Industry: Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Services
Location: South West England (Focus: Bristol)
Executive Summary
Axis Rehabilitation, a well-established, family-run physiotherapy business with over two decades of success primarily driven by word-of-mouth referrals across 11 locations, faced an unprecedented challenge with the launch of two new clinics in Bristol. Despite their reputation, traditional methods and a nine-month Meta Ads campaign failed to attract new clients. Our agency devised and implemented a novel advertising strategy centered on a "tripwire" offer, combined with an emotionally resonant ad creative, which not only ignited client acquisition in Bristol but also delivered an exceptional 15x Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), booking both new locations for 60 days and creating a repeatable blueprint for future expansion.
The Challenge: New Market Stagnation
Despite 20+ years of growth primarily via word-of-mouth across 11 established locations, Axis Rehabilitation's two new Bristol clinics saw no client acquisition. A 9-month Meta Ads campaign failed, indicating their traditional approach and initial digital efforts weren't effective in this new market.
The Solution: Strategic Tripwire & Compelling Creative
We recognized that the conventional approach wasn't working. Instead of focusing on direct high-ticket sales or generic lead magnets, we proposed a "tripwire" strategy designed to lower the barrier to entry and facilitate a first interaction, paving the way for higher-value services.
1. The Tripwire Offer:
We identified Axis Rehabilitation's existing "Assessment and Treatment Plan" service, typically priced at £85. We recommended a dramatic 80% discount, bringing the initial cost down to just £17. Crucially, this offer was advertised as "£85 GBP but 80% off" to emphasize the perceived value.
2. Strategic Loss-Leader:
We anticipated that Axis Rehabilitation would hypothetically lose money on each £17 assessment. However, this was a calculated move. We understood that the primary goal of this initial session was to convert interested individuals into long-term clients.
2. Strategic Loss-Leader:
We anticipated that Axis Rehabilitation would hypothetically lose money on each £17 assessment. However, this was a calculated move. We understood that the primary goal of this initial session was to convert interested individuals into long-term clients.
3. The High-Value Upsell:
Following the initial assessment, clients are typically offered a comprehensive 12-session treatment plan, with each session costing £65. This translates to an average customer value of £780 GBP per client, not including the invaluable long-term benefits of word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business that are critical for local businesses.
4. Scarcity and Urgency:
To maximize immediate uptake and compel action, the 80% discount offer was made scarce and time-sensitive:
-
Limited to only 40 discounted assessments available.
-
Ran for a defined period, until the end of March.
5. Longevity Beyond the Sale:
Addressing the client's concern about the offer's limited duration, we explained that this strategy was inherently repeatable. New, varied offers could be launched each month, tied to seasonal events or specific needs, ensuring continuous client acquisition and long-term viability.
6. The Breakthrough Ad Creative:
Our testing revealed a highly effective ad creative: post-treatment customer reaction video compilations. These emotionally compelling videos showcased genuine relief and happiness, allowing potential clients to visualize their own positive outcomes. Interestingly, we found that explicitly detailing the 80% discount within the video itself was unnecessary and, in fact, slightly detrimental.
The offer details were present in the headline and on the landing page, but the video's raw, authentic impact was powerful enough to drive engagement and clicks on its own. This counter-intuitive finding highlighted the importance of emotional connection over purely transactional messaging in this context.
The Results: Explosive Growth & Sustainable Model
The implementation of this strategy yielded immediate and astounding results for Axis Rehabilitation's Bristol locations:
-
Client Acquisition: The cost per sale for the initial £17 assessment was remarkably low at £29 GBP (including the £17 assessment fee and £12 in advertising spend).
-
High Conversion Rate: A critical metric, 1 out of every 3 clients who purchased the initial assessment converted into the full 12-session treatment plan. This conversion rate consistently met or exceeded our projections.
-
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Factoring in the conversion rate, the effective cost to acquire a high-value customer was:
(£29 per initial assessment sale * 3 assessments to get one conversion) - (£17 revenue from 3 initial assessments) = £36 GBP to acquire a £780 GBP customer.
-
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Considering the full customer lifetime value and the therapist's time for the initial session, the campaign achieved an impressive 15X ROAS.
-
Full Clinic Capacity:Both new Axis Rehabilitation locations in Bristol were fully booked for the next 60 days following the campaign, eliminating their previous struggles with client acquisition.
