WORK
With two decades in the agency world and recent adventures as a marketing consultant, I've crafted a diverse portfolio which showcases my creativity and expertise. It's tough to pick favourites, but I'm proud of every project—whether collaborating with talented teams or going solo.
Barbie: 50th Anniversary
In 2009, Barbie celebrated her 50th anniversary in Canada, presenting Mattel with a unique opportunity to breathe new life into the iconic brand. This milestone came with its own set of challenges: engaging a nostalgic audience while boosting sales within their primary target market during a challenging economic period. To tackle this, I designed a comprehensive experiential program that not only honoured Barbie's rich legacy but also positioned her as a contemporary lifestyle icon. Through a series of innovative collaborations with designers and brands, coupled with dynamic experiential marketing initiatives, my team and I crafted a campaign that resonated deeply with both long-time fans and new audiences alike. This multifaceted approach ensured that Barbie remained relevant and appealing in a rapidly changing market. Challenge & Objective To commemorate Barbie's 50th anniversary in Canada, Mattel aimed to expand the brand's reach beyond traditional toys into fashion and lifestyle sectors, re-engaging a nostalgic audience while boosting sales. within their primary audience, children ages 5-9. How It All Came Together The campaign featured collaborations with Canadian designer David Dixon, launching a co-branded apparel line at Toronto Fashion Week. Additional partnerships produced Barbie-themed beauty products, footwear, jewelry, and home décor. A microsite showcased retro content and product information, and the "Barbie Memory Booth" toured major cities for experiential marketing. To celebrate, Mattel organized a national contest, “Barbie’s Biggest Birthday Party Ever,” inviting winners to exclusive events in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. The Value I played a crucial role in developing creative concepts and executing the comprehensive program over a six-month timeline. This involved managing numerous moving parts and coordinating with various partners, including fashion designers, beauty brands, and retailers. My small and nimble team* allowed us to adapt quickly to changing circumstances while maintaining a cohesive vision for the campaign. I facilitated collaboration among stakeholders, ensuring that each initiative—ranging from product launches to experiential marketing events—was aligned with our overall objectives. Impact & Results The campaign resulted in double-digit growth for Barbie dolls in 2009 and 2010, with an 18% sales increase in Q1 2009, marking a significant resurgence for the brand during a challenging economic period. If you're seeking to create an engaging and interactive brand experience like Barbie's, let's collaborate to bring your vision to life! *Agency: Ogilvy & Mather
Bermuda Tourism: Kiteboarding Campaign
As winter approaches, many kiteboarders seek warmer climates, leaving destinations like Bermuda overlooked. The challenge was compounded by the lack of visual assets to effectively tell the island's story. To address this, the Bermuda Tourism Authority launched a niche marketing campaign, aiming to reposition the island as a prime kiteboarding location. By partnering with professional athletes and a local content production company, we crafted an engaging narrative that showcased both the sport and the vibrant island experience. The results were so amazing that we had to triple-check our numbers. Challenge/Objective To increase winter visitation to Bermuda, the Bermuda Tourism Authority sought to reposition the destination as a prime kiteboarding location, especially appealing to kiteboarders from nearby cities facing harsh winter conditions. How It All Came Together The campaign was a fully integrated effort targeting the kiteboarding community. We partnered with the talented local content production team, Burnthouse Productions, to create engaging content in collaboration with four professional woman kiteboarders from all over the world. Together, we developed a jam-packed itinerary that followed the athletes around the island, capturing kiteboarding content at various beaches while also showcasing the full Bermuda experience through effective content storytelling. The strategy focused on raising awareness of Bermuda’s ideal kiteboarding conditions and engaging the passionate kiteboarding community. The Value I played a pivotal role in bringing the campaign's creative concepts to life and executing a multi-faceted strategy alongside a small, agile team*. This involved collaborating with Bermuda Tourism's team, managing partnerships with the professional athletes, coordinating with Burnthouse Productions for content creation, and ensuring that all initiatives effectively resonated with the targeted kiteboarding audience. Impact & Results The campaign achieved impressive results within a target market of 390,000 kiteboarders in Boston and New York City, generating 358,000 social media engagements. This effort significantly raised awareness of Bermuda as a winter kiteboarding destination, contributing to a broader recognition of the island's appeal. If you're a tourism client looking to create a compelling and targeted campaign like Bermuda's, let's connect and bring your vision to life! *Agency: Destination Think!
