LSRF x Shimano
LSRF x Shimano
How we generated 14,700+ leads and achieved a €0.03 CPL through brand collaboration
About the Collaboration
LSRF (Life Slow Ride Fast) joined forces with cycling powerhouses Specialized and Shimano for a high-impact gravel giveaway. By positioning LSRF alongside these global industry leaders, the campaign instantly gained massive authority and trust.
The strategy was simple but powerful: leverage the existing newsletter lists & organic audiences of Specialized and Shimano to drive traffic to a high-converting, viral landing page. This allowed LSRF to capture "gold-standard" signups from established audiences that would have otherwise taken years to build organically.
- Strategic Brand Positioning
- Collaborative Audience Sharing
- Shared Marketing Resources & Budgets
- Cross-Channel Authority Building
Campaign Overview
To rapidly scale email lists for all three brands, we launched an Upviral-powered lead generation campaign focused on the Netherlands and Belgium markets. Participants entered for a chance to win a "Dream Gravel Setup," featuring a Specialized Crux Comp Bike, a Shimano GRX 12 Groupset, and a full LSRF performance kit.
The campaign utilized a "viral loop" mechanic: while the big brands drove the initial traffic, the participants themselves drove the growth through social sharing and referrals to earn extra entries.
- Campaign Period: June 26th – July 22nd
- Geography: Netherlands & Belgium
- Tooling: Upviral (Sweepstakes & Referral Software)
Campaign Objectives
01. Collaborative List Growth
Leverage the "Big Brand" power of Specialized and Shimano to funnel high-value subscribers into all three brands' email lists simultaneously.
02. Minimize Cost-of-Acquisition
Reduce the financial burden on each brand by sharing a single €500 Meta ad budget, resulting in an ultra-low CPL that beats industry standards by over 70%.
Strategy and implementation
01. The Power of "The Big Two"
The core of this success was the "Newsletter-to-Viral-Page" pipeline. By having Specialized and Shimano send dedicated newsletters to their audiences, we bypassed cold-traffic hurdles. LSRF gained immediate "borrowed" credibility by being the featured apparel partner.
02. Shared Budget Efficiency
Instead of three brands spending separate budgets, a single €500 budget was split. This "Triple-Threat" ad spend allowed us to reach a broader audience for a fraction of the cost per brand.
03. Funnel Tightening
To ensure the leads weren't just "freebie seekers," the campaign concluded with an automated discount offer sent to all non-winners, converting "leads" into "customers" immediately after the draw.
Results
The campaign was a masterclass in collaborative marketing, proving that when brands share their "tribes," everyone wins.
Total leads generated through both direct and referral channels.
Referred Leads, accounting for 27% of total campaign leads.
Total Meta Ad Spend during the entire campaign duration.
Total Sign-ups per day
Key Performance Indicators
This graph shows the most relevant KPI’s of the Upviral campaign.
Reporting period: June 26th - July 22nd
Cost per Lead, outperforming the benchmark industry standard of €0.10+ by more than 300% in efficiency.
Meta Ads acquisition cost (CPL), significantly lower than the standard €0.25+ typically seen in this sector.
Meta Ads Click-Through Rate (CTR), reflecting strong creative resonance and high-intent audience targeting compared to the 1.00% industry average.
Wins
01. Unrivaled CPL
Achieved a total CPL of €0.03, significantly lower than the €0.10 industry average.
02. High-Converting UX
The landing page achieved a 37% signup rate, far exceeding the 25% "healthy" benchmark.
03. Referral Engine
Over 4,000 leads came purely from referrals (27% rate), essentially providing "free" growth.
04. Ad Efficiency
High CTR of 3.58% on Meta ads showed that the brand-association creative was highly resonant.
Landing Page Performance
Total Visitors reached on the campaign landing page.
Total Direct Leads generated on the campaign landing page.
Sign-up Rate achieved on the campaign landing pa ge.
Referred Leads captured via the campaign landing page
Referral Rate recorded on the campaign landing page.
Total Leads generated on the campaign landing page
Conclusion
This campaign proves that collaboration is the ultimate growth hack. By sharing a landing page, an audience, and an ad budget, LSRF was able to scale at a speed and cost-efficiency that is impossible to achieve in isolation.
The synergy of "The Big Three" brands created a viral ecosystem that turned a modest €500 investment into nearly 15,000 high-value leads.
