Blundstone

The objective

Reaching new, high-intent shoppers.

Blundstone is a heritage footwear brand known for its iconic elastic-sided boots that combine durability, comfort, and timeless style. With a strong presence in the outdoor and everyday wear space, the brand continues to evolve its marketing strategies to reach new generations of shoppers.

As competition on traditional platforms grew, the team saw an opportunity to reach untapped audiences on TikTok, especially younger shoppers who weren’t engaging elsewhere. Their goal was to test whether TikTok’s search behavior could connect them with high-intent users while keeping acquisition costs low.

The solution

Testing and refining a new search strategy built for TikTok

With a strong track record on traditional search channels, the brand saw TikTok’s evolving search tools as a fresh and large opportunity for their business. Intrigued by the platform’s unique combination of high engagement and cultural relevance, the brand was eager to test and learn, aiming to take full advantage of TikTok's new offering.

Blundstone launched a TikTok Search Ads Campaign using keyword-driven approach to understand how people were discovering products on the platform. By following TikTok's best practices, they leveraged over 20 keywords while testing a wide set of terms inspired by their brand's strengths and quickly identified which keywords drove the most qualified traffic while focusing on what keywords would be relevant for the content they were leveraging.

As results came in, they refined the strategy by implementing more keywords every couple of days, focusing budget on top performers, and optimizing toward a lower target CPA. Blundstone also introduced tailored creative that matched what people were actively searching for, helping connect users with the right product at the right moment.

The results

Driving efficient conversions through keyword and creative alignment

Blundstone's test confirmed that TikTok Search Ads could play a valuable role in their lower funnel strategy. By combining high-intent keywords with relevant creative, the brand effectively captured user attention and drove measurable results. Compared to their historical performance, the campaign achieved a 128% increase in click-through rate (CTR), a 53% reduction in cost per acquisition (CPA), and an increase in return on ad spend (ROAS) of 202%.

The strong performance validated TikTok’s potential not just as an engagement platform, but as a search-driven performance channel. For Blundstone, this was an opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and meet shoppers where discovery and intent naturally intersect.

Tips & takeaways

• Campaign duration: Let Search Ads Campaign run without edits for at least 3 days to pass the learning phase.

• Keyword targeting: Start with 20+ keywords and take advantage of our keyword tools like the Keyword Suggestion Tool (KST), Automated Keywords, and connect your catalog to ensure keyword quality.

• Creative: Have a diversity of ad creative formats, including video and carousel to drive better overall campaign performance. Take advantage of tools like Thumbnail and Multi-text Ads.

• Campaign budget and bidding: You can choose between Maximum Delivery and Cost Cap Bidding strategies (choose Cost Cap if you want to set a target CPA).