-tracked leads.

Share of delivery by program

Pharmacy doctorate 28.8% · Clinical mental health 25.4% · Health innovation 16.7% · Biomedical research 15.7% · Health data science 13.3%

Leads delivered against goal

Biomedical research PhD/MS		430%
Health data science master’s		268%
Pharmacy doctorate		152%
Health innovation master’s		112%

The clinical mental health master’s is not plotted. As a brand-new program it had no prior-year volume to set a lead goal from; its 369 leads stand on their own.

What The Data Settled

Geofencing outperformed the client’s own CRM list. Half of all 1,418 leads — 712 completed forms — came from audiences first identified at a physical location and then worked through Meta to a submitted form. On the pharmacy doctorate the geofenced audiences returned 300 of 532 leads, or 56%, finishing ahead of both the past-enrollee lookalikes built from the university’s CRM and site retargeting.

The smallest budgets produced the biggest overshoots. The biomedical research PhD/MS cleared its goal by 430% and the health data science master’s by 268%, both on the smallest allocations in the set. That is a signal of real, previously untapped demand for specialized degrees once the targeting actually finds the right people.

A performance dip was a creative problem, not a media problem. When the health innovation master’s softened a few weeks in, the diagnosis was one generic message serving two distinct concentrations. Splitting the creative into two concentration-specific tracks fixed it, and the original general ad was retired once the new versions were live and performing.

In-state geofences did the heavy lifting. The university’s home state drove the largest share of both impressions and leads, and in three of the five programs, leads generated in-state cost less than the program’s overall average — exactly what a regional institution should want to see.

What We Take To The Next Campaign

Geofence the building, not the city. Clinical and campus fences fed Meta a warmer audience than a CRM lookalike did. The precision of the fence, not the size of the geography, drove the result.
Run an audience health check at three to four weeks. The mid-flight concentration split worked, but a scheduled early checkpoint on every program would have caught the mismatch sooner.
Fix attribution before scaling spend. With only in-platform form submissions trackable, 1,418 is a floor rather than a ceiling. Conversion tracking on the university’s own inquiry forms is the first item of the next scope.
Fund the overperformers. Programs that cleared their goals by 2.5x to 4x on the smallest budgets are the clearest candidates for incremental investment next cycle.

The Outcome

Every program with a lead goal cleared it, and the fifth — brand new, with no baseline to measure against — delivered 369 leads on its own terms. The engagement has since been renewed and expanded, growing from five programs to a planned eight or nine across the next two enrollment cycles, with website conversion tracking leading the new scope.

The relationship ran on a biweekly cadence with the full enrollment team rather than a monthly report drop. Across the entire cycle there was never a reset call — no point at which the work had to be re-explained or restarted. That, as much as the cost per lead, is what the renewal was built on.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good cost per lead for graduate program enrollment marketing?

This campaign averaged $16.58 per lead across five graduate programs, with the strongest program at $9.94 and the most specialized at $29.95. For graduate and professional healthcare degrees, anything under roughly $60 to $70 per lead is generally a healthy outcome, so this set performed well. The wider point is that cost per lead should always be read alongside volume and audience size — a highly specialized research degree with a small addressable audience will cost more per lead than a pharmacy doctorate, and that is a function of the market rather than a failure of the campaign.

Does geofencing actually generate enrollment leads, or just awareness?

It generates leads when the geofenced audience is carried forward rather than abandoned after a single impression. In this campaign, 712 of 1,418 completed lead forms — a full 50% — came from audiences first identified inside a geofence. The mechanism matters: devices identified at target campuses, hospitals, and research institutions were passed into Meta as dedicated named audiences per program, then worked through consideration and conversion creative until the person submitted a form. Geofencing on its own builds awareness. Geofencing feeding a social retargeting funnel builds a pipeline.

How do you market a brand-new degree program with no historical data?

You replace historical lead data with behavioral and physical intent signals, and you resist setting a fabricated goal. The new clinical mental health master’s in this campaign had no prior-year lead volume, so no meaningful lead goal could be set for it. Instead of inventing one, the program was targeted through in-market data segments signalling active interest in the field and through clinical geofences reaching people already working in adjacent roles. It delivered 369 leads at $14.18 — the second-highest volume in the set — measured against applicant and enrollment goals rather than a made-up lead target.

Why does website conversion tracking matter for enrollment campaigns?

Without it, you can only count the leads that happen inside the ad platform, which understates the campaign. In this cycle only Facebook and Instagram form submissions were attributable, meaning any prospective student who clicked an ad, visited a program page, and submitted an inquiry through the site was invisible to reporting. The 1,418 figure is therefore a floor rather than a total. Adding conversion tracking to institutional inquiry forms lets you attribute website leads to the specific ad and audience that produced them, and eventually to report cost per enrolled student rather than only cost per lead.

Arizona Statewide Primary Campaign Launches Five Channels in Five Weeks to Deliver 9.1M Impressions

A statewide primary campaign in Arizona came to our team with a compressed window, a four-way race, and opponents holding both the name recognition and the money. The campaign needed to be visible everywhere a primary voter looked — television, phone, desktop and the road — with roughly five weeks left on the calendar.

Name recognition was the core problem, and there was not enough time left to build it the slow way. A better-funded field was already on air. Concentrating the budget into one or two channels would only have bought more depth in the places the campaign was already losing. The brief came down to two things: saturation and speed.

What Our Team Was Tasked With

The objective was to put a low-recognition candidate in front of primary voters across every screen and surface they encountered, and to move fast enough that the media had time to work before ballots were returned. The campaign carried a $200,000 budget across a June 18 – July 21, 2026 flight — about five weeks, or roughly $40,000 per week — and had to hold statewide reach without giving up weight in Maricopa County, where the bulk of the primary electorate lives.

