Portfolio
Case Study: Steph Kasun Art
Steph Kasun, a talented artist known for her unique leather-patched hats and Western-inspired art, approached me with a common challenge: her website needed a complete overhaul to better reflect her brand, improve user experience, and drive sales. The site, while functional, no longer aligned with her growing business and evolving product offerings. My goal was to refresh her online presence, make it more intuitive for customers, and ultimately, increase her key performance metrics.
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The existing Steph Kasun Art website faced several issues:
Outdated Design: The homepage and overall site aesthetic felt dated and didn't fully capture the vibrancy of her brand.
Poor Readability: The color scheme and fonts made text difficult to read, creating a frustrating user experience.
Limited Functionality: Key offerings, like her popular "Hat Bar" events and extensive custom hat options, weren't effectively showcased. The contact process was not streamlined, leading to potential lost opportunities.
E-commerce Limitations: The online store lacked a comprehensive way to present her new and customizable products, specifically the highly profitable "Build Your Own Hat" collection.
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The Solution
I undertook a comprehensive website update that focused on improving aesthetics, functionality, and overall user flow. The project involved several key steps:
Brand Refresh: I updated the site's brand colors and fonts to a darker, more readable palette that felt both modern and authentic to the Western aesthetic of her art. This single change significantly improved the site's visual appeal and legibility.
Strategic Page Additions: I created a dedicated "Hat Bar" page to highlight her unique event service. This not only provided a key value proposition but also served as a new avenue for attracting private event bookings. The contact page was also completely redesigned for seamless contact, encouraging more customer inquiries.
Enhanced E-commerce: A major part of the project involved integrating hundreds of new products and product variations into her Square site. I particularly focused on building out the "Build Your Own Hat" collection, allowing customers to easily customize their own pieces online. I also helped launch and organize her new Fireline collection, ensuring it was prominently featured and easily shoppable.
Branding & Social Strategy: Beyond the website, I provided guidance on increased branding and social media strategy to help Steph effectively promote her new site and products, leading to more organic traffic and engagement.
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The website refresh and strategic updates led to significant, measurable improvements for Steph Kasun Art during a 30-day period post-launch:
149% increase in unique visits to the site.
15% increase in page views per session, indicating that users were more engaged and exploring the site more deeply.
36% increase in Build Your Own Hat sales, a direct result of making the customization process clearer and more accessible.
27% increase in contact form submissions, proving the updated contact page design was effective at generating new leads and inquiries.
This project successfully transformed Steph Kasun Art's online presence, turning her website into a powerful sales and marketing tool that accurately represents her brand and provides a seamless, engaging experience for her customers.
Case Study: Frank Pepe
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, an iconic 17-unit pizzeria chain with a century-long legacy and a devoted following, faced a modern challenge: translating its cult status into a cohesive, scalable marketing strategy. Despite its immense brand equity, the company lacked a centralized marketing department and strategy, resulting in a fragmented brand voice, an uninspired loyalty program, and untapped digital potential. My objective was to unify the brand's voice, optimize its marketing efforts, and drive significant growth while preserving its authentic heritage.
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Frank Pepe Pizzeria had several hurdles to overcome:
Fragmented Marketing: There was no centralized marketing department or clear strategy. The marketing budget was inefficiently distributed among numerous vendors without a unified vision.
Inconsistent Brand Voice: While the brand had immense equity, its voice was a "hodgepodge" of influences, lacking a single, strong identity that resonated consistently across all platforms.
Stagnant Loyalty Program: The existing loyalty program offered uncompelling rewards, leading to low usage and a failure to drive repeat business effectively.
Untapped Digital Channels: The brand wasn't fully leveraging its digital presence, from a lack of a formal influencer program to an underdeveloped third-party delivery strategy.
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I implemented a comprehensive, multi-faceted strategy to address these challenges head-on:
Centralized Marketing Strategy: I established a centralized marketing department, streamlining the budget and reducing the number of vendors to ensure a more efficient use of resources. I directed all external agencies, from PR to web development to paid advertising, through weekly check-ins to guarantee brand goals were met with a unified voice.
Revitalized Loyalty Program: I restructured the loyalty program to offer more compelling rewards and offers on an increased cadence. By integrating the program more deeply into the marketing tech stack, I significantly improved member participation and retention.
Enhanced Digital and Social Presence: I built a formal influencer program and secured high-profile branded partnerships with organizations like Yale University, UCONN University, and content creators such as Nick DiGiovanni and Brad Leone. These collaborations were instrumental in reaching new audiences and reinforcing the brand's authentic identity.
