Client: IMS Ad Agency (Yes its us)
Platform: ChatGPT Ads
Market: South Africa
Campaign launch: 23 October 2026
Results period: 23–25 October 2026
Updated: 26 October 2026
Status: Live — early results
The Challenge
As AI-powered platforms become another way for consumers and businesses to discover and evaluate services, IMS wanted first-hand experience of advertising within ChatGPT. The objective was to test whether contextually relevant placements could introduce our services to prospective customers, generate website traffic and ultimately support measurable business enquiries.
Rather than relying on assumptions about an emerging channel, we chose to test it using our own business and establish a measurement framework from the outset.
Our Approach
IMS launched a South African ChatGPT advertising campaign across six core service categories:
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Website Design & Development
- Google Ads Management
- Social Media Management
- Data & Analytics
- Digital Strategy
Each category has its own ad group, using contextual signals reflecting the types of business challenges prospective clients may be researching. Multiple ad creatives allow us to test which propositions and messages attract engagement.
The campaign uses a R600 daily budget and a clicks objective. Instead of relying solely on conventional keyword lists, the strategy aims to connect relevant IMS solutions with the context of users’ conversations, subject to ChatGPT’s ad eligibility and selection mechanisms.
Conversion Tracking & Measurement
Campaign measurement extends beyond impressions and website visits. IMS configured a lead_created conversion event for successful contact-form submissions on our website, which uses Gravity Forms and redirects successful submissions to a dedicated thank-you page.
The setup is designed to connect ChatGPT campaign interactions with website enquiries and support analysis of cost per lead, traffic quality and return on advertising investment. It complements existing Google Ads conversion measurement.
A key milestone has now been reached: ChatGPT Ads Manager reports one lead_created conversion attributed to an ad click during the first three days. This provides initial evidence that conversion attribution is functioning, although it does not by itself verify the enquiry’s commercial quality or whether it becomes a customer.
Initial Results: 23–25 October 2026
|
Metric
|
Result
|
|---|---|
|
Impressions
|
3,505
|
|
Clicks
|
96
|
|
Click-through rate
|
2.74%
|
|
Advertising spend
|
R1,475.56
|
|
Average cost per click
|
R15.37
|
|
Attributed
lead_created events |
1
|
|
Initial cost per attributed lead
|
R1,475.56
|
Daily Performance
|
Date
|
Impressions
|
Clicks
|
CTR
|
Spend
|
CPC
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
23 October
|
955
|
27
|
2.83%
|
R624.09
|
R23.11
|
|
24 October
|
1,457
|
32
|
2.20%
|
R332.33
|
R10.39
|
|
25 October
|
1,093
|
37
|
3.39%
|
R519.14
|
R14.03
|
The figures demonstrate early reach and engagement, together with the first campaign-attributed website lead event. Cost per attributed lead is an early indicative measure based on only one conversion; it is not yet an established or stable acquisition benchmark.
What We’re Learning
Our initial experience suggests ChatGPT advertising can provide an additional route for relevant audiences to discover IMS services. It also gives us real campaign data to investigate how conversational context, creative messaging and conversion attribution operate alongside traditional search and social media advertising.
The next stage is to review results by service category and creative, validate the enquiry’s quality, and assess whether the campaign can generate qualified leads at a sustainable cost. We will use those findings to refine the campaign rather than drawing broad conclusions from its first few days.
Looking Ahead
At IMS, we believe effective digital marketing means being discoverable wherever customers research and evaluate solutions — including search engines, social platforms and AI-powered conversations.
Testing ChatGPT advertising on our own business gives us practical experience with campaign structure, contextual targeting, creative testing and conversion measurement before applying those learnings to clients’ strategies. This case study will be updated ~every two weeks as more data becomes available.
IMS Ad Agency — Create an Unfair Advantage.
Reporting note: Figures cover the completed South African calendar days 23–25 October 2026, as checked on 26 October 2026. The conversion report uses a 30-day click-through and 1-day view-through attribution window, with conversions reported by ad-interaction date. The one attributed lead was click-through. Recent conversion reporting and finalized spend may change as data is processed. A tracked lead event is not proof of a qualified lead or sale.