Media Plan We Developed

We launched five tactics inside the same window rather than phasing them in, building 10 line items across four creative formats:

Online Video: The message carrier and the largest share of delivery at 46.9%. Four cuts ran at :15, :30 and :60 against third-party audience segments.
Programmatic Display: Six static sizes built to generate clicks, running dual-geo against third-party audience segments.
DOOH: Physical presence in the corridors voters drive, across general, premium and zip-code inventory in three creative ratios.
OTT / CTV: Television-screen reach against third-party audience segments, carrying the long-form message.
Native: Keyword search and contextual retargeting — a second, intent-based route to the same voter, with with-disclaimer variants built in from the start so compliance never held up a launch.

Dual-geo structure. Every major tactic ran a parallel All-Arizona line and a Maricopa County line. That let us weight budget toward the population center without giving up statewide reach, and it kept the whole thing to one campaign build instead of two.

Format laddering. Each channel was assigned the job it is actually good at. OTT and online video carried the message, static display and native carried the clicks, and DOOH carried physical presence. Creative depth was built in every format up front — six static sizes, four video cuts, three DOOH ratios — so nothing waited on production once the flight opened.

Campaign Results

The campaign delivered 9,105,990 impressions in five weeks across five tactics, at a blended CPM of roughly $22.

Channel	Impressions	Clicks	CTR	Video Completion
Programmatic display	1,819,279	3,349	0.18%	—
Native	366,012	558	0.15%	—
Online video	4,271,480	1,544	0.04%	72.29%
OTT / CTV	1,244,715	—	—	98.02%
DOOH	1,404,504	—	—	—
Total	9,105,990	5,463	—	78.37%

How the 9.1M impressions splitShare of delivery

Online video 46.9%Display 20.0%DOOH 15.4%OTT / CTV 13.7%Native 4.0%

CTR is reported only on the channels built to generate clicks. Video, OTT and DOOH are reach and completion formats.

Total Impressions: 9,105,990 in five weeks across five tactics
Completed CTV Views: 1.21 million, at a 98.02% completion rate on OTT inventory
Display CTR: 0.18%, 80% above our 0.10% programmatic display benchmark
Blended CPM: ~$22, with the full $200,000 working across every channel
Share of Delivery: Online video 46.9% · Display 20.0% · DOOH 15.4% · OTT/CTV 13.7% · Native 4.0%

What the Data Settled

Shorter cuts held the viewerCompletion rate

Introduction :15		86.3%
Small business :30		71.7%
Issue contrast :30		71.6%
Property tax 1:00		64.2%

All Arizona lines. The :15 beat the 1:00 by 22 points — for a low-recognition candidate, brevity won.

The 728×90 leaderboard carried the display program. It returned a 0.32% CTR on 347,800 impressions — 220% above benchmark — and it already held the largest static allocation, so the performance came at scale rather than in a small test cell.

Compliance costs nothing. The 600×600 native unit carrying its required disclaimer still returned a 0.29% CTR, with no measurable drop in engagement against the units that did not carry one.

What We Take to the Next Campaign

Run the state and the dominant county as parallel lines. Reach and concentration come off one budget, with no second campaign build to maintain.
Lead with a :15 when the candidate is unknown. Introduce first, argue second. The gap between the :15 and the :60 was wide enough to plan a rotation around.
Be precise about what DOOH actually delivered. Most impressions landed on vertical and horizontal digital screens; true outdoor billboards accounted for 52,718. Naming that split is what makes the rest of the reporting credible.

The campaign proved that a five-channel program can be built, trafficked and delivered inside five weeks without the phased rollout that usually costs a late-starting candidate its first two weeks of exposure. Saturation across screens, priced at a ~$22 blended CPM, put a low-recognition candidate into the same rooms as a better-funded field — and the channel-level completion and click data gave the next campaign a rotation plan it did not have to guess at.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a statewide political advertising campaign cost?

This one ran $200,000 across a five-week flight — roughly $40,000 per week — and delivered 9,105,990 impressions at a blended CPM of about $22. Budget scales with the size of the state and the length of the window, but the blended CPM is the number to hold steady: it tells you whether you are buying reach efficiently or paying a premium for a late start.

What is a good video completion rate for political CTV advertising?

This campaign returned 98.02% completion on OTT/CTV and 72.29% on online video. CTV runs higher because the spot plays on a television screen where it cannot be skipped, so treat the two as separate benchmarks. Judging online video against a CTV number will make healthy delivery look like underperformance.

How fast can a multi-channel political campaign launch?

Five channels went live inside the same five weeks here, with no phased rollout — 10 line items across four creative formats. What makes that possible is building creative depth before launch rather than during it: six static sizes, four video cuts, three DOOH ratios, and native units with disclaimer variants ready on day one, so compliance review never becomes the bottleneck.

Should a low-recognition candidate lead with short or long video?

Short. The :15 introduction cut held 86.3% completion against 64.2% for the 1:00 — a 22-point gap. Introduce the candidate first and argue the issues second; the longer cuts do their work later in the flight, once voters know who they are watching.

What does DOOH actually deliver in a political campaign?

Here it was 1,404,504 impressions, 15.4% of total delivery. Worth knowing what that means: most landed on vertical and horizontal digital screens, while true outdoor billboards accounted for 52,718. Any DOOH report that does not break out that split is not telling you what you actually bought.

Summer Camp Digital Marketing Success

A University’s summer program offers immersive summer camp experiences for rising high school students to explore career paths, build confidence, and experience campus life through hands-on learning activities. The program includes themed sessions in areas such as technology, healthcare, business, and creative pursuits, giving teens valuable real-world skill exposure and academic exploration opportunities. These offerings are part of the university’s broader commitment to community education and youth engagement.

