Gotland Originals is more than just a home and kitchen products company – it’s a testament to the power of friendship, creativity, and a shared vision for a sustainable future.
Founded by childhood friends Leo and Sebastian, Gotland Originals began as a weekend project in Sebastian’s student dorm on the picturesque island of Gotland. “We’ve always dreamt of the simpler life, somewhere far away,” Sebastian recalls. “When I moved to Gotland for studies, I fell in love with the island instantly.”
That love for Gotland, combined with their lifelong habit of starting creative projects together, became the foundation of their business. From writing comic books as kids to building an ice cream stand in their early teens, Leo and Sebastian’s entrepreneurial spirit finally found its true calling in Gotland Originals.
“When we got a little older, it was a natural next step for us to create a company together, where we now get to be creative full time!” Leo explains. “Contributing to the environmental cause is a big bonus and feels really good!”
Despite their passion and initial local interest, Gotland Originals faced significant hurdles as they aimed to scale:
In January 2022, their key metrics painted a clear picture of the challenge ahead:
“When we started in early 2021, we exclusively made beeswax wraps,” Sebastian notes. “We knew we had a great product, but getting it in front of the right people at the right price was our biggest challenge.”
Enter Adacted, a digital marketing agency specializing in scaling e-commerce brands. The strategy was multi-faceted:
“We implemented a rigorous creative testing process,” says Robert, Lead Creative Strategist at Adacted. “This meant regularly developing new ad creatives – images, videos, copy – and testing different ad formats.”
The team leveraged user-generated content, whitelabel ads, and even collaborated with influencers to create authentic, relatable ads.
Adacted refined Gotland Originals’ campaign structure, implementing and optimizing Advantage+ campaigns, utilizing custom and lookalike audiences, and balancing spend between scaling and testing campaigns.
“We realized that diversifying beyond beeswax wraps was key to sustainable growth,” Leo explains. The team expanded their focus to include mini-brasas, firestarters, candles, and beeswax rolls, often running limited-time offers to drive urgency.
Recognizing the seasonal nature of their products, Adacted created specific campaigns for holidays like Christmas and Mother’s Day. They also introduced promotional events like the “Golden Ticket” campaign to spike sales during slower periods.
While Facebook remained the primary advertising channel, Adacted coordinated email marketing efforts with paid advertising and even began testing on platforms like TikTok to diversify their reach.
The impact of this comprehensive strategy was significant:
Advertising Efficiency: Maintained Blended CPA of around 110-130 SEK, with ROAS consistently between 2.5x to 3x (and peaks of 5x during promotions)
“The growth we’ve experienced is beyond our wildest dreams,” Sebastian beams. “From a dorm room project to over 40,000 satisfied customers – it’s ABSOLUTELY UNREAL!”
With a solid foundation in place, Gotland Originals is poised for continued growth. “Our big, long-term goal is to have a positive impact on the world around us, while doing something completely unique,” says Leo.
As they continue to expand their product line and refine their marketing strategies with Adacted, Gotland Originals is not just selling products – they’re selling a vision of a more sustainable, mindful way of living.
“We believe in complete customer obsession. To always do everything and anything to make the customer satisfied,” Sebastian adds. “We’re truly delighted to receive so many positive comments and emails from our customers. We read every single one of them, and we couldn’t be prouder!”
From a small dorm room on Gotland to a thriving eco-friendly brand with a team of five, Gotland Originals’ journey is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and smart, data-driven marketing.
Inspired by Gotland Originals’ journey from dorm room to 9.6M SEK in sales? We can help your brand bloom too! Our team specializes in nurturing businesses with creative strategies and data-driven growth.
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