Overview

Southern Phones is the 5th largest Telco in Australia, operating largely in regional areas, selling broadband internet and mobile phone plans. Their site offers an incredibly wide range of products and services to an equally broad audience. For example, 18–24-year-olds seeking cheap mobile plans vs 55–64-year-olds looking to connect to the internet.

Each of these audience groups have very different motivators and drivers of conversion. Understanding this was key to optimising the way paid media was implemented. Identifying specific behavioural differences by age range and leverage the insights for remarketing paid media was key to driving better performance and lower cost per leads.

Conversion and behavioural messaging altered based on age and specific product category. The younger audiences more used to low friction, online purchases were presented with a traditional ‘Buy now’ messaging. Older, more sceptical audiences were presented with more traditional ‘Contact Us’ messaging, allowing them to discuss their needs with call centre staff.

Deepend helped Southern Phone improve paid media performance by segmenting audiences around age, behaviour and product needs, then tailoring retargeting messages to each group. The strategy reduced cost per lead from $150 to $25, a reduction of more than 80%.

The Challenge

Southern Phone offered a broad range of broadband and mobile products to audiences with very different motivations and buying behaviours.

A younger customer seeking a low-cost mobile plan could behave very differently from an older customer considering an internet connection, making a single paid media message less effective.

The Opportunity

By understanding the behavioural differences between audience groups, Southern Phone could tailor conversion messaging and retargeting to better match how each segment preferred to engage.

Our Approach

Deepend conducted detailed audience research and created visual personas to align stakeholders around key customer segments.

Content and conversion messaging was then adapted by age and product category, with retargeting designed around the insight that customers often require several brand interactions before committing to purchase.

What We Delivered

• Audience segmentation and persona development
• Behavioural research by age and product category
• Segmented content and messaging strategy
• Product-specific retargeting strategy
• Conversion messaging tailored to audience behaviour
• Paid media optimisation
• Media performance dashboards
• Ongoing campaign performance evaluation

Impact

• More than 80% reduction in cost per lead
• Cost per lead reduced from $150 to $25
• Greater ability to deploy a larger volume of high-performing ad variants
• Clearer audience-specific messaging across mobile and broadband products
• Improved visibility of campaign performance through dashboards

Problem & Insight

Southern Phone’s customer base covered a wide range of ages and product needs, meaning the same conversion message would not work equally well for every audience.

Deepend identified behavioural differences between segments and used those insights to shape both the creative message and the type of conversion action presented.

Strategy & Experience Design

Younger audiences, who were more comfortable with low-friction online purchasing, were shown direct 'Buy now' messaging.

Older or more cautious audiences were presented with 'Contact Us' messaging, creating an option to discuss needs with call-centre staff before committing.

Media & Optimisation

Retargeting was structured by product and audience segment, reflecting the fact that purchase commitment often follows several brand interactions.

Performance dashboards were used to evaluate campaign results over time, helping the team identify which messages and variants were delivering stronger outcomes.

Results

The segmented retargeting approach reduced Southern Phone’s cost per lead from $150 to $25, representing a reduction of more than 80%.

The lower acquisition cost also allowed Southern Phone to deploy a greater volume of ad variants that the case study reports performed well above average.

Frequently Asked Questions

What result did Deepend achieve for Southern Phone?

Deepend reduced Southern Phone’s cost per lead from $150 to $25, representing a reduction of more than 80% according to the live case study.

How did audience segmentation improve Southern Phone’s paid media?

Deepend researched different age and product segments and tailored messaging to their behaviours. This allowed campaigns to present conversion actions that better matched how each audience preferred to buy or enquire.

How was messaging adapted for different Southern Phone audiences?

Younger audiences were more often shown direct 'Buy now' messaging, while older or more cautious audiences were shown 'Contact Us' messaging so they could discuss their needs with call-centre staff.

What role did retargeting play in the Southern Phone campaign?

Retargeting strategies were developed by product and audience segment, based on the insight that customers often require several interactions with a brand before reaching purchase commitment.

How did Deepend measure Southern Phone campaign performance?

Deepend created media performance dashboards to evaluate campaign results over time and support ongoing decisions about messaging, audience segments and paid media activity.