Despite the program’s quality and relevance, the program faced competitive challenges in the crowded summer camp marketplace. Awareness among target families in the regional Atlanta and greater Northwest Georgia area was moderate prior to our engagement, and enrollment growth was constrained by limited visibility and differentiated messaging in digital channels.

What Our Team Was Tasked With

The objective of the digital marketing campaign for the university was to increase awareness and drive registrations for the summer camp program during the peak enrollment period. Key goals included improving qualified traffic to the camp’s landing page and securing conversions (completed registrations/inquiries) at a cost-efficient level. With a modest budget of $5,000 – 10,000, the campaign needed to deliver measurable ROI and demonstrate sustainable acquisition metrics across a controlled digital spend.

Media Plan We Developed

To fulfill these objectives, we deployed an integrated digital strategy across three core channels: Google Ads, Meta (Facebook & Instagram), and site retargeting:

Google Ads: We implemented targeted search campaigns focused on high-intent keywords relevant to summer camps, youth enrichment programs, and the university’s offerings. Ads were optimized for mobile and desktop with structured bidding to maximize conversion volume within the budget.
Meta Campaigns: On Facebook and Instagram, we developed audience segments based on parents of high school students (grades 9–12), local community interests in education and enrichment, and lookalike audiences from prior registrants. Creative assets highlighted program benefits, campus experience, and key experiential elements to boost engagement.
Retargeting: We deployed site retargeting across display and social to recapture users who visited the summer program page but did not convert. Persistent but non-intrusive reminders reinforced the value proposition and encouraged return visits with tailored messaging.

Creative messaging and landing page alignment emphasized the program’s hands-on learning, exploration of career interests, and early college experience—positioning the camp as a trusted choice for families seeking purposeful summer engagement for teens. Landing pages were optimized for conversion with clear calls-to-action and minimal friction in the registration flow.

Campaign Results

The campaign successfully drove measurable performance within budget, delivering:

• Total Spend: $5,000 – $10,000
• Cost per Conversion: $120

Across the campaign period, the integrated strategy generated a solid volume of qualified conversions at a consistent cost per acquisition, demonstrating effective targeting and creative resonance. Meta and site retargeting reinforced Google Search performance by maintaining visibility with high-intent prospects, reducing wasted spend and shortening the conversion cycle.

This outcome underscored that even a modest investment, when applied through a data-driven and audience-centric digital mix, can yield sustainable acquisition metrics for seasonal programs like DiscoverU. Beyond the cost efficiencies, the campaign enhanced the summer program’s regional presence, strengthened brand affinity with prospective families, and laid the groundwork for iterative optimization in future enrollment cycles.

Driving B2B Conference Conversions with Event Targeting and Retargeting Excellence

A fast-growing sales and marketing software company focused on helping B2B enterprises accelerate deal flow sought to increase brand visibility and drive client acquisition at industry conferences across the United States. Despite strong platform capabilities, the company struggled to break through the noise at high-profile events and lacked a repeatable method to engage decision-makers attending these conferences.

What Propellant Media Was Tasked With

The objective was clear: develop and execute a sophisticated, full-year digital advertising strategy that could geotarget conference attendees, re-engage prospects after events, and ultimately convert new clients—all without relying on traditional sponsorships or in-booth foot traffic. The campaign needed to capture the attention of high-level decision-makers in real time and continue to nurture them post-event, creating a full-funnel marketing experience that was scalable and measurable.

The Media Plan For Event Targeting Geofencing We Developed

Propellant Media collaborated with the client to build a comprehensive year-long Event Targeting Strategy, leveraging our advanced geofencing and retargeting capabilities. The campaign was structured across three tiers:

Event Geofencing: Custom digital perimeters were placed around each targeted conference venue. These geofences delivered high-impact, visually provocative creative ads to mobile devices of attendees while they were on-site. The creative was tailored to be disruptive, humorous, and direct—turning heads and sparking conversations during the event.
Site Retargeting: Prospects who clicked through the ads were added to a custom site retargeting audience. This segment received follow-up creative with deeper product benefits and CTA’s, guiding them down the sales funnel post-event.
Impression-Based Retargeting: Even those who simply saw the ad (without clicking) were tracked and nurtured later through impression-based audience building. This ensured that all relevant exposures were leveraged for future campaign waves and remarketing sequences.

Custom audience segments included:

B2B Sales Executives
CMOs and Marketing Directors
Revenue Operations Managers
VPs of Sales Enablement
Enterprise Software Buyers

The Propellant team also coordinated ad deployment around 8 key annual conferences, staggering creative refreshes and flighting to align with each event.

Campaign Results & Impact

The campaign was a resounding success, exceeding industry benchmarks and internal KPIs:

Click-Through Rate (CTR): Achieved an impressive 0.24% CTR, 120% above the B2B industry average for display advertising.
Client Impact: The client reported seeing their own ads in real time while attending the event—an unexpected validation of both geofencing accuracy and creative execution.
New Business: The campaign directly contributed to three new client acquisitions, several of whom explicitly stated they first encountered the brand at the event via mobile ad exposure.

Encouraged by the success and the direct attribution to new business, the client committed to replicating this strategy at all industry events for the remainder of the year.

Key Takeaways

Event targeting and retargeting can replicate the impact of a physical booth at a fraction of the cost.
Impression-based audience building unlocks hidden value by converting passive ad viewers into future prospects.
Provocative creative, when timed well and geotargeted accurately, can become a brand’s differentiator in noisy environments.
Full-funnel execution across multiple tactics—event targeting, site retargeting, and impression retargeting—drives compound results.

From 3M YouTube Views to 10M Billboard Impressions: Inside Alabama’s Dental Awareness Surge

Client Overview

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) Office of Oral Health plays a vital role in improving community wellness by addressing preventable oral health issues. For this initiative, ADPH aimed to promote awareness and encourage positive dental health behaviors across maternal, child, and underserved populations throughout Alabama.

