Startwise, a pioneering training and talent management startup, set out to establish a strong presence in Barbados and connect local talent with global opportunities. Initially, the focus was on outreach to hiring partners, but the project later pivoted towards a Product-Led Growth (PLG) strategy. My involvement in this project provided a unique opportunity to work directly with the Startwise executives and team members to develop a comprehensive marketing and product strategy that resonated with both employers and employees. Personally, I was so interested in undertsanding how Startwise connects with Hiring Partners, and what makes them say "Yes, please!" to Barbadian Talent.

Market Research and Segmentation Analysis: Conducted a detailed analysis of the target market to identify key segments and their specific needs. This research laid the foundation for all subsequent marketing efforts.

Marketing Messaging Guide: Developed a messaging guide that articulated Startwise’s value proposition, ensuring consistency across all communications.

Brand Guidelines: Created comprehensive brand guidelines to maintain a cohesive visual and verbal identity across all touchpoints.

Website Refresh Strategy: Collaborated with the team to propose a strategy for refreshing the Startwise website, ensuring it aligned with the new brand messaging and improved user experience.

Throughout this phase, I worked closely with the team to map out the customer journey, ensuring that our messaging resonated with hiring partners at each stage of their decision-making process

After the initial outreach phase, Startwise pivoted to a PLG strategy, focusing on using the product itself as the main driver of user acquisition, engagement, and retention rather than relying on sales to do the work. My role expanded to include developing strategies that put the product up and center for the customer to interact with without any sales - as much we could.

The deliverables for me and the other marketer on the team shifted and transformed often as we met and collaborated with the team and we came up with different ideas.

Consultation Call Replacement Solutions: Proposed and developed alternative solutions to traditional consultation calls, including interactive quizzes and instant feedback mechanisms, which streamlined the user onboarding process.

Email & LinkedIn Strategy, Retargeting Copy: Created targeted email and LinkedIn campaigns, along with retargeting copy, to engage users at various stages of the customer journey, driving conversions and repeat interactions.

Interaction Touchpoint Copy: Identified key interaction points within the product and crafted compelling copy that guided users through their journey, enhancing their experience and encouraging further engagement.

Product Samples, Wireframes, and Drafts: Partnered with the design team to develop product samples, wireframes, and drafts that reflected the product’s value and were aligned with user needs.

Customer Journey Maps: Worked alongside the customer success team to refine and optimize customer journey maps, ensuring a seamless experience from onboarding to continued engagement.

Website Design for Landing Page: Contributed to the design and content of the new landing page, focusing on clarity, user engagement, and driving conversions.

Unique Selling Points: Emphasized Startwise's unique approach, including real-world training, learning velocity, and cost-effective solutions.

Consistency: Maintained consistent messaging across all collateral to reinforce Startwise's brand identity and value proposition.

Research:

Both phases were grounded in thorough market research, which informed all subsequent planning and design decisions.

Planning:

In the outreach phase, I developed strategies to create marketing collateral that aligned with Startwise's brand and messaging guidelines. In the PLG phase, the planning was focused on leveraging the product itself to drive growth, with strategies aimed at enhancing user experience and engagement.

Color Scheme: Used a cohesive color scheme that matched Startwise's branding, creating a professional and recognizable look.

Imagery: Selected images that showcased the diverse and skilled Startwise team, emphasizing their capabilities and expertise.