In this series of “Extreme Ads Makeover”, I will be tearing down ads of Natural Made ads and have them completely remodeled to have better targeting and ROI.
Check out more ad makeover case studies such as Lexus, Chanel, Chase Bank, Amazon, Starbucks, Nike, Target, Home Depot, and Nature Made.
About Nature Made
Nature Made is a leading dietary supplement brand in the United States. It was founded in 1971 and is the #1 Pharmacist Recommended Vitamin and Supplement brand in nine product segments. Nature Made products are manufactured in the United States and are verified by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), an independent third party that verifies products that meet stringent quality criteria for purity and potency.
About Nature Made’s marketing agency
The current marketing agency for Nature Made is Leo Burnett Chicago. They have been the agency of record for Nature Made since 2021. Leo Burnett is a global advertising agency with offices in over 90 countries. They have a long history of working with major brands, including Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Nike.
In 2023, Leo Burnett Chicago created a new marketing campaign for Nature Made called “The Start of Something Great.” The campaign features a 30-second ad spot that showcases the ways vitamins can impact day-to-day activities, like time spent with loved ones. The ad spot has been running on TV, online, and in print.
About Michael Nguyen – CEO of Produce Results Agency, aka the “Extreme Ads Makeover” Host
Since 1999, Produce Results Agency has helped clients double assets from $5ooM to $1B and generated 4000% ROI for a regional bank turning their $66K marketing budget to $2.8M in revenue.
In this post, I will perform an ad audit on Nature Made ads, analyze what’s missing from the ads, come up with new ads, and eventually validate those new ads by running paid traffic on my own dime to see how new ads perform.
I am using Meta Ads in this case study but the same principle applies to other mediums such as Google, Youtube, Programmatic Ads, and short forms.
Table of Content
1. Ads Audit
3. Ads Makeover
6. Next Steps
Ads Audit
Promoted Product: Magnesium Gummy
Landing page: https://www.naturemade.com/products/magnesium-citrate-gummies
Facebook Ads: The Nature Made team created one ad set to promote.
Ad set #1 (see link)
Analysis
Rooms for improvement:
- Relevance to the Product: The ad copy speaks generally about “daily vitamins and supplements” but the visual is specifically about the Magnesium vitamin bottle. This could create a disconnect for the viewer. A more product-specific ad copy would resonate better with the visual.
- Benefits and Features: The ad doesn’t highlight the unique benefits or features of the Magnesium vitamin bottle. Why should someone choose this particular product over others? What makes it stand out?
- Emotional Connection: The ad lacks an emotional hook. Effective ads often tap into the emotions of the target audience, making them feel a certain way about the product. This could be achieved by addressing a problem the product solves or a positive feeling it provides.
- Urgency: The ad could benefit from creating a sense of urgency. While the discount code does provide some incentive, mentioning that the offer is for a “limited time” or “while supplies last” could drive quicker action.
- Trust and Credibility: The ad doesn’t leverage any trust signals. Mentioning that it’s the “#1 Pharmacist Recommended Vitamin & Supplement Brand” or including positive reviews/testimonials could enhance credibility.
- Addressing Potential Concerns: The ad doesn’t address common concerns or objections that the target audience might have. For instance, mentioning that the product is gluten-free, made with natural flavors, and doesn’t contain synthetic dyes could be beneficial for health-conscious individuals.
- Visual Appeal: While the ad has a visual of the Magnesium vitamin bottle, it could benefit from more engaging visuals or graphics that highlight the product’s benefits or show it in use.
Effect on Ad Performance:
- Reduced Engagement: Without emotional appeal or a clear value proposition, the ad might not capture attention or resonate with viewers, leading to lower engagement rates.
- Lower Conversion Rates: Without urgency or a clear CTA, viewers might not feel compelled to take immediate action, leading to lower conversion rates.
- Less Memorability: Without strong visuals or emotional triggers, the ad might be less memorable, meaning consumers might not recall the brand or offer later on.
