Growth plan for Hylo Athletics, 3 Oct 2026
Scale spend. Hold CAC.
Hylo sells the AXIS at 160.00 GBP and the IMPACT 2 at 140.00 GBP, with over 500 5* reviews behind the brand. The plan: protect one number, a target CAC of $67.20, and test creator-led ads until spend can climb without breaking it.
- Target CAC
- $67.20
- New ads a week at peak
- 20
- Creators live by week six
- 10
- Test spend, six weeks
- $24,000
Contents
10 chapters, then the gates and every number’s source.
01 The number
One number to protect: $67.20 CAC on a 140.00 GBP shoe
The one number to protect is a target CAC of $67.20. It is 0.6 of the $112.00 ceiling, built from an average order of $140, a 40% margin and one repeat order. Those inputs are guesses until your week one data replaces them.
Protect
Target CAC: $67.20 on a first purchase
Ceiling = average order × margin × (1 + repeat orders): $140 × 40% × (1 + 1) = $112.00. Guard line = 0.6 × $112.00 = $67.20. Across the ranges: $5.25 to $216.00.
Three moves
- Kill any ad that runs above $67.20 CAC early, after a fixed spend, and never rescue it with a bigger budget.
- Pair new ads with landing pages, from 1 live in week one to 9 by week six, so traffic never lands on a generic page.
- Hold one variable per test, so a win on an AXIS hook can be copied to the IMPACT 2 and read cleanly.
- Stores stocking hylo globally
- 300+
- Published
- 5* reviews, as the brand states it
- 500
- Published
- Reviews shown on one product
- 148
- Published
02 Variety
Two shoes, AXIS and IMPACT 2, give every ad a clear job
Each ad concept has to carry one shoe, one hook and one proof. The proof can be a review count, the free shipping and returns offer, or the 60% natural rubber grip. One variable per test keeps every result readable.
| Reason to buy | Proof you already have | Ads (proposed) |
|---|---|---|
| Wildly versatile ride | Wildly versatile. Balanced cushioning with a smooth, energetic ride and lightweight comfort. | 4 |
| Naturally stable ride | Naturally stable. Plush cushioning and subtle guidance for a secure, comfortable ride. | 4 |
| Grip without the weight | Grip without the weight. 60% natural rubber is placed exactly where runners need it. | 3 |
| Over 500 5* reviews | Over 500 5* Reviews | 2 |
| Free delivery + returns | Free Delivery + Returns | 2 |
| Certified B Corp | hylo became a B Corp because we believe that business can be a force for good. | 2 |
| Stocked in 300+ stores | Stocked In 300+ Stores Globally | 1 |
| Total | The ad concepts tab | 18 |
Each row is a reason to buy that the brand already has proof for. The count is how many of the ads carry it: a reason with a single ad is a bet, not a pattern, and the next batch of concepts moves toward the reasons that win.
03 Disturbances
A review on loose toe strapping is a risk we plan around
| Disturbance | Likelihood | Impact | Owner | Gate (proposed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A review reports toe strapping that came loose, so durability claims in ads invite replies | Med | High | Your team | Claims sheet signed off in week one; no durability claim runs without your sign-off. |
| Free shipping and returns can lift return volume on a 140.00 GBP shoe and hurt payback | Med | High | Your team | Return share per ad group reported weekly; pause any group that breaks the agreed ceiling. |
| Event tracking is incomplete, so CAC readings are wrong | High | High | Both | Tracking spec agreed and tested before spend passes the $3,000 of week 1. |
| Creators fall behind the roster plan, so video supply falls short of 70 a week | Med | Med | Me | Roster review each Friday; if live creators trail the ramp, new ads stay at 12 a week. |
| Hit rate is lower than the guess, so 20 concepts give fewer winners | Med | High | Me | By day 30 at least one ad holds $67.20 CAC; if not, rewrite hooks before adding spend. |
| Claims on recycled and bio-based materials get challenged or flagged | Low | High | Your team | Every material claim copied from your own page wording; none paraphrased in ads. |
| Landing pages lag creators, so ad traffic hits a generic page | Med | Med | Both | One page live per ad group before it spends; 1 live in week one, 9 by week six. |
Scores are my read from outside the company, re-scored in week one with your data. Each risk has one owner and one gate that can be checked with a number, so nobody has to argue about whether it happened.