Optimized E-commerce and Delivery: I lmanaged a multi-unit UberEats program and implemented a comprehensive SMS marketing strategy to create personalized, behavior-based customer journeys. I also conducted continuous A/B testing and optimization to drive consistent growth in third-party delivery sales.
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The strategic initiatives produced remarkable, quantifiable results that propelled Frank Pepe Pizzeria into a new era of growth:
Customer Loyalty & Retention
$10.5M in sales were generated in one year through the revamped 272,035-member loyalty program.
The loyalty program's participation rate doubled, reaching 24% and surpassing the 75th percentile industry benchmark.
83% of new members made a purchase within four days of signing up.
Loyalty membership grew by 19% each quarter, adding over 30,000 new sign-ups per quarter.
Loyalty member retention peaked at 43%, with the average discount kept under 11%, preserving strong profit margins.
Digital and E-commerce Performance
$4.3M in revenue was generated through strategic SMS marketing.
Behavior-based automations alone added $1.2M in revenue in one year.
The new UberEats program drove $1.7M in sales with an impressive 86% profit margin, while overall third-party delivery sales increased by 19%.
Brand & Social Engagement
The brand earned over 5.3M organic views across social platforms.
The Frank Pepe x Brad Leone video collaboration secured over 210,000 YouTube views.
Google review ratings and volume increased by 20%, and social audiences grew by 30% across all major platforms.
Peak engagement rates hit 26% on Instagram and 15% on Facebook.
Business Growth & Financial Oversight
I managed a $56M marketing budget with full accountability, achieving 8% same-store sales growth year over year.
Two new location launches delivered a 17x return on Meta ads, saving thousands through refined targeting and ad spend optimization.
By focusing on authenticity, data-driven decisions, and a unified brand voice, I successfully modernized Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana's marketing operations. This case study demonstrates how a strategic, creative, and numbers-guided approach can honor a brand's legacy while propelling it to unprecedented growth in the digital age.
Case Study: Hala Gear
Hala Gear, a leading brand in the stand-up paddleboard industry, needed to scale its marketing efforts to match its innovative product line. The challenge was to create a cohesive marketing and sales strategy that not only drove revenue but also built a stronger brand identity and engaged a passionate community. As the head of these initiatives, my focus was on integrating strategic customer engagement, optimizing digital channels, and launching new products with a clear, impactful go-to-market plan.
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Fragmented Marketing: Without a centralized strategy, the brand's digital, advertising, and communications efforts were not fully aligned.
Underperforming E-commerce: The website, while functional, lacked sophisticated product storytelling, which limited its ability to convert visitors into customers.
Limited Brand Reach: Despite a strong product, Hala Gear needed to expand its reach and connect with its target audience in more authentic ways.
Inefficient Product Launches: New products were not being introduced with a clear, unified strategy across all marketing channels.
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I implemented a comprehensive, multi-channel strategy to address these challenges:
Website Redesign and Optimization: I led a complete redesign of the Hala Gear website to improve product storytelling and create a more sophisticated user experience. This focus on clear, precise messaging was key to guiding customers through the sales funnel.
Omnichannel Marketing Strategy: I developed and managed a full-stack digital marketing calendar, implementing a cohesive lifecycle marketing and omnichannel strategy across all departments—including Digital, Advertising, Communications, and Creative. This ensured a consistent brand voice and message at every customer touchpoint.
Strategic Partnerships and Influencer Management: I created and managed a new affiliate program and built an athletic team of over 20 sports influencers. This included everything from talent scouting to managing deliverables, helping to expand our reach and build a credible, authentic brand presence.
Content and Event Management: I wrote over 25 blog posts to provide valuable content and improve SEO. I also coordinated and attended key industry events and trade shows like Outdoor Retailer and Paddle Retailer, ensuring the brand was visible and building relationships within the industry.
Targeted Product Launch: I oversaw the go-to-market strategy for the Atcha 7'6", a new, shorter whitewater board. The launch was coordinated across all channels, from social media to email, to maximize its impact and drive early sales.
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The strategic initiatives successfully elevated Hala Gear's market position and delivered significant, measurable results:
$8.2M in Product Sales were generated under my direction.
The redesigned website led to a 20% increase in conversion rates, a direct result of more precise and compelling product storytelling.
I developed and managed an athletic team of over 20 sports influencers, significantly expanding our brand's reach and credibility.
We successfully launched the Atcha 7'6", which quickly gained traction in the whitewater community.
My management of the team goals and budget ensured a focused and efficient use of resources, directly contributing to overall business growth.
This case study demonstrates how a unified, strategic approach to marketing, sales, and brand development can drive substantial growth and establish a brand as a leader in its industry.