- Broad Targeting: Without specifying a target audience, the ad might reach individuals who aren’t interested in the offer, leading to wasted ad spend.
- Lower Click-Through Rates (CTR): Without a compelling reason to click, viewers might just scroll past.
- Lower Conversion Rates: Even if they do click, they might not be as motivated to purchase without clear value, differentiation, or emotional resonance.
- Less Retention: Without a clear connection or reason to remember the brand or offer, even those who click might forget about it shortly after.
- Higher Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): If the ad doesn’t resonate well with the target audience, the advertiser might end up spending more to acquire each customer.
I am disappointed to see the lack of effort in promoting the Magnesium Gummy from Nature Made when there is only one control ad.
Here are the disadvantages when having only one control ad:
Lack of A/B Testing
- Limited Insights: With only one ad, you won’t be able to perform A/B tests, which are essential for determining what aspects of the ad are working and what aren’t.
Targeting Limitations
- Missed Opportunities for Segmentation: Different ad sets can target different customer segments. A single ad may not be as effective across all segments, missing out on some potentially lucrative opportunities.
- Reduced Personalization: Multiple ad sets allow you to customize messages based on user behavior, geography, or other demographics. A single ad will be less personalized and potentially less effective (more on this below when I do an ad makeover)
Creativity and Message Fatigue
- Ad Fatigue: Over time, the same ad is likely to become less effective as users get tired of seeing it. Multiple ad sets can help mitigate this effect.
- Limited Creative Testing: Having multiple ads allows for testing different creative elements like headlines, images, and call-to-actions. A single ad limits this flexibility.
Risk Management
- Higher Risk: If your one ad doesn’t perform well, you don’t have other ad sets to fall back on. This all-or-nothing approach can be riskier.
- Budget Allocation: With multiple ad sets, you can allocate more budget to higher-performing ads. A single ad does not offer this flexibility.
Optimization Challenges
- Limited Learning: If your single ad isn’t performing well, it’s harder to pinpoint what exactly is going wrong. Multiple ad sets can provide you with more data, making it easier to optimize.
- Inability to Leverage Platform Algorithms: Many advertising platforms use machine learning algorithms to automatically allocate budget to the best-performing ads in a campaign. With just one ad, you can’t take advantage of this feature.
Data and Analytics
- Limited Data for Analytics: Having only one ad will provide you less data, reducing the reliability and validity of your performance metrics.
Attention:
If you had multiple product lines and currently ran paid ads, there’s a 97% chance that you had less than 3 ads based on my experiences of remodeling ads from Lexus, Chanel, Chase Bank, Amazon, Starbucks, Nike, Target, Home Depot, and Nature Made.
Maybe you are perfectly okay with one control ad and burn your ad budget without ROI.
But if you would like to have a second-opinion ads critique so that you can see the gaps and areas where you can extract MORE juice out of your ads, click on the link below to have me critique your ads.
Gaps Analysis
The Landing Page (see link )
Audience avatar: I don’t know exactly what the avatar Nature Made is targeting for this offer. By analyzing the landing page, here’s what I think the avatar Nature Made is targeting:
Meet Emily, a 35-year-old working professional who is health-conscious but has a hectic lifestyle that makes it challenging to maintain a balanced diet. She’s gluten-sensitive and prefers natural products. Emily is already on medication for a minor health condition and is cautious about adding new supplements to her regimen. She’s been advised by her healthcare provider to increase her Magnesium intake. Emily loves fruity flavors and hates swallowing pills, making her the perfect candidate for Nature Made® High Absorption Magnesium Citrate Gummies.
Unlike the approach I used to analyze Chase Bank, for Nature Made, I think their landing page is quite decent. Any additional improvement can lead to a marginal result.
Meanwhile, a huge improvement can be made from the ad creatives. As a result, I’ll use my 17 analysis model to come up with 9 different ad angles.