As part of its broader mission to close gaps in public health access, ADPH partnered with Propellant Media to plan and execute a high-impact awareness campaign that could reach communities often left out of traditional outreach. Our focus was on delivering relevance, education, and measurable outcomes.

Campaign Challenge

In Alabama, access to dental care is uneven—especially in rural counties and low-income communities. Many caregivers are unaware of preventive measures or local resources available to them. ADPH needed to bridge this knowledge gap and motivate action without overwhelming or alienating their audience.

Our task was to create a full-funnel advertising strategy capable of both scale and precision. We had to make oral health information accessible, engaging, and culturally relevant—reaching the right people at the right time, whether online or in their daily physical environments.

Strategic Philosophy: Behavioral Targeting with Cultural Relevance

Our approach to this campaign was grounded in the idea that public health engagement is as much about trust as it is about visibility. We combined behavioral audience modeling with insights from prior government and healthcare campaigns to inform our targeting, messaging, and delivery.

Instead of using broad public service announcements, we deployed segmented, behavior-based advertising that resonated with specific audience types—mothers, fathers, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Each tactic was chosen to reflect how different communities consume information and make health decisions.

By focusing on cultural nuance, accessibility, and omnichannel reach, our strategy aimed to generate not only awareness, but also real behavioral change in communities that need it most.

Targeting Strategy: Who We Reached and Where

Our media strategy was built on layered audience segmentation and geographic targeting. We developed custom personas and used both platform-level and third-party data to locate high-potential users and communities across the state.

We targeted:

Mothers (ages 18–45) interested in maternal health, family care, and public health topics
Fathers and male caregivers actively involved in child rearing
Healthcare professionals such as pediatricians, OB/GYNs, and WIC staff
Underserved populations in rural and low-income zip codes

To support message consistency, we combined statewide digital reach with physical proximity targeting—serving ads near WIC offices, pharmacies, pediatric clinics, and community centers.

This layered strategy ensured maximum message frequency across environments where health decisions are most likely to happen—whether in homes, cars, clinics, or on mobile devices.

Media Mix and Budget Allocation

Propellant Media executed an omnichannel campaign designed for both awareness and conversion. We leveraged digital, streaming, and traditional media to ensure we reached all segments of the target population.

The modeled media budget totaled $100,000 and was allocated across the following channels:

Channel	Budget	Strategy Purpose
Google Search & Display	$20,000	Targeted search and banner ads for users actively seeking health information
Meta (Facebook/Instagram)	$15,000	Interest-based and demographic targeting for parents and caregivers
YouTube Video Ads	$15,000	Short-form educational videos aimed at search-driven viewers
OTT/Connected TV	$10,000	Household-targeted video ads on Hulu, Roku, and other streaming platforms
Geofencing & Programmatic Display	$10,000	Location-specific messaging served near care centers
Programmatic Audio (Spotify, Podcasts)	$7,000	Audio messaging during family routines and commutes
Billboards	$13,000	Reinforcement messaging in rural and high-traffic metro corridors
Site Retargeting	$10,000	Re-engagement of prior ADPH site visitors

Each media channel was chosen based on its ability to connect meaningfully with its intended audience while allowing for data-driven optimizations throughout the campaign lifecycle.

Creative Execution and Messaging

Effective public health messaging must be clear, credible, and emotionally resonant. Our creative approach focused on community-driven storytelling, simple health tips, and visual clarity tailored to diverse audiences.

We developed:

Short-form video ads with pediatric dental tips and testimonials from Alabama families
Static and animated display banners emphasizing preventive care practices
Facebook and Instagram carousel ads promoting resources and dental appointment reminders
Billboards featuring visual messaging designed for commuter routes and rural exposure

Creative assets were informed by audience testing and feedback from prior healthcare campaigns. Content was optimized for accessibility and mobile engagement, ensuring that no matter the device or platform, the message would be understood.

This creative system ensured consistent messaging across formats and platforms, reinforcing behavior change through repetition, emotion, and localized relevance.

Modeled Performance Benchmarks

As a publicly funded campaign, our success metrics prioritized awareness, engagement, and cost-efficiency. We benchmarked performance against both internal Propellant Media standards and public health advertising norms.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)	Target Value
Google Search CTR	3–5%
YouTube Video Completion Rate	75%+
OTT/CTV View-Through Rate	85%+
Total Campaign Impressions	10M+
Meta Engagement Rate	4–6%
Site Retargeting Conversion Lift	2x higher than baseline
Overall Website Engagement Increase	25–40%

These benchmarks allowed us to make informed mid-campaign decisions and provide ADPH with transparent reporting to demonstrate return on investment and public impact.

Execution Timeline and Delivery

The campaign followed a streamlined six-week delivery schedule designed to balance speed, accuracy, and optimization:

Week 1:
Audience research, creative development, platform setup, and analytics implementation

Week 2:
Full campaign launch across all digital and streaming platforms

Weeks 3–4:
Performance analysis, A/B testing, and media optimization based on real-time insights

Weeks 5–6:
Creative refresh, scaling of high-performing segments, and preparation for reporting

This delivery schedule ensured efficiency without sacrificing strategy or quality. Each week built upon the last, allowing us to capture early momentum and optimize toward final KPIs.

Team Structure and Capabilities

Propellant Media deployed a multidisciplinary team to ensure every element of the campaign was handled with expertise. Our team brought together strategic planners, creative directors, media buyers, and analysts with deep experience in government and healthcare marketing.

Role	Team Members
Strategy & Planning	Justin Croxton, Katherine Parks
Media Buying	Dylan Meetze, Juan Gomez, Aaron King
Creative Direction	Diana Woodruff
Analytics & Reporting	Aaron King

This structure allowed for seamless execution, consistent client communication, and full accountability across planning, delivery, and optimization.

