How AI Rewrote the Rules for Very Ireland’s Shopping Ads

THE CHALLENGE

Very Ireland, formerly known as Littlewoods Ireland, is one of the country’s leading online retailers, operating under The Very Group. They have an extensive product range spanning Fashion, Electricals, Home, and Sportswear.

With such a wide product range and stock constantly being refreshed to keep pace with customer demand, managing and optimising product titles as well as refining Google’s product categorisation at scale and at a detailed level, is a highly demanding task when done manually.

However both elements are critical to Shopping Ad performance as titles directly influence search visibility and competitiveness, while categorisation determines targeting precision. Our challenge lay in two parts:

First, finding a way to improve titles and classifications consistently across thousands of products, and

Second, establishing a fair method to measure whether AI-driven optimisation could truly outperform manual, already well-optimised setups.

With these questions in mind, we set off to find solutions that would push product optimisation to the next level.

OUR STRATEGY

We launched two Google Shopping campaigns that were identical in every way, same products, same setup and same start date to ensure a fair comparison.

Campaign 1: We used existing product titles and Google’s product categorisation with a third-party CSS partner.

Campaign 2: We used AI-generated product titles via the Producthero CSS, rewriting 1,471 titles and refining Google’s product classification at a more granular level.

To guarantee a fair assessment of the Producthero AI tool, we kept the setup simple: Third-party CSS versus Producthero CSS. This eliminated any CPC discrepancies, making it a true test of AI-driven improvements.

We also chose Shopping campaigns over Performance Max because Shopping campaigns ensure that 100% of the budget is spent on Shopping ads, whereas Performance Max spreads the budget across multiple channels. This kept our data clean and reliable.

INNOVATION USED

To push the AI to its limits, we used the "Hands Goods" template with AI Creativity set to High, challenging it to completely rewrite it rather than just optimising it making it not more accurate to Wolfgang Digital’s best practices. This allowed us to test the AI’s ability to combine precision with creativity, creating a smarter, more effective Shopping campaign.

In essence, the innovation wasn’t just in automating tasks, but in using AI to rethink how products are presented to shoppers, offering a scalable solution that could maximise the efficiency of the campaigns.

BUSINESS GROWTH

Although both campaigns launched with identical setups, one key difference created an uneven starting point. The third-party CSS benefited from historical Merchant Center Data, while Producthero CSS began with none. In theory, this should have leaned results against the AI.

Instead, performance steadily flipped. CTR (Clickthrough rate) began 3% lower in Month 1, matched and overtook the benchmark by Month 2, and by Month 4 had surged to 11% higher. This lift in relevance drove an 18% increase in ad spend, yet efficiency held strong as ROAS still rose by 5%.

Month 1: CTR 3% lower than the third-party CSS.

Month 2: CTR turned the corner, rising to 3% higher.

Month 3: CTR was 3% higher again

Month 4: CTR surged to 11% higher than the third-party CSS.

What's even more impressive is that the test began with already highly optimised titles, but AI still uncovered new gains. By making ads more relevant in Google’s eyes, Producthero not only delivered better clicks but also laid the foundation for sustainable business growth.

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TIME SAVED on Optimising Titles

What our clients say

Don’t just take
our word for it

"At Very Ireland, our mission is to provide customers with the best online shopping experience, ensuring our products are visible, relevant, and easy to find.

Working with Wolfgang Digital and Producthero’s Products AI transformed our Google Shopping campaigns, enabling us to optimise product titles and categorisation with impressive results: an 11% increase in click-through rates and a 5% improvement in return on ad spend.

The AI delivered results quickly, even without historical data, showcasing the power of AI-driven optimisation in a competitive market. Wolfgang Digital’s expertise and strategic approach were key to the success of this collaboration.”

MR

Michael Ryan

Performance Marketing Manager - Very Ireland

Selected work