The holidays are not a sprint, but a marathon
Interview about how Glow25 builds lasting visibility
The busiest season of the year is in full swing. Many advertisers are making their final adjustments: they are improving their bids, increasing budgets, and preparing for the year-end rush. For some brands, success is not just about the sprint towards December, but rather about what happens afterwards.
In this interview you will read...
about how the Glow25 brand is approaching its first holiday season via bol and why a long-term approach ultimately yields more than short peaks.
One of those brands is Glow25, a collagen brand that stands for a pro-aging philosophy where self-confidence at every age is central. For Glow25, Advertising via bol means not only quick results but also building visibility, learning from data, and growing in the long term.
We spoke with Drew Huang, Online Marketplace Manager at Glow25. She explains how the brand is approaching its first holiday season via bol and why a long-term approach ultimately yields more than short peaks.
Ready to get started?
Can you tell us something about yourself and the brand?
I'm Drew, Online Marketplace Manager for Glow25's international markets. We are a collagen brand from Berlin and believe in pro-aging instead of anti-aging. Our primary target audience consists of women aged 45 and older, but we are also reaching more and more younger customers who consciously invest early in skincare and well-being.
Glow25 originated from the idea that from the age of 25, your body produces less collagen. Our items help customers embrace aging in a positive way. I manage all international marketplaces, currently focusing on the Benelux and France. Next year, we aim to expand to Italy and Spain.
How long have you been Advertising via bol and what does that look like now?
We started via bol last August. In the beginning, our campaigns were mainly for testing and learning. We did little in terms of improving or manual targeting. When I joined, we began restructuring everything. We set clear goals, refined our targeting, and placed more focus on the results.
Advertising via bol is now an integral part of our growth strategy. We use Sponsored Products, Branded Shelves, and display & social advertising, each with its own role. Sponsored Products drives conversion, while Branded Shelves and display advertising help build brand awareness and engagement.
In the summer, we tested the display & social advertising package for the first time, and the results were so good that we now plan to use it every quarter during important retail moments like Black Friday and the holidays.
How are you preparing for the holiday season?
This is our first full Q4 via bol. Last year, we joined just before the holidays, so the focus then was mainly on testing. This year, we are much better prepared. We now know what works and have built a stronger campaign structure. We are very curious to see how this performs!
Additionally, just like for many other brands, Q4 is the busiest period of the year for us. This is a good time to give sales a final boost and achieve our annual goals. At the same time, it's also a creative period. We create new campaign material and photoshoots to bring a festive atmosphere to our campaigns and make them even more attractive.
For Glow25, this period is not only about short-term performance but also about laying the groundwork for January. That's when customers focus again on self-care and New Year's resolutions. That's precisely the time when wellness items like ours are extra popular.
For Glow25, this period is not only about short-term performance but also about laying the groundwork for January.
Why are the holidays so important for Glow25?
Collagen items might not be typical gifts, but the end of the year is an important time for us. People spend more money then, pay extra attention to self-care, and think about what they want to change in the new year. Advertising during this period helps us to remain visible and get a head start on January, when many people want to invest in their health and well-being again.
This year, we started early with the bol 7-day event. For our main items, we bid higher on keywords like 'collagen powder', both in Dutch and English. Remaining visible on popular keywords has a direct effect on our sales.
During Black Friday, we do the same. We increase bids on strategic keywords and use campaign material that stands out, so our ads are more visible among those of other brands.
Should you pause campaigns once they have reached their goals?
We never actually stop campaigns as long as they perform well. Even if we meet our sales goals, we keep them active. Our main focus then is on improving, such as adjusting bids, analyzing keywords, and refining targeting.
If you pause a campaign, you risk losing your visibility. It then takes time to rebuild performance. We see this on other platforms too: as soon as you stop, your visibility drops. That's why we prefer to keep our campaigns via bol active, so we can continue to learn from the data instead of starting over every time.
What do you think are the biggest advantages of keeping campaigns active?
Consistency is very important to us. Advertising during the holidays is essential, but remaining visible afterward ensures your brand stays top of mind. January is even one of our strongest months, because customers return after the holidays and want to invest in themselves again.
We see Q4 and Q1 as a single unit. The visibility and brand awareness you build in December directly influence the results in January. That's why we always keep our campaigns running.
If you pause a campaign, you risk losing your visibility.
Is your strategy primarily focused on conversion?
In the beginning, our focus was primarily on conversion. When we saw how well our campaigns via bol performed, we also started investing more in brand awareness.
We have been using Sponsored Products since the beginning. Later, we added Branded Shelves and the display & social advertising package. With these campaigns, we reach new target audiences who are not yet familiar with the brand. It is important to find a good balance between stimulating sales and building brand awareness, as both are necessary for long-term growth.
Can you give an example of a campaign that was slow to gain momentum?
That depends on the item. Our main item, collagen powder, usually performs well immediately, even with minor adjustments. For smaller or more specific items, such as our marine collagen, it takes a bit longer. The search volume is lower, so it requires patience and continuous improvement before results get better.
There you see that consistency truly works. Even if the results are not immediately visible, keeping campaigns active helps. This way, you get to know your target audience better, and performance improves step by step.
Even if the results are not immediately visible, keeping campaigns active helps.
Why do you think Glow25 will 'win' the holidays this year?
We are much better prepared this year than last year. We understand bol's advertising system better, have planned our campaign material well in advance, and use a stronger mix of ad types.
We have also resolved several logistical challenges, such as stock management. This allows us to now fully focus on the performance of our campaigns.
Additionally, our creative strategy is sharper this year. The visuals are more festive and align better with the season. It's all about consistent visibility and ensuring every touchpoint aligns well.
What tip do you have for advertisers running their first campaigns this year?
Start simple and don't make it too complicated. Begin with an automatic campaign to see which keywords work well for your items. Then build step by step. Improve regularly, preferably every week, so you quickly see what works and what doesn't.
And perhaps most importantly: don't stop your campaigns too early, especially not in January. Keep testing, stay visible, and keep learning. If you remain consistent, you often achieve better results than if you keep starting over.