Brook Mays Sales Strategy & Advertising Proposal

Developed a sales strategy and advertising proposal for one of the region's legacy music retailers, focused on competing with Sweetwater and national e-commerce players by leveraging Brook Mays' physical presence and tactile advantage. Built this entirely on my own initiative while working as a warehouse associate.

Competitive Landscape Analysis Mapped the advertising and sales landscape Brook Mays was operating in, identifying where national competitors like Sweetwater were winning and where Brook Mays was leaving money on the table. The gap wasn't product quality. It was visibility and positioning.

Buyer Targeting Strategy Built a targeting framework for reaching the right buyers: educators, parents, performers, and hobbyists across DFW. Each segment had different motivations, different objections, and different channels where they could be reached. The proposal mapped all of it.

The Tactile Imperative Identified Brook Mays' single biggest competitive advantage over Sweetwater and every other online retailer: you can walk in and touch the instrument. That tactile experience is something no e-commerce player can replicate. The entire advertising strategy was built around driving people through the door to experience that advantage firsthand.

Competitive Strategy: Defeating Sweetwater Developed a direct competitive playbook for going head-to-head with Sweetwater. Not by outspending them on ads, but by outpositioning them on the one thing they can't offer: local presence, in-person service, and the ability to play before you pay.

Financial Reality & Budget Case Built the financial case for why the investment made sense. Showed the cost of inaction versus the cost of execution, and framed the budget not as an expense but as the minimum viable spend to stop losing market share to online competitors.

Brook Mays was losing ground to Sweetwater and other online retailers not because their products were worse, but because they weren't telling anyone why walking into a store matters. The proposal reframed the entire sales conversation around the tactile advantage: the experience of holding an instrument, hearing it in a room, and getting advice from someone standing next to you.

I built this proposal on my own initiative while working as a warehouse associate. Nobody asked me to do it. I saw the problem, did the research, built the strategy, and presented it. That's how I operate.

This project shows two things. First, the strategic thinking: competitive analysis, buyer segmentation, positioning strategy, and financial modeling all packaged into a clear, actionable proposal. Second, the initiative: I don't wait to be told there's a problem. I find it, build the solution, and bring it to the table.

Competitive landscape analysis against Sweetwater and national e-commerce

Buyer targeting framework across educators, parents, performers, and hobbyists

Tactile advantage positioning as core differentiator

Direct competitive playbook for local vs. online retail

Financial case for advertising investment vs. cost of inaction

Full advertising strategy across digital and traditional channels