Case Study: Reducing Customer Acquisition Cost in Home Services

Industry: Home Services

Primary KPI: Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Objective: Increase marketing ROI without increasing total marketing spend

The Challenge

This home services company needed to improve marketing performance while keeping their budget flat. Rising acquisition costs were putting pressure on margins, and leadership needed clearer accountability across channels. The goal was simple but non-negotiable: acquire more customers at a lower cost without adding spend.

The Strategy

We rebuilt the marketing approach around accountability, measurability, and efficiency.

Key tactics included:

• Implementing strict CAC targets for all digital advertising partners, including clear spend maximums and performance thresholds

• Eliminating or reducing investment in tactics that could not be directly measured or attributed, including radio and television

• Shifting budget toward fully trackable digital channels and performance-driven campaigns

• Increasing focus on organic marketing channels, including community engagement, social media, and authentic content creation

• Prioritizing earned media opportunities over paid or sponsored placements to extend reach without increasing costs

The Results

The impact was immediate and sustained.

Customer Acquisition Cost dropped dramatically within the first month and continued to decline in the following period, landing well below the established target. This improvement was achieved without increasing overall marketing spend, proving that efficiency, not budget growth, was the real lever for ROI.

What started as a cost-control initiative quickly became a scalable growth model, with clearer visibility, stronger accountability, and healthier margins.

The Takeaway

When marketing is measured properly, performance improves fast. By cutting waste, enforcing clear KPIs, and investing in channels that reward authenticity and accountability, this home services brand transformed its marketing from a cost center into a predictable growth engine.