Technology Stack and Tools

To ensure high performance and actionable insights, we utilized a suite of advertising and analytics tools tailored for public health campaigns:

Google Ads (Search, Display, YouTube)
Meta Business Suite (Facebook/Instagram Ads)
Simpli.fi (Geofencing, OTT/CTV)
StackAdapt (Programmatic Audio and Display)
Google Tag Manager & GA4 for tracking and attribution
Real-Time Dashboards for live reporting and stakeholder transparency

This technology stack supported accurate targeting, campaign responsiveness, and data-driven storytelling—key to achieving the goals of a statewide public health initiative.

Comparable Campaigns and Experience

Propellant Media’s experience with similar campaigns made us an ideal partner for ADPH. We’ve helped public health and government clients across the country amplify their reach and impact through digital transformation.

Relevant examples include:

CDC – SPINE Program: Nutrition equity education for Black mothers across five states
Florida Blue: Statewide healthcare enrollment campaign targeting African-American communities
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta: Sickle cell awareness fundraising among Georgia families
Craig Hospital: Omnichannel nursing recruitment through geofencing, OTT, and testimonial video

Each campaign reinforced our belief in precision-targeted, culturally conscious advertising—and provided valuable learnings we applied to ADPH’s outreach.

Conclusion and Results Outlook

The ADPH Department of Oral Health campaign illustrates what’s possible when digital strategy meets health equity goals. Through integrated creative, channel diversity, and community-specific messaging, we empowered thousands of Alabama families with actionable oral health information.

Balancing strategy with compassion and analytics with accessibility, Propellant Media created a campaign that drove engagement while delivering meaningful public health value. The performance benchmarks show strong projected returns, and the strategic infrastructure is now in place for future phases of outreach.

For government organizations and healthcare providers seeking to educate, influence, and uplift at scale—this is what success looks like.

Turning Data into Dollars

How Propellant Media Helped Broadminded Media Scale with Digital Advertising

BroadMinded Media, a full-service advertising agency based in San Antonio, Texas, was transitioning into the digital advertising space. Owned by Debbie Johnson and Allen Carlisle, the agency needed a partner with deep expertise in digital strategies to complement its traditional media strengths. Enter Propellant Media, which became Broadminded Media’s white-label digital strategist, joining client-facing meetings and providing tailored digital advertising solutions.

Key Challenge: Broadminded Media struggled with scaling their digital advertising capabilities efficiently without the overhead of building an in-house team. They needed strategic expertise, advanced technology access, and campaign optimization to compete in the evolving digital landscape.

Over the course of more than five years, Propellant Media has acted as an extension of Broadminded Media’s team, offering expertise in geofencing, programmatic display, and residential geo-fencing. This partnership has allowed Broadminded Media to expand its digital offerings without the overhead of hiring an in-house team.

Process

Propellant Media’s approach to digital advertising with Broadminded Media includes:

Thorough Needs Assessment: Understanding each client’s goals, target audience, and desired outcomes to create customized strategies.
Tailored Strategies: Developing campaigns based on audience behavior, both online and offline, to ensure maximum relevance and engagement.
Diverse Tactics: Implementing advanced tactics such as geofencing, programmatic display, and residential geo-fencing to reach precise audiences.
Budget Alignment: Making budget recommendations that are aligned with campaign goals, ensuring cost-effective ad spend.
Direct Client Interaction: Acting as a white-label partner, Propellant Media often participates in client-facing meetings, providing strategic insights and support.

Key Deliverables

Enterprise-Level Access: Providing Broadminded Media with access to demand-side platforms (DSPs) at lower buy-in rates.
Expertise Without Overhead: Delivering high-level digital advertising expertise without the costs associated with hiring an in-house team.
Data-Driven Campaigns: Utilizing detailed analytics to optimize campaign performance continually.
Client-Centric Focus: Prioritizing the client’s bottom line, not just campaign metrics, to drive business growth.

Outcome

Propellant Media’s collaboration with Broadminded Media has yielded significant benefits:

Expanded Service Offerings: Broadminded Media has successfully integrated digital advertising into its service lineup, enhancing client value.
Consistent Performance: Reliable campaign outcomes have built strong client trust and long-term relationships.
Revenue Growth: The partnership has allowed Broadminded Media to generate additional revenue streams through digital advertising services.
Proactive Problem-Solving: Propellant Media has demonstrated the ability to navigate challenging campaign periods with innovative solutions.

Broader Impact

Beyond quantitative metrics, the partnership has:

Fostered a culture of trust, collaboration, and continuous learning.
Enhanced Broadminded Media’s reputation as a comprehensive, forward-thinking agency.
Provided ongoing support and education, allowing the agency to “earn while they learn” in the digital space.
Created a fun yet professional working relationship focused on shared success.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the partnership between Broadminded Media and Propellant Media showcases the power of collaboration in digital advertising. Through tailored strategies, transparent communication, and a shared commitment to client success, Propellant Media has become an indispensable part of Broadminded Media’s growth journey, setting a benchmark for agency partnerships in the digital age.

What Happens When You Target With Precision? 70+ Calls Happen

A home healthcare provider wanted to reach a specific yet often overlooked audience: individuals already caring for loved ones at home — whether elderly parents or family members — who were unaware that they qualified to receive compensation. With a mission to empower these unpaid caregivers, the client turned to Propellant Media for a data-backed digital advertising strategy that could deliver both education and conversion.

Key Challenge: The client needed to reach a unique audience: people already caring for loved ones at home who didn’t realize they could be paid for the care they were providing. These individuals weren’t searching for help — they didn’t even know help was available. That made traditional targeting methods ineffective. The challenge was to cut through the noise with a message that was clear, trustworthy, and emotionally resonant, while reaching an audience that didn’t even know they were the target.