Ads Makeover
Here’s the disease that most marketing agencies and businesses running paid ads:
“They think they’ve tested 20 ads but they really just tested 2 ads 10 different times.”
The best analogy for this is if you play the game “Battleship”.
Battleship is a strategy-type guessing game for two players. It is played on ruled grids (paper or board) on which each player’s fleet of warships are marked. The locations of the fleets are concealed from the other players. Players alternate turns calling “shots” at the other player’s ships, and the objective of the game is to destroy the opposing player’s fleet.
Using the context of the Battleship game, the fact that you just tested 2 ads 10 different times is like you are calling “shots” for the same spot 10 different times at the other player’s ships.
The lack of ideas for ad angles is making your ads dull and boring and ultimately leads to ad fatigue.
Using the proprietary Bionic Framework leveraging 17-layer analysis to come up with ad ideas touching different aspects of human relationships, fears, shame, language structures, and pop culture rather than the boring feature/benefit-driven ads that most marketing agencies default to.
Headline Options
- “Unlock Wellness On-the-Go with Nature Made® Magnesium Gummies!”
- “No Time for Pills? Try Nature Made® Magnesium Gummies!”
- “Elevate Your Health Without Slowing Down!”
- “Nature Made®: The Busy Professional’s Secret to Balanced Health!”
- “Get Your Daily Dose of Relaxation, No Pills Required!”
- “Say Goodbye to Stress, the Nature Made® Way!”
- “Tired of Being Defeated by Pills? Take Control with Nature Made®!”
- “Don’t Let Your Health Routine Make You Angry—Switch to Nature Made® Gummies!”
- “Envious of Easy Wellness Routines? Make Them Green with Nature Made®!”
Body Copy Options
Body Copy 1
We get it. You’re a busy professional juggling a lot but still committed to your health. Meet Nature Made® Magnesium Citrate Gummies, your new best friend in wellness. Imagine the relief of not having to swallow another pill, but instead, savoring a delicious mixed berry gummy that’s gluten-free and all-natural. Feel the joy and anticipation as you elevate your health without compromising your lifestyle. “Why didn’t I find this sooner?” you’ll ask. Act now and secure this game-changer for your health regimen. Recommended by pharmacists and approved by healthcare providers. Limited offer: Subscribe and save 10% + Free Shipping!
Models Applied: Relationships, Imagery (Visual, Kinesthetic), Emotions (Joy, Anticipation), Statements, Time (Present, Future), Towards/Away From (Desire), Future (Promise), Capability (Can), Proof (Credibility, Social Proof), Numbers (50% off), Language Devices (Questions), Direct Marketing Offers (% Discount).
Body Copy 2
Are you tired of the pill-swallowing routine? Nature Made® Magnesium Citrate Gummies are here to revolutionize your health journey. Visualize a stress-free life, powered by these delicious, gluten-free gummies. Feel the ecstasy of making a smart choice that aligns with your values and lifestyle. “A small change for a big impact,” says our satisfied customer Jane. Hurry, offer ends soon!
Models Applied: Relationships, Imagery (Visual), Emotions (Ecstasy), Types of Statements (Quotation), Time (Present), Towards/Away From (Desire), Future (Warning), Capability (Are), Proof (Personal Endorsement), Numbers (Ends soon), Language Devices (Quotation), Direct Marketing Offers (Deadline).
Body Copy 3
Imagine a world where your health supplements don’t feel like a chore. That’s what Nature Made® Magnesium Citrate Gummies offer. Listen to the sound of stress melting away as you chew these fruity, gluten-free delights. Feel the courage and determination to take on the day, every day. “It’s like a mini-vacation in a bottle,” says wellness guru Sarah. Act now, and we’ll throw in a free consultation with a healthcare professional.
Models Applied: Relationships, Imagery (Auditory), Emotions (Courage, Determination), Types of Statements (Quotation), Time (Present), Towards/Away From (Both), Future (Promise), Capability (Will), Proof (Personal Endorsement, Credibility), Numbers (Free), Language Devices (Quotation), Direct Marketing Offers (Consultation).
