Unbound Merino
LaRue cemented Unbound Merino’s reputation as the go-to authority for premium travel products and insights.
Founded in 2016 by three lifelong friends obsessed with travel, Unbound Merino began as a small crowdfunding campaign and is now an international brand worn by minimalist travelers, entrepreneurs, and influencers across the globe. The brand promises freedom of movement through the simplicity of its Merino wool clothing, designed to be worn for weeks without laundering and look amazing every time. This functionalist approach is at the core of Unbound Merino’s mission and everything it creates.
In April 2022, LaRue was tasked with implementing an always-on PR strategy and optimizing the Unbound Merino affiliate program to further increase content coverage while simultaneously hitting key performance metrics for month-over-month growth. Prior to LaRue‘s takeover, the existing affiliate program was working on multiple affiliate platforms and overpaying mid and lower funnel partners that were driving little incremental value. LaRue has completely overhauled Unbound’s affiliate strategy to drive key top of funnel placements and sales.
Unbound Merino by the numbers
increase in revenue period over period
period over period decrease in affiliate spend
period over period increase in ROAS
increase for both click and sale active partners
increase in total partners in the program
Our Strategy
We audited Unbound's competitive set to identify holes in current coverage and opportunities for growth in existing verticals with premium publishers. We migrated Unbound to an industry-leading affiliate platform with more robust recruiting, tracking, and payment capabilities, which allowed LaRue to streamline and scale the program through a technologically superior platform, and we successfully completed a quick, seamless migration.
LaRue also removed low-value partners and implemented a strategic, dynamic commissioning structure that rewarded publishers based on their position in the marketing funnel. As a result, we decreased spend and significantly increased ROAS.
Through content-heavy publisher outreach and communication, we exponentially grew the number of productive partners in the program and consistently saw meaningful revenue growth.
Our Multi-Pronged Approach
Targeted Media Placement
Target top tier publishers to solidify Unbound Merino as the premium, go-to travel apparel brand.
Optimized Affiliate Performance
Migrate programs on multiple affiliate networks over to a singular, more robust platform, and audit publisher base to remove inactive or low-value publishers.
Dynamic Commissioning
Implement a dynamic commissioning strategy to reward more top of funnel and ensure a strong channel ROAS.
Aggressive Partner Recruitment
Aggressively recruit, activate, and optimize with media and content partners to drive top-line revenue and see consistent growth in the number of affiliate promotions.
Our Results
LaRue has cemented Unbound Merino’s reputation as the go-to premium travel apparel brand by earning top-tier product placements that have driven sales and brand awareness. In just six months, we've secured over 1 billion impressions and placed Unbound Merino in respected and highly trafficked outlets like Conde Nast Traveler, The Knot, Reader's Digest, and SELF. LaRue grew the affiliate program while lowering spend, resulting in a 30% increase in revenue, a 76% increase in program ROAS, and a 60% increase in active partners.
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