Digital advertising, few channels spark as much intrigue—and frustration—as display ads. They are often seen as critical for building brand awareness but notoriously difficult to measure in terms of ROI (Return on Investment). Marketers frequently find themselves generating millions of impressions, yet struggle to quantify their true impact. It’s a challenge many have faced.
But what if we told you that display ads can deliver measurable success, even in ways that seemed impossible before? That’s exactly what Leonid, our CEO, shared at SiGMA Dubai 2025. He shared a powerful case study about how we successfully measured the ROI of display ads—something that many have previously thought to be “immeasurable.”
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into how display ads can be measured effectively and how a clear strategy—combined with the right data—can unlock impressive results. Along the way, we’ll pause to break down key concepts and share Leonid’s expert insights on how to master display advertising for long-term growth.
Part 1. The Challenge: Turning unclear results into strategic insight
This story began with a simple but ambitious request from one of our clients: “We want to be the #1 brand in our region.” At the time, the brand was already utilizing various traffic sources like influencers, affiliates, and SEO. However, for a smaller market, these sources were beginning to plateau. The brand needed more—a way to scale and break through the noise. That’s when they turned to us and requested a display ads campaign, targeting 20 million impressions.
After a month of running ads, however, the results weren’t exactly the breakthrough we’d hoped for. Traffic numbers were decent, but the ROI? Unclear.
💡ROI in display ads can be tricky to measure because the value isn’t always direct or immediate. Display ads serve multiple purposes—brand awareness, retargeting, and even customer retention—all of which take time to produce results. But that’s the beauty of measuring ROI in display ads: it’s not just about immediate sales but the broader, long-term impact
So we decided to try a different approach: reframe the strategy and push forward.
Part 2. Crafting a new strategy: precision, patience, and purpose
Display ads aren’t a quick-fix, “plug-and-play” solution. They require time, patience, and above all, a clear strategy. Here’s how we approached the challenge:
- Set clear and measurable goals
The first step was to clearly define what success looked like. In a world where “clicks” often become an obsession, we focused on impactful metrics that aligned with our client’s long-term vision. Our goals were simple but ambitious:
- Increase brand traffic by 50%
- Re-engage 15% of inactive users
- Boost Reg2Dep by 10% from branded channels like ASO, SEO, and PPC
- Cut Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) by 50% across both post-click and post-view conversions.
💡 When setting goals for display ads, always adopt a full-funnel approach. It’s not just about the top of the funnel (TOFU) and impressions—those are just the first step. Focus on the entire journey, all the way down to the bottom of the funnel (BOFU), where the magic happens: conversions.
Metrics like Reg2Dep (Registration to Deposit) and CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) are crucial at this stage. They help you measure the real impact of your ads and give you a much clearer picture of ROI by tracking actual customer actions and costs.
- Building a full-funnel analytics system
To achieve real clarity, we knew we had to go beyond surface-level metrics. We integrated full-funnel analytics, tracking both post-click and post-view conversions.
- Post-view attribution (or view-through conversion) tracks conversions from users who saw an ad but didn’t click on it, helping to understand how ad impressions influence future actions.
- Post-click attribution (or post-click analytics) tracks conversions from users who clicked on an ad and then completed a desired action, showing how those clicks lead directly to conversions.
This way, we could measure the true impact on both new and returning users, ensuring that every impression and click was accounted for.
A crucial part of this was working with Weborama to track how long it took for users to convert, whether they interacted with the ad immediately or after seeing it days later. We set up attribution windows tailored to user behavior—active users had a 1-day window, while inactive users had 30 days to convert. This allowed us to gather deeper insights and more accurately measure our ROI.
- Creating engaging, memorable creatives
In display ads, creatives are everything. We didn’t want just another banner ad—we wanted to create an experience. Our team approached the creative process as if we were making short films. Every ad was designed to be engaging, memorable, and emotionally resonant.
We used real actors, real locations, and authentic stories that aligned with our target audience’s interests and values. It wasn’t just about the visuals; it was about creating an emotional connection in those crucial first moments.
- Patience
Here’s the thing: display ads don’t deliver instant results. Success takes time. With a clear strategy in place, we committed to running the campaign for 4 months, giving it the necessary time to reach the right audience and make a measurable impact.
Part 3. The Execution: Turning strategy into results
With the plan set, we dove into the execution phase. Our team chose online cinema websites as the primary platform for the ads. These sites offered excellent reach at a reasonable price and were perfect for engaging our target audience across both desktop and mobile devices. We ran a mix of ad formats: pre-rolls, banners, and branded content to ensure maximum visibility.
Here’s how we implemented the campaign:
- Impressions goal: We set an ambitious target of 200 million impressions over four months.
- Creative refresh: After two months, we refreshed the creatives to keep the campaign fresh and engage users deeper into the funnel.
- Ad formats: The campaign included a variety of formats—pre-rolls, banners, and branded placements to ensure the message reached users at multiple touchpoints.
Part 4. The Results: Assess the success
After four months of strategic execution, the results were extraordinary—and measurable. Here’s how the campaign performed:
- Brand Traffic: Increased by 47%, edging the brand closer to its goal of #1 market position.
- Re-engagement: We saw a 20% increase in users who hadn’t interacted with the brand for over a month. This was a major win, as it demonstrated that the campaign not only attracted new customers but also brought back old ones.
- Reg2Dep: We achieved a 15% increase in conversions from branded channels like SEO and PPC, which reinforced the strength of the brand’s presence.
- Customer acquisition cost (CAC): We reduced CAC by 50% for post-click conversions, and for the first time, we were able to track post-view conversions at just $5 per user.
Ultimately, this campaign helped boost the client’s overall ROI across all channels by 10%, far exceeding initial expectations.
Part 5. Scaling success: replicating the winning recipe
The success of this campaign didn’t just stop at one region. We applied the same strategy to other regions and brands, consistently achieving similar results. Our recipe for success is clear:
- Don’t avoid display ads
Display ads are often overlooked, but they offer untapped potential. It’s essential to remember that relying on only a few channels will limit your growth. Don’t hesitate to experiment with display ads to expand your reach. - Analytics is your North Star
Clear goals and a strong analytics framework are critical. Always track both post-click and post-view results to get the full picture. - Creatives matter—Big time
Your creatives should be more than just ads. They should be stories that resonate with users and leave a lasting impression. - Patience = Results
Display ads take time, but with the right strategy, the payoff is well worth the wait. Patience and persistence are key.
Conclusion
Display ads no longer need to be a “soft” channel for just raising awareness. As this case study shows, with the right approach—clear goals, strong analytics, impactful creatives, and a long-term commitment—display ads can drive substantial and measurable ROI.
💡As Leonid wrapped up his speech, he said, “Don’t be afraid to try display ads. With the right approach, you’ll see the kind of results that truly surprise you.”
If you’re ready to unlock the potential of display advertising for your brand, reach out. We’d love to help you build your next successful campaign.