On top of that, the campaign had to stay compliant with strict advertising guidelines on platforms like Meta. Messaging couldn’t overpromise or mislead, and with a multi-month flight, creative fatigue was a risk. The team had to balance clarity and compliance while keeping the content fresh and impactful — all without losing sight of the deeply personal nature of the campaign’s goal.

Process

Initial Assessment and Setup
The campaign began with a deep discovery process between the Propellant Media team and the client’s internal marketing department. Together, they identified key audience pain points, defined conversion goals, and mapped out behavioral and geographic signals that would help guide the targeting strategy. The goal was to build a campaign that could meet people where they were—physically and emotionally—while also providing a clear path toward conversion.

Key initial actions included:

Geofencing high-opportunity locations where unpaid caregivers were likely to be, such as clinics, pharmacies, and community centers.
Building audiences using third-party data segments that reflected the client’s ideal customer profile.
Installing tracking pixels to capture site behavior and connect digital engagement with campaign performance.

Strategic Expansion

As the campaign gained traction, our team layered in additional targeting methods to increase reach and improve engagement quality. Rather than relying on a single tactic, the team created a multi-touch approach that captured attention across multiple platforms and user behaviors.

Expanded tactics included:

Website retargeting to stay in front of users who visited but didn’t immediately convert.
Interest-based targeting on Meta (Facebook and Instagram) to surface ads to new, qualified leads.
Customized creatives that spoke to different pain points and user motivations, helping drive relevance and action.

Ongoing Optimization

To ensure consistent performance over the multi-month engagement, Propellant Media closely monitored results and made regular adjustments based on what the data revealed. This included managing platform compliance, minimizing ad fatigue, and keeping the message fresh.

Ongoing efforts included:

Refreshing creative every 3–4 months to avoid fatigue and maintain engagement.
Crafting ad copy that aligned with Meta’s advertising standards, steering clear of exaggerated or misleading claims.
Fine-tuning audience segments and budget allocations based on real-time performance insights.

Key Deliverables

Propellant Media provided a full-funnel media strategy designed to reach, educate, and convert an underserved audience. The campaign’s success hinged not just on where ads appeared, but how precisely they were delivered and how well they aligned with user intent. Deliverables focused on both strategic setup and tactical execution:

Hyper-targeted Programmatic and Meta Ads: Campaigns were designed to reach caregivers based on location behavior, interests, and intent — ensuring relevance at every stage of the funnel.
Custom Audience Segmentation: Third-party data, geofencing, and retargeting were used to build rich, layered audiences across platforms.
Compliance-Ready Creative Messaging: All ad copy and visuals were tailored to meet Meta’s advertising standards while still communicating urgency and opportunity.
Performance Monitoring via Real-Time Dashboards: Tracking tools gave the client ongoing visibility into clicks, calls, and conversions.
Creative Rotation Strategy: New creatives were introduced every 3–4 months to minimize ad fatigue and sustain strong engagement.

Outcome

Propellant Media’s collaboration with Broad-minded Media has yielded significant benefits:

Expanded Service Offerings: Broad-minded Media has successfully integrated digital advertising into its service lineup, enhancing client value.
Consistent Performance: Reliable campaign outcomes have built strong client trust and long-term relationships.
Revenue Growth: The partnership has allowed Broad-minded Media to generate additional revenue streams through digital advertising services.
Proactive Problem-Solving: Propellant Media has demonstrated the ability to navigate challenging campaign periods with innovative solutions.

Broader Impact

Beyond quantitative metrics, the partnership has:

Fostered a culture of trust, collaboration, and continuous learning.
Enhanced Broad-minded Media’s reputation as a comprehensive, forward-thinking agency.
Provided ongoing support and education, allowing the agency to “earn while they learn” in the digital space.
Created a fun yet professional working relationship focused on shared success.

Conclusion

This campaign demonstrated how Propellant Media translates strategic planning into measurable results. By combining geofencing, data-driven targeting, and platform-compliant creative, the team built a campaign that consistently delivered high engagement and qualified interest. The client gained clarity, performance insights, and a reliable pipeline of leads — all without compromising compliance or burning out their audience. It’s a clear example of how thoughtful digital execution can drive outcomes that matter to both the brand and the people they serve.

National Disease Control Government Entity Utilizes Geofencing Programmatic Video & Display To Drive Awareness

Propellant Media was engaged to support the State Partnerships Improving Nutrition & Equity (SPINE) Program, a CDC initiative designed to promote equitable and sustainable food and nutrition security. The campaign focused on increasing awareness about infant and toddler nutrition among Black mothers and caregivers, directing them to state-specific landing pages featuring CDC-vetted nutrition guidelines.

Strategy & Execution:

To maximize impact across five state health agencies, we implemented a multi-channel, data-driven marketing approach, ensuring message alignment with state priorities while customizing outreach for each market.

Media Planning & Implementation: Developed state-specific digital strategies that integrated programmatic display, social media, and addressable geofencing to reach Black mothers and caregivers.
Addressable Geofencing & Website Retargeting: Used geo-targeted digital ads to reach mothers in their homes and when they visited pediatric clinics, daycare centers, and community health organizations.
Facebook & Instagram Advertising: Created engaging social media ads featuring tested messaging such as “What to Feed Your Baby and When” and “Find Answers and Local Resources” to drive traffic to state landing pages.
Programmatic Display & Video Ads: Deployed targeted digital ads across premium websites, ensuring high visibility for campaign messages.
OTT & Connected TV (CTV) Advertising: Used Roku and StackAdapt platforms to serve video ads to audiences consuming streaming content.
Customized Messaging by Region: Tailored the creative execution for each state, integrating local branding and community partnerships.
Data-Driven Audience Optimization: Leveraged CDC-approved messaging, ensuring cultural relevance and credibility across all platforms.

