Direct-to-Consumer eCommerce
Transforming eCommerce Strategy to Drive Growth, Profitability, and Brand Loyalty for Leading DTC Brands
Business Challenge:
Amid fierce competition from Amazon and other major online retailers, the Company’s eCommerce model relied heavily on discounts and promotions, compressing margins and eroding brand value. This approach led to price sensitivity and a dependency on sales cycles, preventing the brand from achieving sustainable, long-term growth. To strengthen profitability and build a base of loyal, full-price customers, the Company needed a strategic shift that would reduce discounting while amplifying brand loyalty and customer engagement.
Solution and Execution:
In my role as Chief Digital Officer at Perry Ellis International, I spearheaded a strategic transformation to reposition the Company’s eCommerce approach. This included developing and executing a robust, customer-centric strategy that enhanced brand equity and drove sustainable growth across over 25 well-known brands, including Perry Ellis, Original Penguin, Peony&Me, Laundry by Shelli Segal, Callaway Golf Apparel, and Cubavera.
Key actions taken included:
- High-Impact Loyalty Program Development: Leveraging insights from my eCommerce and omnichannel experience, I crafted a sophisticated loyalty program to increase customer retention and lifetime value. The program featured exclusive rewards, cash-back incentives, and personalized perks to encourage repeat purchases. This initiative positioned the Company’s online and in-store experiences as go-to destinations, generating a highly engaged customer base.
- Seamless Brand Integration Across Flagship Lines: Rolling out the loyalty program across multiple brands required careful attention to each brand’s unique identity while ensuring a consistent and cohesive customer experience. Through customized execution for brands like Cubavera and Original Penguin, I delivered a loyalty platform that resonated across demographics, reinforcing both individual brand values and the Company’s collective eCommerce presence.
- Advanced Data-Driven Personalization: I implemented data analytics to segment customers and craft highly targeted promotions based on individual shopping behaviors and preferences. This personalization strategy enabled the Company to deliver timely, relevant offers and messaging, boosting conversion rates and engagement without relying on broad, margin-eroding discounting.
These initiatives were supported by a complete overhaul of eCommerce operations, spanning digital marketing, social media, and demand generation. With oversight across all direct-to-consumer sites, Amazon marketplace, and social channels, I implemented high-impact digital media tactics such as pay-per-click, retargeting, Google Shopping, affiliate, and influencer marketing. My team of 34+ branding, marketing, creative, and digital experts helped produce over 48 assets per week per brand, including daily merchandising, promotions, and digital campaigns that consistently drove traffic and engagement.
Results and Impact:
This loyalty-focused, brand-centric approach generated remarkable results across all critical performance metrics:
- Revenue Growth: Achieved a 40% year-over-year increase in eCommerce revenue, raising eCommerce contributions to 14% of total sales.
- Improved Marketing ROI: Reduced digital marketing acquisition costs by 17% through advanced targeting and optimized spend, significantly enhancing overall marketing efficiency.
- Profitability Milestone: Achieved the Company’s first positive operating income in over a year, marking a successful financial turnaround.
- Strengthened Customer Loyalty: Established a loyal, full-price customer base with reduced price sensitivity, ensuring greater customer retention and long-term value for the brand.
Through a powerful combination of strategic foresight, data-driven tactics, and high-quality brand execution, I transformed the Company’s eCommerce model from a discount-driven strategy to a high-performance, customer-focused engine. This comprehensive approach to digital transformation delivered sustainable growth, enhanced profitability, and strengthened brand equity across competitive markets.
Direct-to-Consumer eCommerce
Revolutionizing eCommerce Strategy to Elevate Brand Value and Drive Profitability
Business Challenge:
The Company’s frequent sales promotions had conditioned customers to delay purchases, eroding profit margins and diminishing the brand’s premium appeal. Customers had become accustomed to waiting for discounts, significantly impacting full-price sales and undermining brand perception.
Solution and Execution:
As Chief Marketing and Digital Officer, I led a strategic shift to move from a discount-driven model to a value-centric approach.
Key initiatives included:
- Repositioning to “Special Purchase” Events: I introduced a new website category, “Special Purchase,” designed to appeal to price-sensitive customers while preserving brand value. Promoted through digital ads, social media, HTML mailers, and influencer and affiliate channels, this segment offered exclusive merchandise with limited-time availability rather than constant markdowns, encouraging timely purchases.
- Transitioned Marketing Messaging: To reinforce the brand’s value, I restructured promotional schedules to focus on key holidays and end-of-season events, retraining customers to view sales as rare opportunities rather than frequent occurrences.
Results and Impact:
This strategic pivot not only stabilized weekly revenue but also restored the brand’s premium positioning. The initiative delivered notable results across critical metrics:
- Average Order Value (AOV): Increased by 25%, demonstrating enhanced customer willingness to purchase full-priced items.
- Sales Consistency: Stabilized weekly revenue and margin performance, achieving greater predictability and profitability.
Additional Key Successes as CMO:
- Brand Transformation: Rebuilt and launched a new brand image, voice, messaging platform, and the loyalty program “J.ING Insider” in just four weeks, creating a cohesive, customer-focused identity.
- eCommerce Channel Growth: Transformed an underperforming eCommerce site into a highly profitable channel, with month-over-month revenue growth exceeding 100%.
- Traffic and SKU Expansion: Increased global site traffic by 67% and expanded product SKUs by 45%, resulting in stronger customer engagement and diversified offerings.
- Performance Marketing Impact: Enhanced digital marketing ROI by 82%, delivering higher returns through optimized ad spend and targeted campaigns.
By transforming a discount-reliant strategy into a value-driven, brand-focused approach, I successfully repositioned the Company’s eCommerce business for sustained growth, increased profitability, and a revitalized brand image that appeals to high-value customers.