Body Copy 4
Are you ready to defy the odds and take control of your health? With Nature Made® Magnesium Citrate Gummies, you can. Feel the love and compassion we’ve poured into creating a gluten-free, all-natural supplement just for you. “This is the future of health supplements,” declares Dr. Smith. Don’t miss out; your future self will thank you.
Models Applied: Relationships, Imagery (Kinesthetic), Emotions (Love, Compassion), Types of Statements (Declaration), Time (Present, Future), Towards/Away From (Both), Future (Promise), Capability (Can), Proof (Credibility), Numbers (None), Language Devices (Declaration), Direct Marketing Offers (None).
Body Copy 5
How would you like to turn your daily health routine into a delightful experience? Nature Made® Magnesium Citrate Gummies make it possible. Savor the mixed berry flavor as you chew your way to better health. Feel the joy and generosity in every bite. “It’s a game-changer,” says Emily, another satisfied customer. Limited offer: Subscribe and save 10% + Free Shipping!
Models Applied: Relationships, Imagery (Visual, Kinesthetic), Emotions (Joy, Generosity), Types of Statements (Questions), Time (Present), Towards/Away From (Desire), Future (Promise), Capability (Make), Proof (Personal Endorsement), Numbers (30-day), Language Devices (Questions), Direct Marketing Offers (Money-back guarantee).
Body Copy 6
What if you could get all the Magnesium you need without adding another pill to your day? Nature Made® Magnesium Citrate Gummies are your answer. Picture this: A gluten-free, all-natural gummy that fits seamlessly into your busy life. Feel the anticipation and elegance as you uncap the bottle. “It’s not just a supplement; it’s a lifestyle,” says health expert Mark. Subscribe and save 10% + Free Shipping!
Models Applied: Relationships, Imagery (Visual), Emotions (Anticipation, Elegance), Types of Statements (Questions), Time (Present), Towards/Away From (Desire), Future (Promise), Capability (Could), Proof (Personal Endorsement), Numbers (20%), Language Devices (Questions), Direct Marketing Offers (% Discount).
Body Copy 7
If you’re sick of the tragic defeat of swallowing pills, it’s time for a change. Nature Made® Magnesium Citrate Gummies are the real deal. Feel the anger turn into defiance as you take control of your health. “Don’t get played by pills,” warns fitness coach Mike. Act now, or forever hold your peace!
Models Applied: Relationships, Emotions (Anger, Defiance), Types of Statements (Condition), Time (Present), Towards/Away From (Both), Future (Warning), Capability (None), Proof (None), Numbers (None), Language Devices (Slang, Tragedy), Shame (Defeat).
Body Copy 8
If you’re disgusted by the synthetic junk in most supplements, we’ve got your back. Nature Made® Magnesium Citrate Gummies are as natural as they come. Feel the disgust turn into defiance as you say no to artificiality. “Don’t let fake stuff mess with you,” warns nutritionist Lisa. Time’s ticking, so make your move!
Models Applied: Relationships, Emotions (Disgust, Defiance), Types of Statements (Condition), Time (Present), Towards/Away From (Both), Future (Warning), Capability (None), Proof (None), Numbers (None), Language Devices (Slang), Shame (Defeat).
Body Copy 9
If you’re envious of people who effortlessly maintain their health, your time has come. Nature Made® Magnesium Citrate Gummies are the game-changer you’ve been waiting for. Feel the envy turn into defiance as you level up your wellness game. “Don’t get left in the dust,” warns health influencer Tom. Miss this, and you’ll regret it!
Models Applied: Relationships, Emotions (Envy, Defiance), Types of Statements (Condition), Time (Present), Towards/Away From (Both), Future (Warning), Capability (None), Proof (None), Numbers (None), Language Devices (Slang), Shame (Defeat).