04 The ceiling
The ceiling is $112.00 and the guard line sits at $67.20
| Line | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Average order | $140 (range $10.00–$160.00) | Assumption Range from the site product prices (Published); the midpoint is a guess |
| Gross margin | 40% (range 35–45%) | Assumption Replace in week one |
| Repeat orders after the first | 1 (range 0.5–2) | Assumption Replace with cohort data in week one |
| Margin per customer, all orders | $112.00 | Calculated Average order × margin × (1 + repeat orders) |
| Guard line for CAC | $67.20 | Calculated 0.6 × the margin per customer |
The math, with the assumed lines
Ceiling = average order × margin × (1 + repeat orders): $140 × 40% × (1 + 1) = $112.00. Guard line = 0.6 × $112.00 = $67.20. Across the ranges: $5.25 to $216.00.
Range across the assumptions: $5 to $216.
The $112.00 ceiling rests on a $140 average order, 40% margin and one repeat order: all guesses. The 140.00 GBP and 160.00 GBP prices are facts. Week one replaces the guesses with your data.
The ceiling is a range, not one number: the most a new customer can cost before shipping and packaging, which I do not have. Replace the guessed lines with yours and every figure below recalculates.
05 Test ramp
Six weeks of tests cost $24,000 across the AXIS and IMPACT 2
| Week | New ads × budget / ad (proposed) | Weekly test spend | Cumulative | Creators posting | CAC target (proposed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 × $250 | $3,000 | $3,000 | 0 | $67 |
| 2 | 12 × $250 | $3,000 | $6,000 | 2 | $67 |
| 3 | 12–20 × $250 | $4,000 | $10,000 | 4 | $67 |
| 4 | 12–20 × $250 | $4,000 | $14,000 | 6 | $67 |
| 5 | 20 × $250 | $5,000 | $19,000 | 8 | $67 |
| 6 | 20 × $250 | $5,000 | $24,000 | 10 | $67 |
Six weeks, Proposed. Weeks 1 and 2 run 12 ads at $250 each, $3,000 a week. Weeks 3 and 4 move to 12–20 ads, $4,000. Weeks 5 and 6 hold 20 ads, $5,000. Total $24,000 of tests, and any ad over $67.20 CAC dies early.
The math. Week 1: 12 × $250 = $3,000; Week 2: 12 × $250 = $3,000; Week 3: 16 × $250 = $4,000; Week 4: 16 × $250 = $4,000; Week 5: 20 × $250 = $5,000; Week 6: 20 × $250 = $5,000. Total $24,000 (96 ads × $250). A range such as 12–20 counts as its midpoint.
Weeks one and two test what the brand already has, rewritten per reason to buy. From week three, creator videos enter paid only after they beat their own account median. A range of new ads counts as its midpoint in the spend column.
06 Volume
Volume: 20 to 80 concepts for the AXIS and IMPACT 2
More concepts raise the chance of a winner. At the guessed hit rate, 20 concepts give 2 winners and 80 give 8. Hit rate and spend per winner are assumptions, so week one tests them first.
| Concepts tested / month | Hit rate (assumed) | New winners / month | Spend each winner holds (assumed) | Added spend at target CAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 10% | 2 | $300 / day | $18,000 / month |
| 40 | 10% | 4 | $300 / day | $36,000 / month |
| 60 | 10% | 6 | $300 / day | $54,000 / month |
| 80 | 10% | 8 | $300 / day | $72,000 / month |
The math. 20 concepts × 10% = 2 winners × $300 × 30 days = $18,000 a month; 40 concepts × 10% = 4 winners × $300 × 30 days = $36,000 a month; 60 concepts × 10% = 6 winners × $300 × 30 days = $54,000 a month; 80 concepts × 10% = 8 winners × $300 × 30 days = $72,000 a month.
