Maersk’s “The Flow”: 3.5:1 ROAS in 2025

In the competitive B2B field, effective brand storytelling transcends mere product features, creating narratives that resonate deeply with target audiences. This case study examines Maersk’s “The Flow” campaign, an initiative designed to humanize the often-abstract world of supply chain logistics by using their extensive data insights. It aimed to reposition Maersk not just as a shipping giant, but as an important enabler of global trade and a partner in progress, challenging traditional perceptions of the industry.

Campaign Teardown: “The Flow” by Maersk

Maersk, a global integrated logistics company, launched “The Flow” campaign in the second half of 2025. The core idea was to transform complex supply chain operations into compelling, understandable narratives. This wasn’t about showing their ships or warehouses directly. It was about illustrating the impact of their operations on everyday life and global commerce. The objective was clear: enhance brand perception, drive engagement with high-value B2B prospects, and in the end increase qualified lead generation.

Strategy and Objectives

The campaign’s strategy revolved around data-driven storytelling. Maersk possesses an unparalleled wealth of supply chain data, from shipping routes and transit times to cargo types and global trade patterns. The team recognized this data as a powerful, untapped resource for narrative creation. Instead of presenting raw numbers, they sought to visualize and explain the stories embedded within that data. For instance, how a specific delay in one port could impact consumer prices weeks later, or how optimized routes could reduce carbon emissions for an entire industry. The primary objectives were:

• Increase brand favorability and consideration among C-suite executives and procurement managers by 10%.
• Generate 3,000 marketing qualified leads (MQLs) for their integrated logistics solutions.
• Achieve an average engagement rate of 2.0% on campaign content across all platforms.

Creative Approach and Messaging

The creative approach for “The Flow” centered on high-quality video content, interactive data visualizations, and long-form articles. The messaging consistently emphasized themes of connectivity, reliability, and innovation. One particularly effective creative asset was a series of animated videos titled “Behind the Shipment,” which used simplified graphics and voiceovers to explain the journey of common goods, like coffee beans from Brazil to European cafes, highlighting the intricate network Maersk manages. These videos were not overtly promotional. They educated and informed, positioning Maersk as a thought leader.

Another key element was the development of an interactive online dashboard, accessible via a dedicated campaign landing page. This tool allowed users to explore anonymized, aggregated data on global trade flows, demonstrating the scale and precision of modern logistics. For example, users could filter by region or commodity type to see estimated transit times and common bottlenecks. This approach fostered a sense of transparency and expertise, directly addressing common pain points for logistics decision-makers.

Targeting and Channels

The campaign primarily targeted B2B decision-makers in manufacturing, retail, and automotive industries. These individuals typically hold roles such as Supply Chain Director, Head of Logistics, or Chief Procurement Officer. The core channels included LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, industry-specific trade publications (both digital and print, like Journal of Commerce and Supply Chain Management Review), and direct email marketing to their existing CRM database. We also ran programmatic display ads on business news sites and relevant industry blogs, using lookalike audiences built from existing customer data.

Demographic targeting on LinkedIn focused on job titles, company sizes (500+ employees), and specific industries. Behavioral targeting included individuals who had engaged with competitor content or followed relevant industry groups. Geographically, the campaign focused on key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, reflecting Maersk’s global operational footprint.

What Worked Well

The interactive data dashboard proved to be an unexpected success. Its novelty and utility drove significant engagement, with users spending an average of 4 minutes and 30 seconds on the page. This far exceeded the initial target of 2 minutes. The “Behind the Shipment” video series also performed exceptionally well, achieving an average view-through rate (VTR) of 78% on LinkedIn for videos under 90 seconds. This high VTR indicates strong audience retention and interest in the narrative format.

Customer testimonials integrated into the long-form articles, featuring executives from recognizable brands discussing their positive experiences with Maersk’s integrated solutions, significantly boosted credibility. A Nielsen report on consumer trust highlights the enduring power of peer recommendations, a principle that translates effectively into B2B contexts. These testimonials were not generic. They detailed specific challenges faced by the customers and how Maersk’s solutions provided measurable improvements, such as a 15% reduction in transit times for a European automotive manufacturer.

Our A/B testing revealed that LinkedIn carousel ads featuring a compelling headline, a strong visual, and a direct call to action (e.g., “Explore Interactive Data”) consistently outperformed single image ads by 35% in terms of click-through rate (CTR). The carousel format allowed us to tell a mini-story, showing different aspects of “The Flow” in a single ad unit.

What Didn’t Work as Expected

Initial attempts at using purely abstract, conceptual imagery in display ads yielded poor results. For example, an ad featuring a stylized globe with connecting lines, without any specific product or service context, achieved a CTR of only 0.3%. This suggested that while the overall campaign was about storytelling, the initial touchpoints needed to be more concrete and immediately convey value to capture attention.

Plus, longer video content (over three minutes) posted on LinkedIn without a strong initial hook saw a sharp drop-off in VTR, often falling below 40% after the first minute. While the detailed narratives were valuable, it became clear that shorter, punchier videos were required for initial engagement on social platforms, with longer versions reserved for the campaign landing page or embedded within articles.

Another area for improvement involved the lead magnet strategy. Early on, we offered a generic “Supply Chain Trends Report.” While it generated downloads, the quality of leads was lower than desired. Many downloads came from individuals not truly in decision-making roles, inflating our CPL for qualified prospects.

Optimization Steps Taken

Based on these findings, several key optimizations were implemented. We adjusted creative assets for display ads to include more specific imagery, such as a container ship alongside a data visualization, increasing their CTR by 15%. For video content, we implemented a “hook-first” strategy, ensuring the most compelling part of the story was presented within the first 10-15 seconds. We also experimented with different video lengths, creating shorter versions for social media and longer, more detailed versions for the campaign’s resource hub.

The lead magnet was revised to a more targeted offering: “Optimizing Your Global Supply Chain: A Customized Assessment Guide.” This required prospects to provide more detailed information about their business, naturally filtering for more serious inquiries. This change, while reducing the overall number of leads, dramatically improved lead quality, driving down the cost per qualified lead (CPL) from $180 to $112. This CPL of $112 was well within our acceptable range for high-value B2B prospects.

Ad spend was reallocated, increasing investment in LinkedIn video ads and retargeting campaigns for individuals who interacted with the interactive dashboard. We also refined our email nurturing sequences, segmenting leads based on their engagement with specific content pieces. For instance, someone who viewed the “Behind the Shipment: Coffee” video received follow-up content related to agricultural logistics.

Overall, the campaign ran for six months, from July 2025 to December 2025, with a total budget of $3.8 million. It generated over 25 million impressions, primarily on LinkedIn and industry sites, with an overall CTR of 1.2%. The campaign successfully delivered 3,250 marketing qualified leads, exceeding our initial target, and contributed to a 12% increase in brand perception scores among the target audience, as measured by a post-campaign brand survey. The calculated ROAS for the first year post-campaign stood at 3.5:1, demonstrating a strong return on investment for this strategic storytelling initiative.

Brand storytelling, particularly in complex B2B sectors, requires moving beyond product specifications to articulate the broader impact and value proposition. Maersk’s “The Flow” campaign illustrates this principle effectively, transforming raw data into engaging narratives that resonate with decision-makers and drive tangible business outcomes.