Case Study - Areli Sportswear

Overview
Areli Sportswear, a Chicago-based custom uniform company, unlocked dramatic growth by improving how it approached Meta advertising. I was brought in to help revise and strengthen the strategy, focusing on everything from audience targeting and creative development to automation and content. The result was a complete transformation of their marketing system into a scalable, high-converting revenue engine.

The Challenge
Areli Sportswear, a custom youth sports uniform company based in Chicago, had been in business for over a decade. But by 2023, their marketing efforts weren’t working.

They spent nearly $200K on Meta ads that year. Those ads generated over 9,700 leads, but only $360K in revenue. The biggest problem? Leads weren’t being followed up with in time. Some sat for days, or the entire weekend, without any contact.

In a market where coaches and team organizers need fast answers and quick turnarounds, Areli was losing deals not because of price or product, but because their marketing system was broken.

We approached the problem strategically. This wasn’t about spending more or trying more channels.

It was about building a system designed to:

Reach the right people at the right time
Deliver the right message
Increase social media content to build trust and brand awareness
Respond immediately when someone showed interest
We identified Areli’s core customer: coaches and youth team organizers, who only need uniforms at specific moments in the year. That insight shaped every step of our execution.

Creative Overhaul and Ongoing A/B Testing

We replaced generic creative with real use cases, season-specific messaging, and clear offers. Ad creative was continuously tested and optimized for conversion.

Automated Lead Follow-Up

We introduced instant automations to ensure every lead received a timely response. What used to take days now happens in seconds, keeping Areli top-of-mind when it matters most.

Strategic Targeting and Timing

We refined the targeting to focus only on youth sports decision-makers during key planning periods. Messaging was updated to highlight speed, reliability, and Areli’s reputation for quality.

Trust-Building Content

We launched a social video series featuring Areli’s founder, Theo Collins. These videos answered common questions, shared customer success stories, and showcased custom designs, building credibility and connection.

Meta Ads Only, But Smarter

All ad spend remained on Facebook and Instagram, but campaigns were restructured around mockup requests, Areli’s primary conversion event, and tracked through to revenue using Copper.

We restructured Areli Sportswear’s Meta ad strategy to focus on speed, timing, and relevance. The key was identifying when coaches and team organizers were actually looking for uniforms, then aligning targeting, messaging, and offers to those moments.

We upgraded the creative, introduced automation for instant lead follow-up, and launched a social video series featuring founder Theo Collins to build trust. These changes helped Areli generate more leads, close faster, and scale revenue without increasing spend.

The Strategic Takeaway

This wasn’t an ad problem. It was a growth problem.

By rebuilding the system, from creative to automation to content, Areli now has a repeatable, high-performing lead engine that matches how their customers actually buy.

It’s not just working better. It’s working smarter.

Let’s talk about how we can help you build that.