Customer story – Cross-Border Communications

How CBC improved campaign efficiency with Ocean

CBC put Ocean's AI-generated account lists head-to-head against their own hand-picked targets — and Ocean outperformed on every metric, cutting cost per MQL by 23%.

Garrett Butler, Digital Engagement Manager at Cross-Border Communications

The customer

CBC

Cross-Border Communications (CBC) works exclusively with international B2B clients to reach their buyers around the world. They focus on four core industries: Maritime, High Tech, Engineering & Processing, and Medical Technology.

CBC specialises in understanding how their clients' solutions address key market challenges — and crafting campaigns that deliver the most compelling experience to exactly the right audience.

Cross-Border Communications campaign overview

The challenge

Improving campaign targeting in a digital-first world

CBC's clients had historically relied on in-person events and direct outreach to reach buyers. As those channels contracted, decision-makers moved to digital — researching through social media, consuming peer content, and evaluating solutions online before ever talking to a salesperson.

That shift left many brands scrambling to accelerate their digital efforts, often without the knowledge of how to target the right audiences on each channel. CBC needed a way to ensure their campaigns were reaching the companies that actually mattered.

"We've seen a lot of brands playing catch-up, really having to accelerate their digital efforts quickly. But that presents a knowledge gap — of the digital channel landscape and the nuances of how to best utilise each social channel to connect and engage with the right audiences."

— Garrett Butler Digital Engagement Manager, CBC

The solution

AI-generated lookalike lists

CBC ran a controlled test: Ocean's AI-generated account list against their own carefully hand-picked target list. The two campaigns were otherwise identical — same spend, same ad creatives, run simultaneously over six weeks.

AI-generated account lists — Ocean surfaces lookalike companies that match the profile of existing customers

Controlled head-to-head test — Same budget and creatives across both lists — isolating targeting as the only variable

LinkedIn campaign integration — Account lists uploaded directly for LinkedIn-targeted outreach

"Ocean.io reduced our average cost per Marketing Qualified Lead by 23%."

Garrett Butler — Digital Engagement Manager, Cross-Border Communications

The result

Leaner, more efficient campaigns

Ocean's account list outperformed CBC's hand-picked list across every metric. More qualified leads, lower acquisition cost, better ad engagement — and a clear path toward scaling what worked.

23% more Marketing Qualified Leads — Ocean's AI-generated list drove a higher rate of MQLs than the hand-picked list

23% lower cost per MQL — Better targeting meant less spend wasted on accounts that wouldn't convert

14% higher LinkedIn form conversion — More relevant audiences engaged at a meaningfully higher rate

"The results were outstanding. The ad creative also saw a slight boost in click-through rate, showing that the audience was more relevant — they were engaged. I think this provides some insight into what an expanded programme will look like, where we go beyond the pilots and double down on what's most efficient."

— Garrett Butler Digital Engagement Manager, Cross-Border Communications

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