Introduction

Dossier partnered with Primelis from day one. Our role went beyond performance, we helped architect the entire growth engine. From launch, the brand faced a crowded fragrance market dominated by legacy names and high CPCs. Instead of competing head-to-head, we built a new playbook grounded in efficiency and conversion.

In 2020, we hacked their growth by bidding on branded perfume keywords, despite high costs, the conversion rates made the media spend massively profitable. By 2021, we shifted gears, orchestrating cross-channel activation between search and social, with smarter segmentation and creative development. The result: doubled ROI and a scalable media system.

2022 marked a turning point. We led international expansion into Mexico, unlocking new revenue streams and positioning MX as a growth accelerator. Throughout this early phase, every move was made with performance discipline and long-term brand architecture in mind.

The Challenge

By 2023, Dossier reached a pivotal point in its growth trajectory. The brand had built early momentum through virality and a sharp value proposition, luxury-inspired fragrances at accessible prices. But the “affordable alternative” narrative was losing steam. Search performance was declining, and competitors accelerated the race to the bottom. As a consumable product, fragrance brought its own challenge: high churn without strong retention.  The path forward wasn’t about acquiring more one-time customers, it was about building a purpose-led brand with long-term equity and loyal advocates. To get there, Dossier partnered with Primelis to move from performance-dependent growth to sustainable, brand-driven scale, expanding beyond Google and Meta, and strengthening LTV mechanics. 

Strategy

The strategy centered on making Dossier not just affordable, but desirable. We reframed the brand around what mattered to Gen Z: clean design, French-made quality, and gender-neutral fragrances with cultural relevance.

To unlock scalable growth, we rebalanced the channel mix. This meant reducing reliance on paid search while activating high-return levers like Amazon, TikTok, and international DTC expansion.

Retention became the growth multiplier. We built systems for repeat purchase through a hybrid CRM and retargeting model, layered with subscription incentives and loyalty mechanics that rewarded frequency and engagement.

Execution

To bring the brand strategy to life, we operationalized it across five core dimensions:

• Brand Equity Engine: Significant media investment was dedicated to building brand equity across Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Prime Video. The creative pivot focused on shifting perception, from “dupe” to “identity”. Gen Z-focused content pillars reinforced cultural relevance and premium brand codes. Each asset was crafted to elevate the brand from price-led to purpose-led.

• Retention & LTV Activation: Lifecycle marketing was redesigned through Klaviyo to align with key product touchpoints, triggering replenishment nudges, cross-sell opportunities, and post-purchase engagement at moments that drive retention. CRM data was used to fuel precision retargeting based on SKU, purchase frequency, and margin profile. A VIP subscription program tested incentives like early access, exclusive SKUs, and preferred pricing, increasing both retention and ARPU. Seasonal “win-back” flows (e.g., Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day) re-engaged dormant buyers at high-intent seasonal windows.

• Intent Capture: We strengthened Dossier’s presence at the conversion stage through channel-specific activation. On Amazon, a full DSP rollout supported the launch of a dedicated “Originals” line, driving over 700% YoY growth. TikTok Shop became a new revenue engine through live shopping activations, generating millions of dollars in sales. On Google and Meta, performance campaigns were restructured using profit-led segmentation to improve efficiency and scale.

• International Growth: To accelerate beyond the U.S. market, we prioritized five target countries: the UK, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. Geo-lift testing informed budget allocation, while creative and CRM assets were localized across languages, landing pages, and customer journeys to improve conversion in each market.

• Organic & Owned Media Infrastructure: We reinforced Dossier’s foundation through technical and community-driven improvements. Product feeds and SERP presence were optimized to protect core branded queries. Social proof was seeded on Reddit to influence mid-funnel decisioning and long-tail search. User-generated content was unified under a single strategy through Engage Core, supporting both SEO visibility and brand lift across channels.

Impact

The strategy delivered measurable gains across all growth levers, revenue, channel performance, and geographic expansion.

Total revenue grew by 22% year over year, driven by a more efficient media mix and stronger brand equity. Global online sales rose 18% in 2024, with the U.S. market contributing a 14% increase compared to 2023.

Amazon became a major performance driver, with revenue multiplying by 8x within a year following a full DSP rollout and the launch of the Originals line. International markets also gained traction, driving 25% YoY revenue growth through localized campaigns and geo-optimized media.

Wholesale emerged as a fast-moving complement to DTC, with revenue trending up 45%, reinforcing Dossier’s shift toward a more diversified and scalable growth model.