First-party data and post-purchase placement drove 500% conversion growth for a pet food delivery brand

The challenge

A leading pet food delivery brand had a compelling subscription offer and an audience that needed it. Pet owners buy food on a regular schedule, and a subscription makes that effortless. The problem was finding the right consumers at the right moment without letting cost per acquisition spiral as spend increased. The brand needed to scale recurring subscriber growth quickly, but only if the economics could keep pace.

The solution

Fluent launched a post-purchase advertising campaign through its commerce media network, placing the brand's subscription offer in front of consumers immediately after they completed a purchase elsewhere. A shopper who has just checked out is already in a buying mindset. They’re more receptive, more engaged, and more likely to act on a relevant offer than someone browsing passively.

Fluent used exclusive retail media inventory, first-party data, and Experian segments to focus the campaign on high-intent pet parents (consumers most likely to find a recurring pet food subscription genuinely useful). From there, the team managed the campaign with daily bid and creative adjustments across audience segments, partners, and placements, keeping efficiency in focus as spend grew.

Budget followed performance. Investment expanded month over month only when conversions continued to hit CPA goals, giving the brand a controlled, repeatable path to scale.

Why it worked

Post-purchase timing removed the cold-start problem. These consumers were already shopping. First-party and Experian-powered targeting made the audience more relevant. And always-on optimization meant the campaign stayed efficient as budgets grew.

The result

Within eight months, the campaign drove a 500% conversion lift from post-purchase placements. Media investment grew 10x as performance held. And throughout that scale-up, CPA efficiency never broke, proving the channel could support both fast growth and financial discipline at the same time.