Validate New Ads
This is where the rubber meets the road as I am going to validate ad concepts from the previous step by running paid traffic to see which ad concepts would resonate most with the customers.
Here’s how I set the adset on Facebook
- Budget: $10 Lifetime
- Product/Service: Magnesium Gummy
- Targeted audience: Target with interest in Nature Made (who else is better than prospects already interested in Nature Made?)
- Placement: News Feed
- Optimization: Optimized for Traffic
Here are all the 9 ads being launched.
Fast-forwarding 24 hours to let the ads run.
Here’s the results
Campaign Numbers:
-
- Ad budget: $12.71
- Total Impressions: 1,845
- Total Reach: 1,637
- Total Clicks: 44
- Cost Per Click (CPC): $0.29
- CTR (all): 2.38%
Ad results
Summary
- Reach and Impressions:
- “Headline 7” has the highest reach and impressions, indicating that it was the most viewed ad among the list.
- “Headline 1” has the lowest reach and impressions, suggesting it was the least viewed.
- Frequency:
- Most ads have a frequency close to 1, which means most of the audience saw the ad only once.
- “Headline 9” has the highest frequency at 1.16, indicating that on average, the audience saw this ad a little more than once.
- Amount Spent:
- The highest amount was spent on “Headline 7”, which correlates with its high reach and impressions.
- The least amount was spent on “Headline 1”, which also had the lowest reach.
- CPM (Cost Per 1,000 Impressions):
- “Headline 8” has the highest CPM, suggesting it might be more expensive to reach the same number of people compared to other ads.
- “Headline 1” has the lowest CPM, making it the most cost-effective in terms of impressions.
- Link Clicks:
- Both “Headline 7” and “Headline 6” have the highest number of link clicks, indicating they were the most engaging or had the most compelling call-to-action.
- “Headline 1” did not register any link clicks.
- CPC (Cost Per Link Click):
- “Headline 9” and “Headline 3” have the lowest CPC, making them the most cost-effective in terms of driving user actions.
- “Headline 8” and “Headline 2” have a higher CPC compared to others.
- CTR (Link Click-Through Rate):
- “Headline 9” has the highest CTR, indicating that it was the most effective in terms of getting users to click on the ad relative to its impressions.
- “Headline 5” has the lowest CTR, suggesting it was less effective in this regard.
In summary, while “Headline 7” had the highest reach and impressions, “Headline 9” was the most effective in terms of engagement, with the highest CTR and one of the lowest CPCs. On the other hand, “Headline 1” seems to be the least effective across multiple metrics. Advertisers should consider these insights when planning future campaigns and optimizing their ad content.
Analytics:
Winning Ads:
- If the goal is to get maximum reach and impressions, ‘Headline 7’ is the top performer.
-
- Headline: “Tired of Being Defeated by Pills? Take Control with Nature Made®!”
- Ad body: If you’re sick of the tragic defeat of swallowing pills, it’s time for a change. Nature Made® Magnesium Citrate Gummies are the real deal. Feel the anger turn into defiance as you take control of your health. “Don’t get played by pills,” warns fitness coach Mike. Act now, or forever hold your peace!
- Models Applied: Relationships, Emotions (Anger, Defiance), Types of Statements (Condition), Time (Present), Towards/Away From (Both), Future (Warning), Capability (None), Proof (None), Numbers (None), Language Devices (Slang, Tragedy), Shame (Defeat).
- Total Impressions: 557
- Total Reach: 506
- Clicks: 10
- CPC: $0.37
- CTR: 1.8%
- If the objective is to get the most clicks at the lowest cost, ‘Headline 9’ stands out.
- Headline: “Envious of Easy Wellness Routines? Make Them Green with Nature Made®”
-
- Ad Body: If you’re envious of people who effortlessly maintain their health, your time has come. Nature Made® Magnesium Citrate Gummies are the game-changer you’ve been waiting for. Feel the envy turn into defiance as you level up your wellness game. “Don’t get left in the dust,” warns health influencer Tom. Miss this, and you’ll regret it!