The hit rate and the spend each winner holds are placeholders. The first thirty days of tests replace them with real numbers, and the table is recalculated the same day.
07 Allocation
Split the $100,000 so a 140.00 GBP shoe earns its ads
- Test ads on AXIS and IMPACT 2 hooks
- $45,000
- 45%
- Scaling winners that hold $67.20 CAC
- $30,000
- 30%
- Creator pay and product for the roster
- $15,000
- 15%
- Landing pages and tracking fixes
- $10,000
- 10%
Proposed split of the $100,000. It moves toward winners as the week-six data comes in; test spend follows the $24,000 ramp.
The math. 45% × $100,000 = $45,000; 30% × $100,000 = $30,000; 15% × $100,000 = $15,000; 10% × $100,000 = $10,000. Sum 100% = $100,000.
This split is a proposal. It moves toward scaling as winners prove out, and toward testing when fatigue shows.
08 Channels
Meta first, then the places where 300+ stores already sell
| Channel | Open when (proposed) | Why wait |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | Week 1, from the first test | Creator video turns into 12 new ads in the first week. |
| TikTok | When one creator hook holds under $67.20 CAC on Meta | Runners already film their efforts; the same video can test there. |
| YouTube | After week six, if long-effort stories hold attention | Ultra and track stories in the People pieces suit longer video. |
| Google brand search | When Meta lifts searches for hylo | Captures demand for the AXIS and IMPACT 2 once creators build awareness. |
| Stockist cities | When ads run in cities with stockists | A store count of 300+ gives a local proof line; I'd test geo splits. |
A channel opens when its condition is true, not when the calendar says so. Until then the budget stays where the CAC is earned.
09 Payback
Free shipping and returns make payback the real limit
Free shipping and returns mean a 140.00 GBP shoe can come back, so payback is the real limit. The rule: CAC $35 pays back on the first order with $77.00 left; $65 pays back after repeat orders, $47.00 left; $125 and $155 never pay back, so we stop.
Cumulative margin per customer, order by order, before CAC: $56.00, $112.00.
| CAC (scenario) | First-order margin | Year-one margin | Left after CAC | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35 | $56.00 | $112.00 | $77.00 | First order |
| $65 | $56.00 | $112.00 | $47.00 | After repeat orders |
| $125 | $56.00 | $112.00 | −$13.00 | Never: stop |
| $155 | $56.00 | $112.00 | −$43.00 | Never: stop |
The math. CAC $35: $112.00 − $35 = $77.00 left; pays back: First order; CAC $65: $112.00 − $65 = $47.00 left; pays back: After repeat orders; CAC $125: $112.00 − $125 = −$13.00 left; pays back: Never: stop; CAC $155: $112.00 − $155 = −$43.00 left; pays back: Never: stop.
Read each row left to right: the margin of the first purchase, the margin over the whole horizon, what is left after CAC, and the purchase on which the CAC is earned back. A scenario that never pays back is a stop, not a test.
10 Scope
Scope: ads and creators for Hylo, not the shoe or the stock
Covers
- Meta ad structure, testing and weekly killing of losers
- Creator briefs, hook library and claims sheet for the AXIS and IMPACT 2
- Landing page briefs matched to each ad group
- Daily CAC, weekly learnings, monthly cohort payback
Doesn’t
- Event tracking build: I spec it, your team implements it
- Shoe design, stock or the hyloop recycling platform
- Customer service on returns and exchanges
- Your ad account history: I haven't seen it
What this plan covers is what I can change inside the ad account and the creator program. Everything outside it is named on the right so nobody assumes it is handled.
