Advertising Strategy

Work done as Graphic Design and Marketing Coordinator at Left Coast Wholesale and Manager of Marketing at Catchafire

Image of magazine ad promoting Terpinator product

Objective

Left Coast Wholesale and Catchafire had very different needs for their advertising strategy. Left Coast Wholesale is a locally rooted agricultural wholesaler, with products that are well-known in a niche market, requiring a strategy that speaks to retail customers and potential wholesale partners alike. Catchafire is a tech company that recently underwent a major rebrand. The rebrand presented an opportunity to stand out above the competition and break into an emerging market, which required advertising that was ultra-focused on lead generation and brand awareness.

Solution

At Left Coast Wholesale, I collaborated with Marketing Coordinator to develop a B2B and B2C strategy that promoted various products and ongoing sales via a mix of print media, retargeting social media ads, and sales-driven campaigns for retail customers. I designed magazine ads, digital ads for social media and website display ads alongside email marketing to an existing customer database.

For Catchafire's B2B strategy, I led the media strategy for the first rebrand in the company's 10+ year history. My goals were to communicate to active users that their service will not be disrupted, to raise brand awareness by identifying and securing paid media partnerships with industry leaders, and to leverage the rebrand to drive new business opportunities.

Strategy and Software

Adobe Creative Suite and Figma for design
HubSpot and ActiveCampgin for email marketing, traffic monitoring, and reporting
Miro, Airtable, Notion, and Google Sheets and Docs for project management

Development Process

The advertising strategy for Left Coast Wholesale was a mix of B2B and B2C marketing. I was responsible for strategies that drove traffic and sales in the retail website, and promoted the products in media that wholesale decision makers pay attention to.

For the B2C advertising strategy, I collaborated with the Marketing Coordinator to identify look-alike audiences for retargeting ads that follow website visitors and lapsed customers across social media platforms. I also developed a newsletter strategy to announce new sales, and designed display ads to drive new traffic to the retail website.

Animated image showcasing products on sale

I used motion in display ads and emails to capture attention and promote ongoing or topical sales, as well as promote a variety of products in one image.

image of magazine ad promoting Geopot product

image of magazine ad promoting Geoflora product

For the B2B advertising strategy, I worked with the Director of Marketing to identify popular print magazines focused on agriculture and cannabis that potential wholesale buyers read. I designed magazine advertisements that promote the value of Left Coast Wholesale's proprietary products to industry leaders, leaving wholesale contact information on each ad, and creating organic demand generation from customers who want their favorite stores to carry the products.

Catchafire's rebrand was three years in the making, and I led the strategy to announce it to the world. I secured ad placements with 7 well-known thought leaders, including Harvard Business Review and Grantmakers in Health, to promote the new brand in podcasts, display ads, newsletter emails, and paid social media partnerships.

image of SHRM.com displaying paid digital ad

I acted as Art Director for all rebrand advertisement designs and led the design team to develop different designs for the many ad placements and audiences, and created A/B versions to test the most efficient versions.

Image of Inside Philanthropy website displaying digital ad

Audiences for the rebrand included C-Suite Executives, HR Professionals, Philanthropy Leaders, Program Officers, and other decision makers at large companies and foundations, pushing them to click the link and fill out a form to get in touch or request a demo of the product.

“

I had the privilege of working closely with Dylan at Catchafire, and I wholeheartedly recommend him for his exceptional skills in strategic B2B and B2C marketing, particularly in driving successful email campaigns and more. Dylan brings a unique blend of patience, strategic acumen, and a calm demeanor to the fast-paced world of marketing. His ability to navigate complex challenges with composure not only elevated our team's performance but also contributed significantly to our project success.

Latesha Kelly

Manager, Communications, Catchafire