Marketing Competition · Niagara College · 2025
Outlet Collection at Niagara
Integrated Marketing Strategy — 2nd Place
Overview
Every year, the Ontario Marketing Competition brings together college students across the province to solve real business challenges under intense time pressure. Teams receive a live case study and have just 30 minutes to develop a full marketing strategy — including problem statement, SWOT analysis, solution, and implementation plan — then present it to a panel of judges from the company itself, with no access to Wi-Fi or AI tools.
The Challenge
Outlet Collection at Niagara needed to drive consistent foot traffic during its slower months — May, June, July, and September — when warmer weather and competing Niagara attractions draw both tourists and locals away from shopping. The mall lacked a cohesive strategy to maintain visibility and relevance during these periods, with no systematic way to create sustained popularity with visitors.
Our 4-Pillar Strategy
Pillar 01
Multi-Channel Paid Media
Google Ads, Meta (Facebook + Instagram), YouTube, TripAdvisor, and Niagara tourism websites — targeting high-intent shoppers and destination planners.
Pillar 02
Paid Influencer Partnerships
Partnering with local and regional creators to promote the mall's outdoor summer events — Outdoor Market Series, Movie Nights, Wellness Sundays, Curbside Open Air Eatery — positioning the mall as an experience destination.
Pillar 03
Website Optimization
Highlighting the VIP Discount Card (up to 25% off) and Local's Rewards program ($15 rewards card for spending $150 on Mondays), with a mobile-first experience driving rewards sign-ups and repeat visits.
Pillar 04
Phased App Implementation
A progressive web app with interactive store directory, indoor wayfinding, events hub, deals and rewards integration, and push notifications for same-day offers and weather-based messaging.
🏆
Result
Placed 2nd among all Ontario colleges at the Niagara College Marketing Competition.
Marketing Strategy · Global Marketing · MRK 460
DAVIDsTEA
UK Market Entry Strategy
Overview
My global marketing class required me to develop a marketing plan for DAVIDsTEA's UK expansion — evaluating whether the brand could successfully enter one of the world's most established tea markets. The work combined market analysis with a global marketing plan, assessing the UK's attractiveness, consumer behaviour, competition, cultural fit, regulatory barriers, and go-to-market strategy.
My final recommendation positioned the UK as a moderate but viable growth opportunity: a dense, high-demand tea market with strong interest in wellness and ready-to-drink products, but also intense competition, inflation pressure, and regulatory complexity.
The Challenge
DAVIDsTEA needed to determine whether the UK was an attractive and realistic market for international expansion. Although the UK has a large population, strong tea demand, and growing interest in health-conscious and specialty beverages, it is also a mature market dominated by established brands such as Tetley, Yorkshire Tea, Twinings, T2, and Whittard. The challenge was to identify where DAVIDsTEA could compete effectively, define the right target segments, adapt its offering to local tea culture, and build a strategy that balanced growth potential with competitive, cultural, and regulatory risks.
What Was Done
01
Market Analysis
Assessed the UK market's size, demographics, purchasing power, consumer spending behaviour, competition, and category trends to determine overall attractiveness.
02
Market Trends & Challenges
Identified strong demand for tea, growing interest in ready-to-drink and wellness beverages, and intense competition from established brands such as Tetley, Yorkshire Tea, Twinings, T2, and Whittard.
03
Target Segmentation
Defined three priority segments: eco-conscious Gen Z wellness seekers, busy urban professionals, and trend-driven foodie explorers — selected based on their interest in specialty tea, wellness, sustainability, and social-media-driven discovery.
04
Market Entry Strategy
Developed a market entry plan built around a master franchise model, with London and Manchester as initial launch points — supported by e-commerce, selective wholesale, and in-person sampling in dense urban areas.
05
Localization & Promotion
Designed a localized promotional strategy including teabag packaging, wellness tonics, afternoon tea promotions, and Builder's Tea-inspired messaging — supported by city-centre ads, influencer and UGC campaigns, email, SEO, sampling, loyalty programs, and short-form paid social.
06
PESTLE & Risk Factors
Evaluated legal and regulatory risks including HFSS advertising restrictions, post-Brexit labeling requirements, import compliance, inflation, and consumer price sensitivity. Strategy emphasized wellness and specialty positioning over price competition.
07
Financial Planning
Built a pricing, distribution, and KPI framework covering premium value-based pricing, D2C e-commerce, wholesale partnerships, store projections, and a three-year revenue outlook across stores, online, and wholesale.
Results
DAVIDsTEA has moderate success potential in the UK if it differentiates through wellness, specialty blends, convenience, and culturally adapted marketing rather than competing directly with legacy tea brands. The strategy created a clear path for entry by aligning the brand with high-growth segments, urban demand centres, and UK-specific consumer behaviour while accounting for operational and regulatory barriers.
Content Marketing · Personal Brand
Instagram Growth & Personal Brand
Building trust and visibility — from zero to community
Why I Started
I maintain a professional Instagram account to build my personal brand as a hairstylist. I started this because I recognized how critical trust and visibility are when building a client base — and it became one of the most valuable marketing educations I could have given myself.
What It Became
A hands-on learning experience — I taught myself video angles, editing, music selection, and content strategy entirely through doing.
A pathway for skill development — Each post was a live experiment in what resonates, what drives engagement, and what builds loyalty.
A new passion — Storytelling through content became something I genuinely love, not just a tool for business.
A genuine connection to my community — Growing an engaged audience showed me the real power of authentic, consistent content.
Tools Used
CapCut · Canva · Instagram · Content scheduling · Video production · Personal branding
