Seasonality can make ads feel like a money printer one month and a money pit the next.

The answer isn’t to switch PPC on and off; it’s to structure campaigns so spend rises with genuine buying intent and cools when demand softens—while protecting margin year‑round.

This playbook shows how experience operators can define profitable guardrails, align campaigns to seasonal behaviour, and use simple automations so ads reliably pay for themselves.

Start with profit, not clicks

Work out what you can afford to pay for a booking before you touch budgets.

Calculate average order value (ticket price × average party size), subtract variable costs (staff time, venue or kit, payment fees, consumables) to get contribution per booking, then set a minimum profit you refuse to breach.

Your Max CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) equals contribution minus that profit.

Translate it into a Target ROAS (Return On Ad Spend).

For example: AOV (Average Order Value) £180, variable costs £70, contribution £110, target profit £50 → Max CPA £60 → Target ROAS 300%.

That becomes your north star: scale only when forecast CPA is at or below £60 (or ROAS at or above 300%).

Build a demand calendar before budgets

Your real advantage is timing. Look at last year’s enquiries and bookings by week and layer in school holidays, bank holidays, tourist peaks, weather dependencies, and gift‑buying spikes (Q4 gifting, Valentine’s, Father’s Day).

Add corporate planning rhythms (often Jan–Mar and Sept–Nov for Q4 events).

Map these against product types: giftable experiences, dated sessions, private hire, and corporate days, each peak differently.

Structure campaigns for seasonal control

Keep your account simple but flexible.

Separate high‑intent search (brand terms, “[product] near me”, exact geo + activity) from discovery (generic “things to do”, “team building activities”).

Keep remarketing in its own lane so you can fund it even when you cut prospecting.

Segment by demand pattern as much as by product: “Gift vouchers” versus “Book now” experiences need different creative and landing pages; “Corporate/group” often warrants its own budget and messaging.

Use tight geographic targeting for high‑intent and expand radius only during strong weeks.

Let algorithms work inside your guardrails

Machine bidding is powerful when it’s fed the right goals.

On search, run Maximise Conversions with a CPA cap or Target CPA for high‑intent campaigns and Target ROAS for broader discovery.

On social, optimise for Purchases when you have signal; otherwise Leads, but bake your enquiry→booking rate into an acceptable CPA.

Adjust ad schedules to your booking cadence—if decisions cluster Thu–Sun, increase bids then.

Budget with seasonal “waterfalls”

Give yourself three tiers you can switch weekly.

Baseline keeps brand and remarketing always‑on, protecting market share when quiet.

Surge opens up discovery, expands geos, and raises caps during peak weeks.

Protect pares back discovery in off‑peak while shifting spend to gift vouchers, private sessions, and corporate enquiries.

Define triggers using your own data

Move to Surge when search volume or enquiry rate rises materially week‑on‑week; move to Protect when CPA exceeds your Max CPA for two consecutive weeks or when availability sits high within 10 days of a weekend.

Creative that matches intent and season

In peak demand, sell scarcity and immediacy: “Last July weekend spots”, fresh session clips, and a clear “Book today.”

In shoulder months, sell value and flexibility: off‑peak pricing, smaller groups, weather‑proof angles, and “See times & pricing.”

In gift season, sell deferral: “Buy now, pick a date later”, instant vouchers, and FAQs that reduce friction.

For corporate, sell outcomes over thrills: agendas, capacity, and testimonials with names and titles leading to “Get proposal.”

Mirror these promises in 53° with Off‑Peak/Standard/Private pricing and proposal templates so the click flows straight to “Yes → Paid.”

Landing pages that keep the promise

Send high‑intent search to a “Book now” calendar with live availability and transparent pricing tiers.

Send gift traffic to a voucher page first with clear redemption steps.

Send corporate to a page with packages, capacities, outcomes, and a downloadable PDF.

Use recent photos, specific social proof, and light forms.

For high‑value groups, offer a fast human route (phone or WhatsApp).

The fewer steps between intent and payment, the cheaper your effective CPA.

Make off‑peak work on purpose

Quiet months reward repositioning.

Emphasise private sessions and premium experiences, off‑peak bundles and add‑ons, “learn a skill” angles for crafts and wellness, and “buy now, book later” gift offers.

Court corporates planning ahead and optimise not for immediate purchases but for proposal requests that your team can close through 53°’s fast proposal‑to‑payment flow.

Your ads still pay for themselves because the product, audience, and targets are tuned to the season.

The takeaway

Seasonality isn’t a problem; it’s a pattern.

When pricing, campaigns, and capacity planning move together, your ads don’t grind or gamble—they compound.

53° brings enquiries, proposals, payments, scheduling, and insights into one calm flow so you can see demand shifts early, adjust offers quickly, and keep CPA inside your profit lines.