The nomination recognises Jaywing’s work with PizzaExpress, which has cut brand bidding from 64% to 11% of Google Ads investment with no loss of branded sessions, and reinvested the savings to deliver a 129% uplift in bookings and revenue from generic search.
What began as a challenge to the role of brand search in the paid media mix developed into a full-funnel acquisition strategy, powered by Jaywing’s AI-driven optimisation technology.
Rethinking brand search
PizzaExpress was spending the majority of its Google Ads budget on brand search, despite a strong organic presence and limited competitor activity in the auctions. Jaywing set out to reduce this spend in real time without losing traffic or bookings, and to reinvest the savings in winning new customers.
Using Decision, Jaywing’s AI-powered keyword optimisation engine, Jaywing reduced unnecessary brand bidding in real time and reinvested the savings into generic search, Performance Max and Demand Gen to reach new customers.
The results
The strategy delivered:
- Brand spend reduced from 64% to 11% of total Google Ads investment
- Zero loss of branded sessions
- 129% uplift in bookings and revenue from generic search
- 12% increase in organic brand search volume
Mark Jarvis, Head of Performance Marketing at PizzaExpress, said:
“We were able to reinvest budget into growth-driving channels, generating significant incremental bookings and revenue while maintaining brand protection.”
The PizzaExpress campaign shows how AI can make search spend work harder, turning efficiency savings into measurable growth without putting core brand performance at risk. We’re delighted to see these results recognised at the Northern Digital Awards 2027.