Shade Station’s world tour

Challenge

Shade Station was ready for a world tour, aiming to conquer 20+ new markets. 🎸 But their Performance Max campaign was acting like a controlling record label, only playing the same old, low-margin songs.

What’s a hit in New York isn’t what sells in Dubai, but PMax didn’t care. It ignored local trends, slept through heatwaves, and left their most profitable designer frames backstage. Expanding internationally felt more like turbulence than a triumphant tour.

Shade Station was tired of letting a black-box algorithm dictate their global strategy. They needed to grab the mic back.

Solution

It was time to write a new setlist. We helped Shade Station do just that, turning PMax from a disruptive force into their biggest fan. Here’s how:

• First, we defined their real “hit products.” Using our Product Goals feature, Shade Station went multi-dimensional. They fed PMax what really mattered—profitability, inventory levels, and real-time market trends. The algorithm finally understood what a chart-topper looked like.
• Then, we built a custom stage for every country. Our Campaign Orchestrator created a unique, AI-driven PMax architecture for all 20+ markets. 🤖 It automated the daily grind—adjusting budgets, scoring products, and syncing campaigns—while our PPC experts provided the hands-on international playbook.
• The secret sauce? A powerful combination of smart technology and even smarter human strategy, ensuring their message was a hit in every single market.

Results

When you combine a smart strategy with flawless execution, you don’t just get applause—you get platinum results. 🏆

By pairing AI-powered campaign orchestration with expert human steering, Shade Station didn’t just launch a world tour; they started a global phenomenon.

The year-over-year results tell the full story:

• +57% revenue
• +42% sales
• +31% clicks
• +10% Average Order Value (AOV)

But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what their COO had to say:

“The team at smec have been incredibly helpful, proactive, and insightful. Their approach goes far beyond simple campaign management… they’ve taken the time to really understand our business goals and have consistently brought smart, strategic thinking to the table. The results speak for themselves. A truly innovative partner that’s helped us push forward in a competitive space.”

– Jon Walden, COO, Shade Station