Gates, written before spend, so stopping isn’t a negotiation.
| Day | Keep going if (proposed) | Stop or change if |
|---|---|---|
| Day 14 | Tracking matches orders and 12 new ads a week are live on the Proposed ramp. | Tracking unreliable or no creator live |
| Day 30 | At least one ad holds CAC at or under $67.20 on real spend, and the roster tracks the plan. | No ad under $67.20 CAC after $14,000 of tests |
| Day 60 | Winners scale with CAC at or under $67.20 and payback visible on repeat orders. | CAC at $125 or higher for a full week |
| Day 90 | Spend has climbed with CAC at or under $67.20 and cohort payback inside the $112.00 ceiling. | CAC at $155 or the cohort shows a loss |
Each gate is checked on its day with the numbers in the daily and weekly reports. If the stop condition is true, the spend stops and nothing renews until we talk.
What exists, what’s missing, and the order that’s forced.
| Piece | Exists today | Missing | Forced order |
|---|---|---|---|
| creative | Two lines: AXIS at 160.00 GBP, IMPACT 2 at 140.00 GBP | A hook library and 12 test ads a week | Week 1 |
| creators | People stories on ultra and track runners | A roster brief and pay terms | 1st |
| claims sheet | Own wording: 60% energy return, 60% natural rubber | One sheet listing what ads may say | 1st |
| landing pages | 148 reviews and free shipping and returns | Pages matched to each ad group | 2nd |
| reporting | Over 500 5* Reviews as a proof point | Daily CAC view and event tracking spec | 2nd |
The order is forced on purpose: creative and creators come first because they are what moves CAC, and everything else waits for that data.
Every number, and where it came from.
| Figure | Where it came from | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 300+ Stores stocking hylo globally | https://hyloathletics.com/ | Fact |
| 500 5* reviews, as the brand states it | https://hyloathletics.com/ | Fact |
| 148 Reviews shown on one product | https://hyloathletics.com/products/womens-hylo-axis-coffee | Fact |
| Product prices $10.00–$160.00 | product prices in the site product data (25 products), read 2026-10-03 | Fact |
| $140 average order · 40% margin · 1 repeat order | Placeholders, replaced in week one | Assumed |
| $67.20 target CAC | 0.6 of the $112.00 margin per customer | Calculated |
| $112.00 margin per customer | Price × (margin − discount), summed over the orders | Calculated |
| $24,000 of tests (96 ads × $250) | Danilo’s plan, matches Month one | Calculated |
| 0→10 creators in 6 weeks · 7 videos per creator a week | Danilo’s plan, matches Month one and the Creator engine | Proposed |
| $100,000 first budget split 45% / 30% / 15% / 10% | Danilo’s plan, re-set with the team in week one | Calculated |
| 10% hit rate · $300 a day per winner | Placeholders, replaced by the first 30 days of tests | Assumed |
| 303 creator videos a month at 10 creators | 10 creators × 7 videos a week × 52 ÷ 12 | Calculated |
| $5.74 per 1,000 views against a $1 target | Creator cost over the views the assumptions give | Calculated |
| $1,000 base pay · $50 bonus past 100,000 views | Danilo’s plan | Proposed |
| 1,500 median views · 4% breakout (10×) · 0.5% viral (750,000) | Placeholders, replaced by the first month of posts | Assumed |
| Pay bands $300–$600, $500–$1,000, $800–$1,500 | Danilo’s plan | Proposed |
Every figure on this page is listed here with where it came from. Fact means read on the site. Assumed and Proposed are Danilo’s own numbers, to be replaced in week one. Calculated is plain arithmetic on those, with the formula shown next to it.
Month one is where it starts.
Week 1: I read the claims on the AXIS and IMPACT 2 pages, agree the tracking spec with your team, write the first 12 ads and book the first two creators. Your numbers replace my guesses before spend passes $3,000.
