Introduction
Insights ABM partnered with a global executive search and advisory firm competing with industry leaders such as Korn Ferry, Egon Zehnder, and Heidrick & Struggles.
When the engagement began, the firm was investing heavily in paid search and display advertising with limited success. Despite a monthly spend of nearly $20,000, campaigns were generating only a handful of low-quality leads and failing to produce meaningful pipeline.
This case study highlights how Insights ABM rebuilt the program from the ground up and transformed underperforming paid media into a high-efficiency growth engine that delivered qualified leads, meetings, and measurable revenue impact.
Challenges Faced
Before working with Insights ABM, the firm faced several critical challenges:
- Paid media spend was not translating into qualified demand.
- Leads lacked seniority and buying intent.
- Targeting was too broad for a high-consideration executive service.
- Campaigns were disconnected from real pipeline outcomes.
The firm needed a way to reach senior decision-makers and private equity leadership while maintaining efficiency at a national scale.
Insights ABM’s Tailored Approach
Insights ABM took over the existing program and restructured it entirely.
Audience targeting was rebuilt to focus exclusively on high-value roles, including:
- CHROs
- VPs of Human Resources
- CEOs and COOs
- Private equity leadership
Campaign strategy prioritized intent-driven search terms, refined messaging aligned to executive-level challenges, and landing experiences designed to qualify interest through form fills.
Paid media was continuously optimized based on lead quality and meeting outcomes rather than clicks or impressions alone.
Delivering Results
With the same monthly spend previously producing minimal impact, the new strategy quickly changed performance.
Search and display campaigns began driving consistent, high-quality form submissions from senior leaders across the U.S. These leads were routed directly into sales workflows, enabling faster follow-up and improved conversion to meetings.
Over a three-month period, the program delivered sustained results without increasing budget.
Quantifiable Success
- 70+ qualified leads per month
- 50+ meetings generated per month
- $1.2 million in closed deals
- $900,000 in additional active pipeline
Impressive Outcomes
Beyond raw lead volume, the engagement fundamentally changed how paid media supported revenue.
- Lead quality improved significantly.
- Sales teams spent time on real opportunities, not unqualified inquiries.
- Marketing spend became directly attributable to pipeline and closed deals.
What was once an underperforming channel became a core driver of growth.
Conclusion
Insights ABM helped a global executive search and advisory firm turn around an ineffective paid media program and transform it into a predictable, high-efficiency demand engine.
By aligning targeting, messaging, and optimization around executive-level intent and revenue outcomes, the program delivered strong pipeline and closed revenue without increasing spend.
This case study demonstrates how disciplined performance marketing can produce outsized impact in highly competitive, high-consideration markets.
Client name has been withheld for confidentiality purposes.
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