Ottawa Tourism:
Brand Storybook
In an era where city brands are increasingly vital for attracting visitors, residents, and businesses, Ottawa faced a notable challenge. Despite being a high-performing city, its national and global reputation did not reflect its potential. To unlock this potential, it was essential to enhance Ottawa’s brand, aligning its identity with the perceptions of its citizens, visitors, and stakeholders. This case study outlines the strategic approach taken to improve Ottawa's brand through the development of a comprehensive Brand Storybook, which serves as a foundation for authentic storytelling and community engagement. By harnessing the voices of both locals and key stakeholders, we aimed to create a narrative that truly represents the essence of Ottawa. Challenge/Objective In 2017, it was uncovered that Ottawa is a high-performing city with an underperforming national and global reputation. To reach its full potential, Ottawa’s brand needed improvement, as it was shaped by the experiences of citizens, visitors, students, and businesspeople. The challenge was to align the city’s identity with the perceptions of its people and enhance its image. How It All Came Together To address this challenge, we developed the Brand Storybook, which aimed to define Ottawa’s Place DNA™, establish a framework for its brand, and identify guiding themes for storytelling. This initiative involved engaging Ottawa citizens through a Place DNA™ survey, workshops, and interviews, gathering insights from 1,393 residents. We also consulted over 25 tourism industry and community leaders and organized workshops with more than 100 attendees from various sectors. Additionally, we conducted a sentiment analysis of nearly 7 million online conversations to understand Ottawa’s reputation better. The findings shaped the brand storybook, providing guidelines for implementing the new brand framework and ensuring alignment with local perspectives. The Value As the client liaison and project lead, I was responsible for closely collaborating with a diverse team of strategists, researchers, designers, and copywriters. I led workshops and engagement touchpoints with not only the client but also numerous stakeholders involved in the project, alongside my team. My role included managing the end-to-end process, ensuring that the Brand Storybook accurately reflected Ottawa’s identity and aspirations. Additionally, I presented the Storybook with my team to hundreds of people in Ottawa, fostering support for its adoption and creating a cohesive narrative that resonates with both locals and visitors. Performance Metrics The Brand Storybook successfully brought together the essential elements of Ottawa’s collective DNA, enhancing the city’s brand themes and storytelling practices. This collaborative effort laid the groundwork for a living city brand that thrives on the stories and actions of its citizens, ultimately improving Ottawa's national and global reputation. If you're a city or organization looking to enhance your brand through authentic storytelling and community engagement, let’s connect and explore how we can elevate your brand together!
