DSW: Steps to Omni-channel Success With Tinuiti and Meta
The Challenge
For national footwear and accessories retailer DSW, with nearly 500 stores across the U.S., the customer journey has always been inherently omnichannel — fluidly blending online and in-store shopping experiences. Paid media was a driver of both digital and physical sales, yet Meta’s traditional campaign optimization had focused solely on online conversions.
When Meta introduced the capability to optimize for both online and offline outcomes, Tinuiti and Meta recognized a pivotal opportunity to push the boundaries of performance marketing. Collaborating closely, the teams developed a comprehensive omni-optimization strategy designed to measure and maximize the full impact of paid media across every touchpoint, from digital to in-store purchases.
This innovative approach, executed in partnership with DSW, delivered measurable results and set a new standard for omnichannel marketing excellence. The outcome? A strategy so effective it earned the 2025 Meta Award for Performance Campaign of the Year and shortlisted for Best Use of Social Media at the prestigious 2025 Festival of Media North America Awards!
Results
+23%
omni purchases
+16%
lift in revenue
-29%
incremental CPA
How We Did It
Tinuiti’s research uncovered that DSW’s Meta ads were influencing in-store purchases, but weren’t being measured. This meant an omni-optimization strategy that unified targeting, creative, and bidding could help maximize omni-channel revenue. Tinuiti needed DSW’s offline conversion data so they could get a better idea of their customers’ journeys.
Tinuiti started by designing a conversion lift test with a 30% holdout to measure incrementality. This meant they could directly compare omni-optimization against business-as-usual (BAU) online-sales optimization. It also meant they could attribute both online and in-store sales to Meta ads, as well as ensure statistical significance. The holdout group didn’t receive any Meta ads during the test, which served as the baseline for incremental lift.
Tinuiti then built a campaign that followed Meta’s Performance 5 best practices:
- Offline conversion data integration to create a continuous feedback loop
- Account simplification to maximize machine learning efficiency
- Advantage+ audience targeting to dynamically find high-intent customers across channels
- Advantage+ placements to shoppers saw content when they were the most engaged
- Creative variety with product-focused imagery and seasonal storytelling
The campaign blended creative storytelling with data-driven precision. They used Dynamic Product Ads to show off trending styles and Reels to highlight seasonal collections.
The Outcome
By combining e-commerce and POS data for a holistic view, it was clear that omni-optimization outperformed DSW’s BAU online-only optimization, increasing ROAS by 15%, boosting purchases both online and in-store, and improving cost efficiency with a 18% decrease in omni CPA. The results not only validated how effective omni-optimization is, but also set a benchmark for how DSW can approach paid social strategy in the future.
Tinuiti’s strategic guidance and hands-on management of the Meta omni-bidding test were instrumental in the test’s success. Their partnership gave us the confidence to trust the results and fully embrace omni-channel optimization. This initiative not only elevated our paid social strategy but also helped us validate offline measurement, giving our business greater confidence in attributing in-store sales directly to paid social campaigns.
Meghan Greve Manager, Digital Media, DSW
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