The Situation
Watco is a leading UK-based manufacturer of high-performance floor repair solutions.
Having partnered with Digital Gearbox since 2021, Watco's ongoing objective was clear: maximise the return on every advertising pound spent.
While both Google and Microsoft Ads had been part of the strategy from the outset, tracking performance in Microsoft Ads was historically difficult. Results were being measured through Google Analytics, which made it harder to evaluate campaign performance at a granular level, particularly on a channel not owned by Google.
Watco needed clearer visibility into what was (and wasn't) working across both platforms to make informed, profitable decisions.
Our Solution
The breakthrough came from enhancing Microsoft Ads' conversion tracking.
By implementing native UET (Universal Event Tracking) within Microsoft Ads, we enabled more accurate and consistent tracking directly within the platform. This move transformed the way performance could be viewed and optimised, removing ambiguity and giving the data the reliability it needed to guide strategy.
Armed with better data, we began scaling Microsoft Ads activity strategically, aligning it closely with our Google Ads campaigns. The idea wasn't to treat Microsoft as an afterthought, but rather to let it complement Google's scale, with both platforms playing distinct and valuable roles.
The Results
Our dual-platform strategy came into its own once Microsoft Ads was properly tracked and aligned with Google Ads.
While Google Ads continued to deliver the majority of overall revenue, Microsoft Ads consistently punched above its weight in terms of efficiency:
Microsoft Ads started generating nearly a third of paid media revenue despite accounting for a small proportion of total spend.
ROAS on Microsoft Ads was more than double that of Google Ads in comparable periods.
Microsoft proved especially effective at capturing high-intent users, particularly through branded search and Shopping campaigns.
Rather than competing with Google Ads, Microsoft Ads played a distinct and complementary role within the funnel:
Google Ads drove scale, awareness and product discovery through Performance Max and non-branded search.
Microsoft Ads captured ready-to-convert demand, delivering exceptional efficiency from lower-funnel users.
By managing both platforms together, we were able to maximise overall performance, combining Google's reach with Microsoft's efficiency, and unlock incremental revenue that would otherwise have been missed.
What The Client Had To Say
"I'm truly appreciative of your support and contributions over the last 5 years – it's been a great working relationship with standout results"
