How Nike increased first-purchase revenue by 154% during a high-season shopping period

Written by Rocket Lab | Jan 20, 2026 3:16:27 PM

Nike is one of the world’s most recognized sports brands, with a strong presence across e-commerce and mobile. During a high-season shopping period marked by intense competition and demand in Mexico, the brand set out to strengthen its user acquisition strategy alongside its media agency, Mindshare (WPP).

The challenge was clear: scale results in an environment of heavy advertising pressure, while maximizing the value generated from first-time purchases.

GOAL

The primary objective was to increase new user acquisition during the Buen Fin season, Mexico’s annual high-demand shopping period inspired by Black Friday, marked by widespread discounts across online and physical stores.

As a secondary goal, the brand aimed to drive incremental sales value from first-time purchases, while maintaining a fixed CPI to ensure efficiency and cost control.

SOLUTION: A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ROCKET LAB AND MINDSHARE

For this campaign, Rocket Lab developed a user acquisition strategy focused on maximizing value from the very first purchase, working closely with the Mindshare (WPP) team.

The strategy was built around Reach Beyond, our acquisition solution, activated with different creatives, pricing strategies, and promotional benefits tailored to the season. This approach made it possible to reach audiences with varying levels of purchase intent, balancing scale with efficiency.

Throughout the campaign, both teams worked in a close, consultative way, with ongoing performance monitoring to maintain a fixed CPI while preserving user quality. This coordinated execution was key to keeping pace with the fast-moving dynamics of Buen Fin and optimizing the strategy across the entire season.

“The most valuable aspect of this campaign was the strategic integration with the Rocket Lab team. Their ability to optimize in real time was critical to maintaining efficiency and user quality in a highly saturated environment. Thanks to this collaboration, we exceeded our ROAS expectations and scaled the value of our sales significantly.”

Fabiola Hurtado, Integrated Media Manager at Nike

CAMPAIGN RESULTS

The coordinated execution between Nike, its agency, and Rocket Lab delivered a clear impact on both scale and profitability:

Acquisition at scale: the app surpassed 21,000 installs during November.
Cost efficiency: CPI was reduced by 10.53%, allowing acquisition to scale with full investment control.
Return on investment: ROAS increased by 87% in just one month, reflecting a direct improvement in generated returns.
User quality and revenue: total revenue generated from users’ first purchases grew by 154%, indicating a higher average order value.

“The results exceeded our expectations, especially in terms of efficiency and value generated from acquisition. Beyond the numbers, the most valuable aspect was the way we worked together. The close coordination between teams and continuous support throughout the campaign allowed us to maximize acquisition impact in a highly competitive environment.”

Fernando Morales, Performance App Manager at Mindshare

This case shows how a well-executed acquisition strategy can scale results without sacrificing efficiency, even in the most competitive market conditions.

To learn how Rocket Lab can support your app’s growth, get in touch with our team.

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