-
Sustainable Growth Engine: The success of this strategy demonstrated a repeatable formula for future location expansions. As new clients experienced Axis's quality of care, word-of-mouth referrals naturally began to increase, reducing the ongoing reliance on paid advertising and establishing a powerful, organic growth loop.
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By challenging conventional marketing wisdom and implementing a strategic tripwire model with a potent, emotionally-driven ad creative, we helped Axis Rehabilitation not only overcome their immediate client acquisition challenges in Bristol but also establish a robust, scalable framework for sustainable growth.
Starting a Project? Tell us more . . .
Starting a Project? Tell us more...
Industry: Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Services
Location: South West England (Focus: Bristol)
Executive Summary
Axis Rehabilitation, a well-established, family-run physiotherapy business with over two decades of success primarily driven by word-of-mouth referrals across 11 locations, faced an unprecedented challenge with the launch of two new clinics in Bristol. Despite their reputation, traditional methods and a nine-month Meta Ads campaign failed to attract new clients. Our agency devised and implemented a novel advertising strategy centered on a "tripwire" offer, combined with an emotionally resonant ad creative, which not only ignited client acquisition in Bristol but also delivered an exceptional 15x Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), booking both new locations for 60 days and creating a repeatable blueprint for future expansion.
The Challenge: New Market Stagnation
Despite 20+ years of growth primarily via word-of-mouth across 11 established locations, Axis Rehabilitation's two new Bristol clinics saw no client acquisition. A 9-month Meta Ads campaign failed, indicating their traditional approach and initial digital efforts weren't effective in this new market.
The Results: Explosive Growth & Sustainable Model
The implementation of this strategy yielded immediate and astounding results for Axis Rehabilitation's Bristol locations:
-
Client Acquisition: The cost per sale for the initial £17 assessment was remarkably low at £29 GBP (including the £17 assessment fee and £12 in advertising spend).
-
High Conversion Rate: A critical metric, 1 out of every 3 clients who purchased the initial assessment converted into the full 12-session treatment plan. This conversion rate consistently met or exceeded our projections.
-
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Factoring in the conversion rate, the effective cost to acquire a high-value customer was:
(£29 per initial assessment sale * 3 assessments to get one conversion) - (£17 revenue from 3 initial assessments) = £36 GBP to acquire a £780 GBP customer.
-
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Considering the full customer lifetime value and the therapist's time for the initial session, the campaign achieved an impressive 15X ROAS.
-
Full Clinic Capacity:Both new Axis Rehabilitation locations in Bristol were fully booked for the next 60 days following the campaign, eliminating their previous struggles with client acquisition.
-
Sustainable Growth Engine: The success of this strategy demonstrated a repeatable formula for future location expansions. As new clients experienced Axis's quality of care, word-of-mouth referrals naturally began to increase, reducing the ongoing reliance on paid advertising and establishing a powerful, organic growth loop.
By challenging conventional marketing wisdom and implementing a strategic tripwire model with a potent, emotionally-driven ad creative, we helped Axis Rehabilitation not only overcome their immediate client acquisition challenges in Bristol but also establish a robust, scalable framework for sustainable growth.
Starting a Project? Tell us more...
Starting a Project?
Tell us more . . .
The Solution: Strategic Tripwire & Compelling Creative
We recognized that the conventional approach wasn't working. Instead of focusing on direct high-ticket sales or generic lead magnets, we proposed a "tripwire" strategy designed to lower the barrier to entry and facilitate a first interaction, paving the way for higher-value services.
1. The Tripwire Offer:
We identified Axis Rehabilitation's existing "Assessment and Treatment Plan" service, typically priced at £85. We recommended a dramatic 80% discount, bringing the initial cost down to just £17. Crucially, this offer was advertised as "£85 GBP but 80% off" to emphasize the perceived value.
2. Strategic Loss-Leader:
We anticipated that Axis Rehabilitation would hypothetically lose money on each £17 assessment. However, this was a calculated move. We understood that the primary goal of this initial session was to convert interested individuals into long-term clients.
3. The High-Value Upsell:
Following the initial assessment, clients are typically offered a comprehensive 12-session treatment plan, with each session costing £65. This translates to an average customer value of £780 GBP per client, not including the invaluable long-term benefits of word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business that are critical for local businesses.
4. Scarcity and Urgency:
To maximize immediate uptake and compel action, the 80% discount offer was made scarce and time-sensitive:
-
Limited to only 40 discounted assessments available.
-
Ran for a defined period, until the end of March.