Skillshare: Brand Campaign Launch.

An audience-first media system — built on utility, sequencing, and signal — didn’t just outperform benchmarks, it became a guidepost for future brand campaigns.

Client

Skillshare

Role

Media Strategy, Media Planning, Buying & Optimization

Paid Media Campaign

Key Takeaway

Most brand campaigns lead with polish. This one led with value. We helped Skillshare turn a strategic bet on the crafts category into full-funnel results — using audience-led, how-to content that delivered utility upfront, and brand equity along the way. The result: outperformed benchmarks across every paid channel, doubled traffic goals, and proved you don’t need to choose between reach and performance when your system is built right.

Context

A creative category with business upside.

Crafts had always been part of Skillshare’s DNA — but this was more than seasonal content. It was a strategic bet on a high-intent category with room to grow both brand and business.

To make it count, the online learning platform needed more than awareness. They needed to show real traction: reach the right audiences, drive site traffic, and prove that creative utility could outperform glossy brand work. With paid performance on the line and creative formats still unproven, they brought us in to turn potential into proof.

But for their next push, they needed to do more than generate reach — they needed to prove the brand could win here. With an ambitious performance goal and a narrow audience sweet spot, they turned to us to turn that brand bet into results.

Approach

How performance strategy outpaced brand polish.

Utility beats aspiration

Hero content looked good — but instructional content performed better. Real creative value came from showing, not telling. DIY learners didn’t just tolerate how-to content. They preferred it. And they clicked because of it.

Utility beats aspiration

Sequencing over saturation

Most campaigns rely on repetition. We designed for progression. By mapping media to mindset, we moved users from awareness to action through value-led sequencing — not just more impressions.

Sequencing over saturation

Most campaigns rely on repetition. We designed for progression. By mapping media to mindset, we moved users from awareness to action through value-led sequencing — not just more impressions.

Sequencing over saturation

Most campaigns rely on repetition. We designed for progression. By mapping media to mindset, we moved users from awareness to action through value-led sequencing — not just more impressions.

Audience signals over assumptions

Instead of targeting based on static interests, we built our strategy around behavioral signals — from retargeting video viewers to leaning into in-market craft segments that overindexed in PMax. Assumptions were easy. Signals drove performance.

Audience signals over assumptions

Solution

Designing for performance, not polish.

Cross-channel campaign design

We architected a media mix around both audience behavior and platform strength, prioritizing utility-first formats and sequencing paths that maximized relevance at each stage.

Cross-channel campaign design

We architected a media mix around both audience behavior and platform strength, prioritizing utility-first formats and sequencing paths that maximized relevance at each stage.

Cross-channel campaign design

We architected a media mix around both audience behavior and platform strength, prioritizing utility-first formats and sequencing paths that maximized relevance at each stage.

Audience-led creative planning

Creative wasn’t treated as static assets — we planned them as modular elements that could adapt to Pinterest, YouTube, and Google needs, aligned to both mindset and media format.

Audience-led creative planning

Creative wasn’t treated as static assets — we planned them as modular elements that could adapt to Pinterest, YouTube, and Google needs, aligned to both mindset and media format.

Audience-led creative planning

Creative wasn’t treated as static assets — we planned them as modular elements that could adapt to Pinterest, YouTube, and Google needs, aligned to both mindset and media format.

Signal-based optimization

We deployed real-time signal loops across platforms, continuously rebalancing spend toward the highest-performing audiences, formats, and placements.

Signal-based optimization

We deployed real-time signal loops across platforms, continuously rebalancing spend toward the highest-performing audiences, formats, and placements.

Signal-based optimization

We deployed real-time signal loops across platforms, continuously rebalancing spend toward the highest-performing audiences, formats, and placements.

Performance Max activation

We activated PMAX as a performance accelerant, turning YouTube video viewers into high-value site traffic — ultimately driving more than half of all clicks at just 14% of budget.

Performance Max activation

We activated PMAX as a performance accelerant, turning YouTube video viewers into high-value site traffic — ultimately driving more than half of all clicks at just 14% of budget.

Performance Max activation

We activated PMAX as a performance accelerant, turning YouTube video viewers into high-value site traffic — ultimately driving more than half of all clicks at just 14% of budget.

Results