Green Beauty:
Rebranding Strategy
In the competitive landscape of hair care and beauty, merging brand identities can be both an exciting and challenging endeavour. This case study explores the evolution of Green Beauty, a new brand born from the merger of The Green Hair Spa and The Green Beauty Shop. My mission was to create a unified brand that embodies the principles of clean, green beauty while preserving the unique strengths of both original brands. This transformation aimed to establish Green Beauty as the ultimate destination for eco-friendly hair and beauty solutions, prioritizing health, wellness, and environmental responsibility. Challenge/Objective The primary objective was to forge a new brand identity that seamlessly combines the offerings of The Green Hair Spa and The Green Beauty Shop, aligning with our overarching mission. We needed to improve brand recognition and cohesion while ensuring that their values and commitment to sustainability resonated with their target audience. How It All Came Together To achieve this, I developed a comprehensive Brand Strategy that outlined our overall direction, brand values, visual identity, and target audience. 1. Overall Direction: I aimed to create a holistic brand experience that merges the earthy aesthetics of The Green Beauty Shop with the vibrant elements of The Green Hair Spa, fostering a welcoming environment for all customers. 2. Brand Values: I identified four core values that would guide our brand messaging and customer interactions. These values reflect their commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and exceptional service. 3. Visual Brand Identity: I crafted a distinctive visual identity that incorporated a rich colour palette inspired by nature, utilizing earthy tones and clean textures. This aesthetic would be applied across all marketing materials, in-salon experiences, and digital platforms. 4. Target Audience: Through in-depth research, I defined two primary audience personas which helped us tailor our messaging and service offerings to meet the specific needs and preferences of the audience. 5. Content Marketing Strategy: A key component of this project was developing a cohesive content marketing strategy aligned with the brand strategy and business goals. This framework guided the redesign of the website and Instagram feed, ensuring a consistent brand presence. I established key content pillars to organize content planning, driving sales while enhancing storytelling and community engagement. This unified approach effectively communicated the brand’s values and offerings to the target audience. 6. Social Media Management: With our foundational elements established, I focused on establishing a cohesive brand look and feel across all social media platforms. This involved the development of a content calendar with consistent publishing and a diverse array of content aligned with both business and marketing goals, as well as the content pillars set out in the content marketing strategy. By engaging the audience with relevant and visually appealing posts, we aimed to build a strong online presence and foster community engagement. The Value This was the first time I designed and executed an entire brand strategy on my own, encompassing research, strategy, visual identity, and compiling everything into a cohesive brand book. By closely collaborating with the business owner and immersing myself in her business, I am proud of how this project turned out. It's incredibly rewarding to receive compliments from her community and my network about the rebrand, reinforcing the positive impact of our efforts. Impact & Results The successful integration of both brands into Green Beauty enhanced their market presence and solidified their identity as a leader in clean beauty. Feedback from the community and stakeholders indicated a stronger brand recognition and loyalty, aligning with their commitment to sustainability and quality artistry. If you're a brand looking to navigate the complexities of merging identities while maintaining core values or simply looking for a brand refresh, let’s connect and explore how we can elevate your brand strategy together!
Woodcock Transportation Group:
Content Marketing
In today’s competitive trucking and freight industry, establishing a strong brand presence is essential for success. Woodcock Transportation Group (WTG) recognized the need to enhance its brand awareness through effective social media engagement, particularly in a cluttered digital space where many companies vie for attention. A robust online presence is crucial for influencing customer perceptions and loyalty, as well as attracting and retaining a skilled workforce. WTG understood that engaging potential employees through meaningful content could highlight the company culture and career opportunities available within the organization. However, with stagnant social media channels and limited internal resources, the company faced challenges in effectively reaching and engaging its target audience. To address these issues, WTG sought external support to revitalize its marketing strategy, aiming to boost visibility and foster deeper connections with both customers and potential employees, ensuring they could communicate their values and offerings more meaningfully in the dynamic digital landscape. Challenge/Objective The primary objectives were to increase brand awareness, engage the community, and transform their digital channels into vibrant platforms for interaction. Woodcock Transportation Group had the opportunity to improve engagement on their Facebook and Instagram accounts, which were experiencing limited growth. There was potential for developing a more cohesive social media and content strategy to enhance posting consistency and overall engagement. Additionally, addressing resource constraints could help WTG manage and expand their online presence more effectively. How It All Came Together To lay a solid foundation for WTG’s marketing efforts, I initiated the development of a comprehensive content marketing