News Article ————

Celebrating excellence. Sempai’s journey at the European Search Awards

Author image Published by Sue Johns-Chapman
Published Date 14.04.2025

It all started with a simple belief: that digital marketing is more than strategy—it’s about impact. At Sempai, we’ve always treated data as a canvas, not just a tool. And over the years, that mindset has taken us further than we ever imagined.


This year, it led us to the European Search Awards—with not one but six nominations across some of the most competitive categories in digital marketing.

From Poland to the European Stage

We began our journey nearly two decades ago in Poland, driven by a belief that digital marketing should be about partnership, not just performance. Our name—Sempai—comes from the Japanese word “Senpai,” meaning mentor or guide. It’s more than a label. It reflects how we work: with patience, precision, and a deep sense of responsibility for our clients’ growth.

Over the years, that philosophy has taken root across our entire organization. Today, Sempai is home to over 130 specialists working in Kraków, Białystok, and Częstochowa. We manage more than 850 Google Ads accounts and support over 350 active clients, many of them operating in the most competitive corners of e-commerce.

But numbers are only part of the story. What sets us apart is how we build relationships. More than 95% of our clients continue working with us after their initial contract ends—choosing long-term collaboration because they see consistent, measurable value.

We’re also proud to be among the top 3% of Polish agencies holding Google Premier Partner status and the first in the country to become a Facebook Marketing Partner for Technical Services. Our position as Allegro Ads Partner+, Meta Business Partner, and Microsoft Advertising Elite Partner ensures that our clients benefit from the highest standards across all major platforms.

And then there’s Sempai Merchant 360—our proprietary suite of tools blending machine learning with human expertise to supercharge product ad performance. It’s already driving over PLN 30 million in additional monthly revenue for our clients and has earned international recognition, including a European Search Award for Best Software Innovation.

This is what Sempai stands for: not just digital marketing that works, but partnerships that last.

Winning Results, Powered by People

Our consistent presence at the European Search Awards highlights our strength in strategic innovation and campaign execution. Past victories, including Best Software Innovation (2022) and Best PPC Campaign (2023), underscore our capability to lead with groundbreaking ideas and tangible outcomes.
This year, we’re showcasing three standout campaigns that highlight our creative approach and focus on measurable impact.

Greenbike: cycling retail reimagined

Greenbike is one of the largest bike retailers in Poland, combining an extensive product range with its own line of branded bicycles. Competing in a high-speed, high-stakes market, they weren’t just looking for traffic—they were looking to lead.

We responded with a full-funnel strategy that connected Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and YouTube in a seamless campaign journey—from awareness and demand generation to precisely targeted Product Listing Ads and smart remarketing.

Every bike model was brought to life through custom video content—personalized, engaging, and built to resonate. The result? A 110% year-over-year increase in sales and return on ad spend between 900% and 1200%.

But more than numbers, the campaign positioned Greenbike as a serious challenger to global brands—and made them memorable to an entirely new audience.

Made in Lab: rewriting the rules of fragrance marketing

Made in Lab is an ambitious Polish e-commerce brand that dared to disrupt the fragrance industry. Their product? High-quality, affordable alternatives to iconic designer perfumes. In a niche just beginning to take shape in Poland, they saw an opportunity—and moved fast.

We built a strategy that combined Meta Ads and Google Ads with the power of influencer marketing, user-generated content, and video-first creatives. Reels, Demand Gen formats, and targeted campaigns weren’t just tools—they were levers for explosive growth.

Over the course of 11 months, we scaled their Meta Ads budget by 820%—without sacrificing efficiency. The campaign reached new audiences, boosted conversions, and turned Made in Lab into one of the most talked-about names in the digital fragrance space.

What started as a challenger brand is now a market leader—proof that performance can be beautiful, too.

Black Red White: precision SEO at scale

Black Red White is one of the most recognizable furniture retailers in Poland—a household name with massive reach and a loyal customer base. But even the biggest players aren’t immune to the volatility of search engine algorithms.

When traffic began to drop, we zeroed in. Our team used advanced tools like GA4, Ahrefs, and custom-built scripts to identify high-potential filter pages with untapped SEO value. Instead of chasing quick wins, we went granular—optimizing structure, intent, and visibility.

The outcome? Organic traffic share on key pages jumped from 12.8% to 18.9%. Transactions increased by 33% year-over-year. This wasn’t about trend-chasing. It was about methodical, data-driven improvement in one of the most competitive e-commerce categories out there.

What the Awards mean to our team.

Being nominated again at the European Search Awards isn’t just an honor—it’s fuel.

It reminds us why we started, and why we keep pushing. Every campaign we create is a collaboration. Every result we celebrate is the outcome of trust. These nominations? They belong to every strategist, analyst, and client who said: let’s try something bold.

As our CEO, Sebastian Suma, proudly shares:
“Being nominated again at the European Search Awards is a huge honor for us. These awards are more than just trophies—they’re proof that our strategies truly drive success. Each nomination motivates us further, reinforcing our passion for innovation and client satisfaction.”

Our team views the awards as recognition of collective dedication and a moment of pride reflecting the immense effort behind every successful campaign.

Connect with Sempai

If you’d like to know more about what we do—and how we do it—visit us at www.sempai.pl
Or follow our journey here:

LinkedIn / Facebook / Instagram

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