What Drove March? Lessons From the Frontlines of Growth Strategy

At Common Thread Collective, our clients’ performance isn’t left to chance … it’s engineered through the Prophit System, our proprietary operating framework designed to deliver predictable, profitable growth.

By aligning every aspect of a brand’s growth plan … forecasting, marketing calendar, ad spend, creative strategy, and merchandising … under a unified system, we help brands not only hit their revenue goals but do so with healthy margins.

The results speak for themselves …

In March 2025, our collective client set landed just -0.79% shy of revenue Plan, while overspending by only +4.59% … and still outperforming Contribution Margin Plan by +11.68%.

While March 2025 closed just shy of revenue expectations at -0.79% to Plan, our growth teams collectively outperformed on what matters most: profitability. Contribution Margin landed +11.68% above Plan … a reflection of strong efficiency and precise strategic execution. Media spend was +4.59% over Plan, but that investment drove meaningful outcomes thanks to a few critical factors.

Here’s what we learned this month about what actually works when the rubber meets the road.

1. Marketing Calendars That Fill the Gaps

Brands that exceeded revenue targets had one thing in common: they didn’t leave demand up to chance.

Strategic marketing moments — like flash sales tied to events such as International Women’s Day — created spikes in performance that plugged potential revenue shortfalls. This proactive approach helped some brands post year-over-year growth in March, even as baseline demand fluctuated.

Takeaway:

Use your marketing calendar to actively solve for forecast gaps. Promotions, product drops, and content campaigns aren’t reactive … they’re revenue-driving tools that need to be engineered ahead of time.

2. Leaning Into Lo-Fi Creative for Scale and Efficiency

In a platform where native is king, the best-performing brands pivoted toward authenticity over polish. Campaigns built on feed-style, Lo-Fi video content combined with influencer whitelisting consistently outperformed their high-production counterparts … especially on Meta.

Takeaway:

Stop chasing cinematic perfection.

The algorithm (and the audience) rewards content that feels native. Save your budget and scale faster with high-frequency, low-friction creative.

3. Revenue Forecasting as a Dynamic Planning Tool

Forecasting wasn’t just a monthly report … it became a planning framework.

By mapping planned revenue contributions from launches and promotions onto their forecast, brands could identify gaps before the month started … and take action accordingly.

Takeaway:

Don’t rely on “run rate.” Tie your forecast directly to action. Know which events are supposed to carry your month, and what the contingency plans are if they don’t.

4. Merchandising as a Growth Lever

Growth wasn’t just about ad dollars.

Product strategy played a pivotal role. Reviewing merchandising performance across all sales channels led several brands to create differentiated, DTC-only assortments. These site-exclusive bundles were a key lever for incremental growth.

Takeaway:

Use cross-channel data to make your DTC site more unique and valuable. When inventory strategy is aligned with customer behavior, growth follows.

5. Aligning ROAS Targets With Incrementality

Several brands unlocked performance by recalibrating their ROAS targets based on incrementality models.

Rather than chasing an arbitrary efficiency number, they aimed for the most incremental return. This shift in thinking allowed more confident budget allocation … and smarter creative prioritization.

Takeaway:

Efficiency is only a win if it’s driving new value. Let incrementality — not ROAS alone — drive your budget and creative strategy.

6. Channel Accountability and Customer Forecast Models

Looking at performance through the lens of total business objectives, rather than siloed channel goals, helped brands stay aligned and agile.

Comparing forecasted new vs. returning customer revenue with actual outcomes exposed gaps and triggered strategic adjustments … like layering in more emails, SMS campaigns, and evergreen content.

Takeaway:

Your channel teams should be responsible not just for their KPIs, but for the business outcome. When everyone rows toward the same revenue target, it’s easier to pivot and win.

March in Review: Efficiency Wins the Month

March proved that being slightly under the revenue plan doesn’t mean you failed … especially when your contribution margin is up double digits.

The brands that won did so by combining clear revenue planning with flexible marketing action, prioritizing high-impact creative formats, and aligning every dollar to incremental outcomes.

The result?

Profit-led performance, built not on hope … but on execution.

For a deeper dive on March performance, check out our recent episode of The Ecommerce Playbook Podcast.

On this episode of the podcast, Taylor and Richard break down the latest performance scorecard across our client portfolio—revealing exactly how we stacked up against forecasted revenue, spend, and contribution margin goals.