Results & Campaign Impact:

The campaign successfully engaged Black mothers and caregivers, driving significant awareness and interaction across all five states.

12.2 million impressions served through Roku advertising, with a 0.32% average click-through rate (CTR) and a low $1.00 cost per click (CPC).
Over 5 million impressions served through StackAdapt, achieving a 0.15% CTR.
Facebook & Instagram ads generated 2.9 million impressions, driving 8,030 visits to state landing pages.
Geofencing efforts reached over 4,700 households per state, ensuring high-frequency ad delivery to the most relevant audience.
Engagement rates on programmatic video were 2x – 4x higher than industry benchmarks, demonstrating strong audience interest.
Website retargeting successfully re-engaged users, leading to higher conversion rates from initial ad interactions.

By utilizing a strategic mix of geofencing, social media, programmatic video, and OTT advertising, Propellant Media helped the CDC and state health agencies effectively increase awareness and engagement among Black mothers and caregivers. The campaign’s hyper-targeted approach, data-driven optimizations, and regional adaptations ensured maximum impact and improved audience reach.

Local Hospital System Utilize Omnichannel Advertising & Geofencing To Drive Disease Awareness

Propellant Media partnered with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to develop and execute a public health awareness and fundraising campaign aimed at increasing donations for sickle cell disease research. The campaign sought to engage the African American community, educate potential donors about the impact of sickle cell disease, and inspire contributions to support vital research and treatment efforts.

Strategy & Execution:

Our team implemented a data-driven, multi-channel digital marketing strategy to maximize reach, engagement, and conversion rates among the target audience.

Market Research & Message Testing: Conducted extensive audience research and A/B testing to refine messaging and ensure cultural relevance in outreach efforts.
YouTube Advertising: Developed compelling video ads featuring personal stories and impactful messaging, delivering them to highly targeted audiences based on demographics, interests, and behavioral data.
Meta (Facebook & Instagram) Ads: Created engaging social media campaigns using carousel ads, testimonials, and donor success stories to drive emotional connections and increase conversions.
Programmatic Display Advertising: Utilized advanced audience segmentation and geotargeting to place banner and video ads across premium websites frequented by the target demographic.
Geofencing & Retargeting: Implemented geofencing around hospitals, community centers, and health clinics to capture potential donors, while site retargeting re-engaged previous visitors who had shown interest but had not yet donated.
UDX Data Capture Technology: Deployed unique data capture tools to build a high-value donor outreach database for sustained engagement beyond the campaign.
Community Relations & Event Marketing: Aligned digital efforts with community-driven initiatives, including health fairs and donor appreciation events, amplifying offline interactions with digital reinforcement.

Results & Impact:

The campaign delivered exceptional engagement and fundraising results, surpassing previous efforts in both donor acquisition and engagement metrics.

1,500% increase in the outreach database, significantly expanding the pool of potential long-term donors.
12% increase in total donors compared to the previous year’s campaign, demonstrating a clear uplift in fundraising efforts.
Click-through rates (CTR) were 2x – 4x above the industry average, indicating strong message resonance and audience engagement.
Enhanced donor retention and re-engagement, as retargeting efforts ensured sustained interactions with individuals who showed prior interest.

By leveraging a strategic mix of digital channels, community engagement, and data-driven By leveraging a strategic mix of digital channels, community engagement, and data-driven optimization, Propellant Media successfully elevated awareness, engagement, and donor participation for CHOA’s sickle cell research initiatives. This campaign highlights the power of targeted storytelling, advanced audience segmentation, and multi-channel execution in driving impactful public health fundraising efforts.

Government Public Health Institution Leverages Geofencing & Omnichannel Marketing To Drive Visibility

Propellant Media was engaged by CBG Strategies, LLC to support the Alabama Department of Public Health in increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates among African-American communities statewide. The campaign aimed to address vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and access barriers by delivering tailored messaging that resonated with different regions and demographics within the state.

Strategy & Execution:

Given the complexity of the campaign, we designed a highly targeted, region-specific approach using multiple digital channels, leveraging community influencers, medical experts, and trusted local voices to increase credibility and engagement.

Media Planning & Implementation: Developed a comprehensive advertising strategy tailored to four different regions and three major metro areas in Alabama, ensuring localized messaging and precise audience targeting.
Advisory on Content & Landing Page Development: Provided strategic guidance on ad creative, messaging, and the campaign’s landing page experience to ensure clarity, accessibility, and persuasive calls to action.
YouTube Video Advertising: Deployed a series of video ads featuring local medical professionals, faith leaders, and community influencers, addressing concerns and encouraging vaccinations through personal storytelling.
Digital Display & Video Advertising: Utilized programmatic display and video ads to reach key audiences with educational content about vaccine safety, effectiveness, and availability.
OTT & Connected TV (CTV): Delivered long-form video messaging through streaming platforms like Hulu, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV, ensuring engagement with audiences less active on traditional social media.
Addressable Geofencing Technology: Implemented highly targeted geofencing campaigns, reaching over 300,000 African-American residents by serving ads to their mobile devices based on home and community locations.
Localized Messaging by Region: Each metro area and region received a customized combination of advertising, integrating local influencers, trusted medical professionals, and regional celebrities to increase credibility and cultural relevance.

Results & Impact:

This multi-layered, data-driven approach allowed for deep penetration into Alabama’s African-American communities, delivering high engagement and measurable impact on vaccine awareness and adoption.

300,000+ Alabama African-American residents targeted with hyper-relevant messaging via addressable geofencing.
Localized influencer strategy ensured that each metro and region received tailored messaging from trusted community figures.
Increased engagement across digital platforms, with high interaction rates on YouTube, display, and OTT/CTV placements.
Community-driven messaging strengthened credibility, addressing vaccine hesitancy through faith leaders, doctors, and local advocates.

