Combustion, Inc. Content as a Growth Engine
Context
Combustion is a science-led, founder-driven brand operating in a highly competitive DTC environment. Growth historically relied on paid media, but as spend increased, efficiency began to plateau—a common inflection point for performance-driven brands.
The question wasn’t whether content mattered. It was how much leverage it could actually provide at scale.
The Problem
“Paid media scales—until it doesn’t.”
As ad spend grew, returns flattened. Performance optimization alone wasn’t unlocking the next stage of growth, and increasing budget introduced more risk without guaranteed efficiency.
The underlying issue wasn’t media buying—it was how much work paid ads were being asked to do.
My Mandate
As Fractional Creative & Brand Lead, I was brought in to determine whether content could function as more than brand support—specifically, whether creative direction applied to organic content could materially improve growth efficiency and unit economics.
The goal: design a content system that didn’t just grow audience, but changed how paid media performed.
My Role
Led creative direction for long-form, science-led educational content
Partnered directly with the founder on narrative framing and formats
Designed organic content systems across YouTube and social
Aligned organic storytelling with paid media, email, and community growth
Translated content performance into actionable growth and media strategy
The Insight: Organic as “Air Cover” for Paid
After analyzing three years of data—including 50,000+ orders, daily ad spend, YouTube video-level analytics, social traffic, and conversion rates—a clear pattern emerged:
Organic content didn’t just drive direct revenue.
It fundamentally improved paid media efficiency at scale.
At lower spend levels (under ~$45K/month), paid performance was relatively stable regardless of organic activity. But once spend increased, organic content became the difference between diminishing returns and scalable growth.
What the Data Showed
When monthly ad spend exceeded ~$130K:
High spend + weak organic → Average aMER: 3.45x
High spend + strong organic (YouTube + Instagram) → Average aMER: 4.62x
That’s a 34% efficiency lift at the same spend level.
On approximately $400K of holiday ad spend, that difference represented nearly $500K in incremental value—without increasing budget.
Q4 2025: The Patter Becomes Obvious
December 2025 made the relationship impossible to ignore.
December 2024
470K YouTube views
$175K ad spend
3.06x aMER
December 2025
6.8M YouTube views
Significant Instagram Reels lift
$239K ad spend (+37%)
4.79x aMER
Paid spend increased and efficiency improved—a direct contradiction of typical paid media dynamics.
Organic content was educating customers, absorbing demand, and allowing paid ads to function as closers rather than explainers.
Direct Revenue (Still Meaningful)
While efficiency gains were the real unlock, direct revenue impact was substantial:
$676K from YouTube + Instagram organic referrals
$40K from YouTube ad monetization
$716K returned on $250K investment
2.9x ROAS, before accounting for paid efficiency gains
The System I Built
Creative direction was embedded into a unified growth system:
Consistent, science-led YouTube content cadence
Short-form social designed to reinforce long-form narratives
Tight alignment between organic messaging and paid creative
Feedback loops between content performance and media strategy
Organic and paid were treated as one system, not separate channels.
Business Impact (Q4 2025 Highlight)
40% YoY revenue growth (Q4 2025)
+20% AOV
–13% ad spend relative to revenue growth
53% new customer acquisition
200K+ new subscribers in 3 months
Strategic Insight
When content educates first, paid media becomes more efficient—and more scalable.
Organic content isn’t a cost center.
It’s infrastructure.
What This Proves
I don’t just grow audiences—I design content systems that change the unit economics of a business, allowing paid media to scale further, more efficiently, and with less risk.