strategy that encompassed various platforms, not just social media. This strategy included: Content Marketing Strategy Development: I crafted a detailed plan that outlined key messaging, target audiences, and content types. This strategy served as a roadmap for all marketing efforts, ensuring consistency across all platforms. By conducting a thorough analysis of competitors, this helped identify strengths and weaknesses in WTG's current approach. By understanding industry trends and competitor strategies, we were able to pinpoint unique opportunities for differentiation and improvement. Best Practices Manual: We created a best practices manual that outlined guidelines for content creation, engagement, and distribution. This manual included tips on maintaining a consistent brand voice, optimizing content for various platforms, and leveraging analytics to track performance. It served as a reference for ongoing content development and management. Social Media Management: Following the strategy, I officially took over WTG's social media management in October 2024. My approach included: 1. Content Creation and Scheduling: Developing a dynamic content calendar aligned with WTG’s brand values and objectives. 2. Engagement Strategies: Implementing tactics such as polls, Q&A sessions, and behind-the-scenes content to foster community involvement. 3. Monitoring and Optimization: Regularly analyzing engagement metrics to refine strategies and enhance performance. The Value This project marked a significant opportunity to design and execute a tailored content marketing strategy that was holistic in nature. By closely collaborating with WTG, I ensured that the content was authentic and resonated with their audience. My focus on consistent messaging and engagement allowed us to create a vibrant online presence that reflected WTG's values and culture. The development of the best practices manual was particularly valuable, as it provided a clear framework for ongoing content creation and engagement. Impact & Results Since taking over social media management, WTG has experienced exponential growth across Facebook and Instagram. Although we cannot disclose specific analytics due to confidentiality, the growth has been consistent month after month. This increase in activity has significantly impacted brand awareness, positioning WTG as a more recognizable name within the community. Key Achievements: 1. Follower Growth: Significant increases in followers across both platforms. 2. Enhanced Engagement: Noticeably higher engagement rates, indicating improved audience interactions. 3. Expanded Reach: Greater reach, connecting WTG with new potential customers and talent. If you’re looking to revitalize your brand’s marketing strategy across all content platforms and enhance engagement, let’s connect! Together, we can develop a comprehensive strategy that drives growth and builds stronger connections with your audience.
The Yoga Chapple:
Wellness Retreat
The Yoga Chapple successfully hosted its IRL in IRL Yoga & Wellness Retreat from July 6-14, 2024, in the picturesque town of Dingle, Ireland. This retreat provided participants with an immersive experience that combined yoga, wellness activities, and cultural exploration, all meticulously planned by The Marketing Lighthouse in collaboration with The Yoga Chapple. A key goal was to create a model for a repeatable retreat that could be replicated in various locations around the world. Challenge/Objective The primary objective was to craft a unique and memorable retreat experience while enhancing brand visibility for The Yoga Chapple while strengthening their wellness community. The challenge lay in coordinating numerous logistics—including hospitality, accommodations, travel, and a diverse daily itinerary—while ensuring that all participants felt supported and engaged throughout their journey. This retreat aimed to establish a framework that could be adapted for future events in different global destinations. How It All Came Together The Marketing Lighthouse coordinated most aspects of the retreat, managing: Planning: Organized all retreat details, from hospitality and accommodation to daily itineraries and extracurricular activities, laying the groundwork for a repeatable model. Communication: Day-to-day interactions with retreat facilitators, vendors, partners, and participants ensured seamless logistics and clear updates regarding the retreat schedule and activities. On-site Logistics & Support: Behind-the-scenes support for the retreat facilitators throughout the 9-day retreat such as hospitality arrangements, travel logistics, and daily needs. Financial Management: Developing the retreat plan and pricing, managing invoicing with vendors and participants, and overseeing the retreat’s profit and loss were critical to its success and future scalability. The Value With comprehensive planning and attention to detail, this ensured a smooth and enjoyable experience for all participants. The diverse skill set of the facilitators played a crucial role the retreat's activities, while the emphasis on community building through shared experiences fostered connections among attendees. The flexibility of the itinerary allowed participants to tailor their experiences, balancing wellness practices with cultural exploration. Impact & Results The retreat successfully attracted a diverse audience seeking personal growth and adventure. Post-retreat survey results were all very positive and all expressed interest in attending another retreat. The framework established during this retreat provided a blueprint for future offerings in other locations, making it a sustainable model for growth. With a strong background in events and strategic planning, I can design and execute a variety of experiential brand programs, from retreats to one-day events to festivals and more. Whether they are local or international, like the IRL Yoga & Wellness Retreat in Dingle, Ireland, I am ready to bring your vision to life. Let’s connect and explore how we can create meaningful experiences together!