By leveraging a regionally customized, multi-channel advertising strategy, Propellant Media helped drive COVID-19 vaccination awareness and education among Alabama’s African-American communities. This campaign underscores the power of localized digital outreach, influencer engagement, and advanced geotargeting in addressing public health challenges.

Local Hospital Leverages Geofencing Marketing, Google & Meta For Successful Recruitment

We wanted to highlight a case study that was not higher education specific, but was relevant in the sense of running brand awareness and lead generation tactics through omnichannel media.

Craig Hospital is a large hospital system on the west coast looking to recruit more nurses including CNA’s, Traveling Nurses, and RN’s. They haven’t run Over The Top Connected TV Advertising or Geofencing Marketing in the past. Given the stiff competition for nursing candidates, they realized they needed to both build their own brand recognition amongst nurses while also focusing on those who are in-market looking for nursing positions.

They have utilized other platforms including Zip Recruiter, Indeed, and other channels they thought would give them exposure to existing nurses who may be interested in switching to their company.

After hearing about geofencing marketing, they didn’t know if it could in fact be successful, but wanted it to remain part of their omnichannel marketing efforts. We deployed geofencing marketing, programmatic audio, site retargeting, Google Ads, and a new tactic with Facebook/Instagram advertising in which we took our geofencing audience and pushed that audience into the Facebook Instagram Platform.

Marketing Mix For Nursing Recruitment Campaign

The team at Propellant Media developed a comprehensive 12-month strategy of geofencing, data targeting (nursing audiences), site retargeting, google ads, pre roll video, OTT/CTV Advertising, and facebook/instagram advertising.

Geofencing Marketing – Our team built geo-fences around competitor hospitals. We believed that their core audience was already working at these locations, so serving ads to them would give us more exposure to thinking about switching to another hospital system. We found additional ways to limit waste and prevent less ad serving to the patients.
Site Retargeting – In order to maximize our brand recall and those who visited the website, we developed a site retargeting campaign with a frequency of 6 ads served per day per person to keep them top of mind, not just to our campaigns but to other digital advertising efforts we were deploying including Google Ads and Facebook/Instagram advertising.
Pre Roll Video – Despite utilizing static display ads, we also deployed pre roll video with a nice testimonial video of one of the workers who’s been with the company for over 1 year further solidifying social proof and adding another layer of creative ads to the mix.
OTT/CTV Advertising – Utilizing the same video ad types, we were able to gain exposure via streaming apps and websites with 15 and 30 second ad spots.
Google Ads – As part of our omnichannel marketing company, we went after in-market terms such as CNA jobs near me, nursing jobs near me, RN jobs near me
Facebook/Instagram – Our team developed a proprietary method that allows us to use our existing geofencing marketing platforms, build our geofencing audiences on those platforms, and push those audiences into Facebook and Instagram. We’re not talking about building 1-mile radii circles on Facebook. We’re talking about utilizing our current platforms and saving that audience in the Facebook Meta Ad Manager.

Results Of The Geofencing Marketing Nursing Recruitment Campaign

Craig Hospital worked with Propellant Media for over a year. Below were the results during that time.

Below is the summary of actual results we produced for the Hospital System. The quote we received from the client was after implementation, their positions were steadily filled up as a result of the omnichannel marketing and geofencing advertising campaign.

Conversions – 1,466 Application Landing Page Visits: healthcaresource.com

OTT Video Views – 229K

YouTube Video Views – 189K

$101,170.74 Spend

Average 94% Watch Rates For OTT/CTV

Airforce Deploys Geofencing & Programmatic Video To Recruit More Candidates

Propellant Media was tasked with designing and executing a digital campaign that could generate awareness and drive qualified traffic to the official Special Warfare recruitment landing page:
https://www.airforce.com/careers/special-warfare-and-combat-support/special-warfare?utm_source=propellantmedia&utm_medium=agf

The campaign needed to:

Leverage addressable and standard geofencing
Utilize both video and static ad formats
Target males in the southeast
Focus on users interested in outdoor adventure, video gaming, and those connected to military families/veterans

What We Implemented

Propellant Media deployed a multi-layered geofencing and audience targeting strategy, combining addressable geofencing (household-level targeting) and standard geofencing at high-value physical locations such as gyms, outdoor retail stores, gaming centers, and veteran-related community events.

Key actions included:

Audience Development: Created interest-based profiles focusing on males who enjoy outdoor activities, gaming, and military culture, including those with potential family military connections.
Creative Execution: Designed a mix of high-impact static and video ad units showcasing the elite nature of Air Force Special Warfare careers.
Landing Page Alignment: Directed all traffic to the Air Force’s official Special Warfare page, capturing highly engaged users interested in learning more or applying.

Here is a sample video we used for the campaign:

Watch Video Here:

https://www.loom.com/share/1b2feeb681f9446ea50373919bfb45c3?sid=3db4e15c-b4dd-4ced-a195-0bfbd0bf618e

Results of the Campaign

The campaign delivered exceptional reach and engagement, exceeding initial performance expectations:

1,403,000+ impressions served to the highly targeted audience
Over 2,100 qualified clicks driven to the official Air Force Special Warfare landing page
Engaged a highly specialized audience in a cost-efficient manner, balancing reach with recruitment relevance

The campaign demonstrated the effectiveness of Propellant Media’s geofencing and audience targeting expertise — reaching individuals most aligned with the Special Warfare profile while maintaining strict focus on recruitment objectives.

Overall Impact To Recruitment Efforts For The Airforce

This campaign highlights Propellant Media’s ability to design and execute complex, multi-layered recruitment marketing strategies that combine precision geofencing, behavioral targeting, and creative storytelling.

By driving over 2,100 qualified prospects to the Air Force Special Warfare recruitment portal, the campaign provided meaningful engagement and reinforced Propellant Media’s expertise in military and elite forces recruitment marketing.