- Models Applied: Relationships, Emotions (Envy, Defiance), Types of Statements (Condition), Time (Present), Towards/Away From (Both), Future (Warning), Capability (None), Proof (None), Numbers (None), Language Devices (Slang), Shame (Defeat).
- Total Impressions: 145
- Total Reach: 125
- Clicks: 7
- CPC: $0.16
- CTR: 4.83%
- Ad Body: If you’re envious of people who effortlessly maintain their health, your time has come. Nature Made® Magnesium Citrate Gummies are the game-changer you’ve been waiting for. Feel the envy turn into defiance as you level up your wellness game. “Don’t get left in the dust,” warns health influencer Tom. Miss this, and you’ll regret it!
Takeaways/Insights
So in this thorough case study, I extensively analyze, examine, and audit Nature Made’s ads relating to the Magnesium Gummies, then come up with new ad ideas based on 17 analysis “lenses”, and finally validate ad ideas by running them through paid FB traffic to determine the winning ad.
- Use bundling to increase the AOV instead of one bottle. For ex, Nature Made can offer a bundle of 3 bottles or 6 bottles.
- My assumption is the buyer can stay subscribed for 3 months. With my Churn Buster Kit system, we can stretch the longevity to 20-50%.
- Having only one control ad can seriously underperform your entire campaign because of the lack of A/B Testing, targeting limitations, ad fatigue, risk management, and optimization challenges.
- Having multiple analysis “lenses” is the foundation to come up with ad ideas addressing customers’ needs, wants, objections, pains, and frustrations. Without additional analysis “lenses”, you are more likely to get “stuck” with boring and mediocre “features & benefits” angle.
- Ideas & creatives are the name of the game.
- As you notice the top 3 winning ads, I introduced a “Shame” element in those ads to bring up the “defeat” emotion (a very complex emotion) as an angle. The result speaks for itself that those 3 ads are winners
- I’d recommend Nature Made create more ad angles for each of their products. The path of “Extreme Ads Makeover” doesn’t stop and should be continuously evolving with the market.
What-If Revenue Impact Analysis
- What If Nature Made went ahead and ran another campaign based on what i suggested below, what would be the revenue impact?
- Let’s make some assumptions:
- The conversion rate is 1% (given the normal conversion rate of 2%)
- The price of a subscription for one bottle of Magnesium Citrate Gummies is $20.33
- Double down on the winning ad by increasing the number of clicks on winning ads to 10,000 clicks (Cost = 10,000 clicks x $0.16 = $1,600)
- Let’s calculate the potential revenues
- Assuming a buyer would stay subscribed for an average of 3 months.
- At 0.5% conversion rate, 10,000 x 0.5% = 50 buyers signed up
- Revenue = 50 x $20.33/mo x 3 months = $3050
- ROI = 91% ($3050- $1,600) / $1,600
- At 1% conversion rate, 10,000 x 1% = 100 buyers signed up
- Revenue = 100 x $20.33/mo x 3 months = $6,099
- ROI = 2,811% ($6,099- $1,600) / $1,600
- At 2% conversion rate, 10,000 x 2% = 200 merchants signed up
- Revenue = 200 x $20.33/mo x 3 months = $12,198
- ROI = 6,624% ($12,198- $1,600) / $1,600
Next Step
- Double down on the winning ad and amp up the budget on it because I’ve done the homework for you, all you need is to increase the ad budget.
- I share with you the 17 proprietary models I used to create ad ideas. While those 17 models appear easy for me because I’ve used them to generate thousands of ad ideas, for you, generating ideas may not come easily. That’s why I want to introduce the…
- “Second Opinion” Package
If you are a 7-figure business owner and already run paid ads and need someone to critique your ads for a potential makeover, go ahead and order my “Second Opinion” package.
