--- title: Weekly Call — Inventory & Performance Marketing (2026-02-25) type: article created: '2026-02-25' updated: '2026-04-05' source_docs: - raw/2026-02-25-weekly-call-inventory-performance-marketing-125284393.md tags: - meeting - inventory - amazon-ads - google-ads - pmax - search-campaigns - reddit-ads - roas - cpa - performance-marketing - fba layer: 2 client_source: Doudlah Farms industry_context: food-beverage transferable: false --- # Weekly Call — Inventory & Performance Marketing (2026-02-25) **Attendees:** Gilbert Barrongo, Sebastian Gant, Karly Oykhman, Mark Hope **Source:** [Fathom recording](https://fathom.video/calls/578652823) ## Overview Weekly ops call covering three main areas: Amazon FBA inventory stockouts and the new tracking system built to prevent recurrence; a strategic shift in Google Ads from PMAX to Search campaigns for [[wiki/clients/current/doudlah-farms/index|Dudla Farms]]; and new marketing initiatives for [[wiki/clients/current/old-world/index|Old World]] and Reddit. The primary theme across all topics was that inventory instability is the root cause of current performance dips, and that once resolved, ad performance is expected to rebound. --- ## Key Decisions | Decision | Rationale | |---|---| | Hold Amazon ad strategy steady | ROAS dip (3.4 → 3.34) is inventory-driven, not structural; no changes warranted | | Shift Dudla Farms Google Ads from PMAX to Search | PMAX is efficient for data gathering but wasteful once patterns are established | | Raise Dudla Farms CPA target from $12.98 → $16.23 for one week | Current target is below actual CPA (~$14.80), causing campaigns to be "limited by target" | | Do **not** raise Black Beans CPA target from $16.98 → $21 | $21 approaches product price; ad cost would roughly equal revenue, making it unprofitable | | Launch Old World PMAX after Merchant Center feed is built | Old World has no active ads; feed is a prerequisite | | Research Reddit ads for Dudla Farms | Subreddit targeting offers cheap, highly relevant reach for bean-related audiences | | Avant Gardening: no further work needed | Project is complete; client declined retainer | --- ## Action Items - [ ] **Karly** — Share bag inventory spreadsheet with Gilbert; Gilbert to add bag/box columns to the Shipment Info tracker - [ ] **Karly** — Request E-Town Cold Storage platform login to monitor raw bean inventory - [ ] **Karly** — Research Reddit ads for bean-related subreddits; propose a test to Mark - [ ] **Gilbert** — Build new Google Search campaigns for popcorn, black beans, and cornmeal; pause corresponding PMAX campaigns - [ ] **Gilbert** — Apply Google's recommended CPA target ($16.23) to Dudla Farms PMAX; monitor for one week and review - [ ] **Gilbert** — Analyze Shopping Ads performance; recommend a small-budget test to Mark - [ ] **Gilbert** — Launch Old World PMAX campaign once Merchant Center feed is live - [ ] **Gilbert** — Monitor Quora Stone remarketing campaign for two weeks after recent settings change; report to Karly - [ ] **Gilbert** — Review new Cordwainer ad creative - [ ] **Mark** — Create Google Merchant Center feed for the Old World domain --- ## Topic Notes ### Inventory & Sales Performance Inventory stockouts — particularly kidney beans (25lb) — are the primary driver of recent sales declines. Incoming stock for black beans, yellow cornmeal, and popcorn is in transit. **Shipment Info worksheet** (built by Gilbert) now provides full visibility into all Amazon FBA shipments from creation through closing, updated daily. Status stages: Working → For Pickup → In Transit → Closed. Shipments in "Working," "Closed," "Canceled," or "Deleted" states are excluded from active tracking to reduce noise. **Inventory target:** Maintain a minimum 6-month supply for all products at all times. **Remaining gap — raw materials:** The tracker covers finished goods but not upstream inputs (raw beans, bags, boxes). Next step is to integrate Lucy's bag inventory spreadsheet and gain access to E-Town Cold Storage (Edgerton, WI — temperature-controlled bean storage) to monitor raw bean levels. > *"We need to watch it like a hawk."* — Mark Hope --- ### Amazon Ads Performance - **30-day ROAS:** 3.34 (down from 3.40 last week) - **Top performers:** Old World, popcorn, black beans - **Low performer:** "Category campaign" — ROAS 0.93, but spend is only ~$32/month; impact is negligible. Performance was previously suppressed by black bean inventory issues; expected to recover with stable stock. - **Decision:** No structural changes to Amazon ad strategy. Performance expected to rebound once inventory stabilizes. --- ### Google Ads — Dudla Farms **Website sales context:** - February: ~$8,600 (flat vs. January when adjusted for fewer days; +90% YoY) - Overall trend since July: +79% vs. prior period, but growth pace is slow **Current campaign structure:** Three PMAX campaigns + one 90-day display remarketing campaign. **Conversion trends (January):** 59 conversions; impressions declining, clicks increasing, conversion rate flat, cost-per-conversion stabilizing. Direction is positive but growth is slow. #### Strategic Shift: PMAX → Search PMAX campaigns are useful for initial data gathering but introduce waste once audience and keyword patterns are established. The team agreed to begin migrating key products to Search campaigns. - **First wave:** Popcorn, black beans, cornmeal - **Remarketing:** Leave in place — cheap impressions, low conversion volume is acceptable #### CPA Target A/B Test Campaigns are flagged "Limited by Target" because the set CPA ($12.98) is below the actual CPA (~$14.80). Google recommends $16.23. - **Test:** Apply $16.23 for one week; evaluate whether conversion volume increases - **Hypothesis:** A more realistic target unlocks more auction participation - **Black Beans exception:** Current target $16.98; Google recommends $21. Rejected — $21 is close to the product's retail price, making ad spend unprofitable after COGS and shipping --- ### New Marketing Initiatives #### Old World Google Ads Old World has no active Google Ads. A Google Merchant Center feed must be created for the Old World domain (separate from Dudla Farms) before any campaigns can launch. - **Plan:** Mark creates the feed → Gilbert launches a low-budget PMAX campaign - **Rationale:** Old World is already a top Amazon performer; extending to Google Shopping is a logical next step #### Reddit Ads Reddit offers subreddit-level targeting, which could be highly relevant for niche food products (e.g., bean-focused communities). Reported to be relatively low-cost. - **Next step:** Karly researches viability and relevant subreddits; proposes a test budget to Mark --- ### Other Client Updates | Client | Status | |---|---| | **Avant Gardening** | Project complete. Client declined retainer. No further work. | | **Quora Stone** | Remarketing campaign showing zero impressions. Gilbert recently changed settings (pixel/audience configuration). Monitoring for 2 weeks. | | **Cordwainer** | New ad creative received. Gilbert reviewing. Sebastian building a landing page. | --- ## Key Metrics Snapshot | Metric | Value | Notes | |---|---|---| | Amazon ROAS (30-day) | 3.34 | Down from 3.40; inventory-driven | | Google Ads spend (30-day) | ~$1,800 | Budget is $2,700 ($90/day); underspending due to CPA target constraint | | Dudla Farms conversions (Jan) | 59 | Steadily increasing | | Dudla Farms CPA target (current) | $12.98 | Below actual CPA of ~$14.80 | | Dudla Farms CPA target (test) | $16.23 | Google recommendation; 1-week trial | | Website sales (Feb) | ~$8,600 | Flat MoM; +90% YoY |