Prologue From Reneir
This next blog is a follow-up to My Last Blog, “How Top Athletic Apparel Brands Position Themselves With A Marketing Agency”. My intent is to give more on a hypothetical marketing case study for an athletic apparel brand called NXTLVL that I have talked with over the last year. This is a similar concept to what I did with the Marketing Case Study for Thai Bamboo Bistro.
While I have not currently worked with NXTLVL, I have had the chance to speak with the owner, Julian Miramontes, over the past year. Being able to learn how he operates his company has given more insight into what really could work as a collaboration with them.
This brand offers high performance products including fitness apparel, that will enhance your experiences both in and outside of the gym. Because of their outstanding customer service, it allows them to be one of the fastest growing fitness brands and communities in the world. They are more than just an apparel brand, it is about bringing together like minded individuals who are driven to go above and beyond.
What attracts me to NXLVL is how their collections are minimalistic yet functional for the gym. For instance, their banana cream elevate cut off tank has the NXTLVL sized just right above the chest area and the panther logo right below the neck area.
Paid Google Advertising
Reach Athletic Apparel Customers Exactly When They’re Searching
- For the big brands such as lululemon, Google Ads appear when people search keywords like “performance athletic apparel” or “order activewear online.” For small business brands like NXTLVL operating on a small ad budget, targeting keywords like “speciality performance athletic apparel” or “order high end active online, gives them a brand a higher chance for their ads to be seen..
- Geotargeting nearby those with high intent dramatically boosts effectiveness. An example can include searches while at the gym or leaving the gym after feeling great after a workout in the greater Orange County, California area.. This is a crucial strategy to be able to compete. Whereas a big brand such as Nike can cast a wide net, geotargeting allows a target audience to find NXTLVL and similar brands.
Fast Results + Cost Efficiency
- When setup and managed effectively, Google Ads delivers immediate visibility compared to organic channels of marketing.
- You pay only when someone clicks (PPC), meaning every dollar is tied to potential traffic or conversions. Making sure every dollar is efficiently spent goes back using the points above with specific keywords and geotargeting.
Performance Insights & Budget Control
- Trackable metrics like Clicks, CPC, Conversion Rate, and ROI let you measure success and tweak campaigns. A good marketing agency like MAGNA APEX, can create a custom report to showcase the KPIs that are relevant for a NXTLVL.
- For context, the recommended CPC for small business athletic apparel is around $50. It is recommended starting with a budget of ~$500 a month, with room to scale lower or higher, based on results.
Smart Strategies for Restaurants
- Ad Scheduling: Based on a reporting after a certain amount of time, optimize Ad schedule to run ads only during those busier hours to maximize efficiency. I have worked with apparel clients in the past and observed that most users shop between 6am – 8pm local time to their region. Having this setup is another crucial step for NXTLVL’s Ads on Google to remain relevant and not oversaturated.
- Local Extensions: Use call and location extensions to encourage questions and direct orders. In this case, using a promotion extension could promote the offer “Get 10% off after signing up for updates”.
Now for a hypothetical example of what a Google Ad for NXTLVL could look like:
Takeaways here are that this has a concise headline stating that they sell “High End Athletic Apparel” along with a description of their mission statement and a CTA to “get 10% off & show now!”.
Meta Advertising (Facebook & Instagram)
Captivate with Visual Appeal
- These platforms are made for mouthwatering visuals—perfect for showcasing your dishes, ambiance, and special promotions. See examples below.
Precision Targeting & Engagement
- You can tailor ads by demographics, interests, behaviors (e.g., “loves fitness” and “gym enthusiast”).
- Remarketing: Re-engage visitors who browsed your website or collections but didn’t convert.
Brand Building & Local Community
- Boost recognition and loyalty—people may share compelling ads, building organic reach.
- Meta’s ecosystem (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) encourages engagement through messaging and interactive posts.
AI-Powered Campaign Optimization
- Meta’s Advantage+ and AI tools have shown strong results: on average, each dollar spent delivers $3.71 in revenue.
- Generative AI also simplifies creative work—Auto-generating ad copy and images using Llama 3 and image tools can save time while maintaining brand tone.
Combined Strategy: Why Using Both Works Best
- Google Ads catch diners with high intent—those actively searching to dine now or order pickup.
- Meta Ads build awareness, tell your brand story, and entice undecided diners with enticing visuals and offers.
What Others Are Saying on Reddit
“FB and Instagram ads tend to be more cost-effective … They’re better for building brand awareness rather than immediate conversions … using them in tandem is a good option: Facebook/Instagram to build awareness and Google to capture high-intent customers.”
“Search ads drove immediate visits and bookings, while display ads created a buzz and kept our restaurant top-of-mind.”
Tailored Recommendations for NXTLVL
Google Side
- Launch a Search Campaign targeting terms like “high performance athletic apparel,” “high end fitness apparel,” etc., with a daily budget aligned with expected CPC.
- Include ad extensions (e.g., call, location, shop now link).
- Optimize ad schedule around your peak gym times (lunch/dinner).
- Ensure your Google Business Profile is polished with vibrant photos of newest collection drops and accurate info.
Meta Side
- Run visually appealing ad campaigns featuring your key dishes or special offers.
- Target locals by geography and interest in working out or even competitor brands such as lululemon.
- Launch retargeting campaigns to recapture site visitors or past orders.
- Leverage Meta’s AI tools to create multiple creative variants with minimal effort.
Paid Google and Meta advertising are powerful, complementary tools to drive visibility, orders, and loyalty for NXTLVL:
- Google Ads deliver on intent—serving ads when diners are actively searching.
- Meta Ads captivate, engage, and build brand affinity through visuals and targeting.
- Using both in concert—and continuously optimizing based on data—can deliver measurable returns, increased reservations, and more online orders.
Build Like the Giants—But Stay Authentic
Fitness apparel giants including Nike and Under Armour didn’t become market leaders overnight. Their success was built on clear positioning, consistent marketing, and a deep understanding of their audience. Eventually for Nike, their “Just do it” slogan aided in Michael Jordan’s decision sign with them back in October 194. Under Armour, founded in 1996, did not gain massive popularity until it was chosen to be featured in the movie “Any Given Sunday” in 1999. It was their slogan to “Protech this house” that helped them stand out to eventually being chosen to be featured. With the right marketing agency in your corner, you can do the same—creating not just a fitness apparel brand, but a movement.
As an owner of a fitness apparel company, you may think to yourself, I could do this all with my internal team. Imagine having an additional marketing resource with 10+ years of experience … for much less than the annual salary of a marketing employee.
Over the years, I have worked with apparel companies and have adhered to my own fitness regimen to gain a strong understanding and passion for the fitness space. With the right strategy and creativity, we can turn motivated searches and casual scrolls into orders and loyal repeat customers. It is a similar feeling that comes with wearing a great high performance fitness outfit.Reach out using MAGNA APEX’s contact form.
About Reneir Cruise
He is the owner of MAGNA APEX, which is a Digital Marketing for restaurants to drive brand awareness to their website, acquire relevant business leads, and increase the number of clients to train. He started his Physical Fitness journey in September 2001 & continues to the present day. It was 11 years later in June 2012, that he entered the world of Digital Marketing and has been employed by some of the top marketing agencies.