Case Study: How Allbirds and ARM Integrated Programmatic Audio

Allbirds is the go-to for durable, ethically made shoes produced with lightweight, quality materials like wool and eucalyptus. By 2020, its line of shoes was sported by celebrities and even politicians—proof positive that the brand had differentiated itself from its competitors. This dramatic rise to prominence was followed by a stark decline—by late 2022, the company reported a dramatic downturn in stock prices and slowing sales. This prompted leadership at the company to reassess their marketing tactics and turn a dedicated focus toward generating revenue and order growth. It was at this time that Allbirds began to look into audio, and turned to strategists at ARM to create reach and return in the space. 

A Shift Toward Audio Strategy

ARM worked with the Allbirds staff to create an audio strategy that would be effective and help the brand meet its goals of creating strong return on investment and more revenue. In order to achieve this, programmatic audio testing was put in place, focusing on the highest-performing interest groups from paid search and social campaigns and relevant direct podcast audience segments. 

Performance-Driven Results

Within the first two months, Allbirds got the results they were after with podcast and streaming audio placements. Through the partnership with ARM, the brand saw a rapid increase in site visits—about 47%—as well as a 39% lower cost-per-order (CPO) and a significant boost to return on ad spend (ROAS), at about 29%. These results bolstered Allbirds’ resolve to continue evolving their strategies, using programmatic audio as a primary channel to reach targeted audiences with personalized content, efficiently expanding reach without burdening their advertising budget. The results speak for themselves, as engaged audiences from these channels turned to the brand to fill their needs for sustainable, quality shoes. 

Ready to learn more about how Allbirds achieved these results with the help of ARM? Download the full case study here.