Direct-to-Consumer eCommerce
Driving Sales and Increasing AOV through Strategic DTC eCommerce Campaigns
Business Challenge:
The Company faced mounting inventory across high-margin product categories that weren’t gaining traction, leaving valuable stock underutilized. Additionally, the average order value (AOV) was declining, as customers frequently purchased just one or two items per transaction. This trend increased shipping and fulfillment costs, reducing operational efficiency and squeezing margins. A strategic approach was needed to boost AOV, increase product visibility, and move excess inventory effectively.
Solution and Execution:
As Chief Digital Officer, I launched an integrated marketing initiative titled “Back to Basics,” aimed at re-engaging customers with high-margin categories and promoting key add-on products. This campaign aligned with the back-to-school season to leverage heightened consumer spending, capitalizing on the timing to reposition these overlooked categories and drive higher transaction values.
Key tactics included:
- Cross-Promotion of High-Margin Add-Ons: The campaign spotlighted frequently overlooked add-on products, which paired naturally with best sellers. By curating these product combinations, we encouraged customers to expand their cart and increase their spending, driving greater wallet share and creating a more compelling shopping experience.
- Comprehensive Multi-Channel Marketing: I implemented a robust digital strategy that reached customers across multiple touchpoints, including targeted social media ads, email mailers, influencer collaborations, and affiliate marketing. This diverse approach amplified product visibility, expanded reach, and reinforced the campaign’s message of value, quality, and convenience.
- Data-Driven Audience Targeting: Leveraging customer insights, we identified segments most likely to respond to back-to-school themes and bundled offers, which allowed us to maximize the campaign’s effectiveness and ensure high engagement. This targeted approach ensured that key customer demographics received messaging that resonated, further driving sales.
Results and Impact:
The “Back to Basics” campaign delivered impressive results, strengthening the brand’s eCommerce performance across critical metrics:
- Boosted Sales of Targeted Product Lines: Sales for the highlighted high-margin categories surged by over 35% during the campaign, effectively reducing excess inventory and driving incremental revenue.
- Significantly Increased AOV: Average order value climbed by more than 20%, helping improve fulfillment efficiency and profitability.
By applying a strategic combination of cross-promotion, multi-channel engagement, and targeted customer insights, I transformed the Company’s approach to inventory and sales challenges. The “Back to Basics” campaign successfully reinvigorated interest in underperforming categories, driving substantial growth in AOV and delivering a scalable solution for inventory management and sales expansion. This results-focused strategy solidified the brand’s ability to balance revenue growth with operational efficiency, setting a new standard for profitable eCommerce success.
Direct-To-Consumer and B2B Ridesharing Services
Driving eCommerce Growth and User Engagement for a Nationwide Ridesharing Service
Business Challenge:
The Company aimed to build an intuitive and user-friendly iOS and Android app for its DTC and B2B ridesharing services across 76 cities and 31 states. A seamless user experience was crucial to ensure consumers could easily navigate, purchase services, and engage with the brand. To succeed, the app needed to be both highly functional and simple, catering to a diverse customer base while also standing out in the competitive ridesharing market.
Solution and Execution:
As EVP and Chief Marketing and Digital Officer, I led a comprehensive strategy to deliver an optimal user experience, applying rigorous testing and design methodologies to ensure the app exceeded user expectations and supported the Company’s eCommerce goals.
Key actions included:
- Competitive Research and UX Testing: Conducted extensive market research to benchmark industry-leading rideshare and eCommerce apps, identifying features that resonated most with consumers. This informed the design process, ensuring our app combined the best elements of usability, speed, and functionality.
- Iterative Design and User Feedback Loops: I spearheaded mobile user experience (UX) testing to capture both quantitative and qualitative data on how users interacted with the app. By testing prototype flows with real users early on, we identified pain points and refined the UX to remove friction, creating a smooth, intuitive experience that encouraged repeated app use.
- Partnership Marketing to Drive Adoption and Sales: Launched high-impact marketing campaigns in partnership with brands like Total Wine & More, BevMo!, Ciroc, and Jack Daniel’s, capitalizing on shared audiences to boost visibility and encourage app downloads. These joint marketing efforts successfully increased new account sign-ups and drove eCommerce sales within the app.
Results and Impact:
This data-driven, user-centric approach delivered outstanding results, solidifying the app as a top choice in the ridesharing market and driving significant eCommerce growth:
- Record Growth in New Accounts: Achieved over 1,000% year-over-year increase in new user sign-ups, rapidly expanding the app’s customer base.
- Boosted Web and App Engagement: Increased overall web traffic by 74%, capturing interest and engagement from both new and returning users.
- Elevated eCommerce Sales: Delivered a 38% year-over-year increase in sales, successfully converting app engagement into revenue growth.
This transformative project, backed by a strategic blend of UX optimization, competitive analysis, and partnership marketing, underscored my expertise in creating digital experiences that drive customer acquisition, retention, and profitability. The successful launch and growth of this ridesharing app demonstrates my ability to blend strategic vision with tactical precision to propel a brand forward in highly competitive markets.
Direct-to-Consumer eCommerce
Strategic Category Expansion for DTC eCommerce Growth
Business Challenge:
To achieve aggressive growth targets, the Company needed to diversify its product offerings and tap into high-growth categories. This initiative aimed to deepen brand affinity and increase wallet share among existing customers, while also attracting new consumer segments and driving brand visibility in new markets.
Solution and Execution:
As Chief Digital Officer, I led a strategic expansion to launch Original Penguin bedding through a carefully managed brand licensing partnership. This launch was designed to uphold Original Penguin’s brand standards while expanding our product range in a way that preserved quality and brand equity.
Key actions included:
- Brand Licensing and Quality Assurance: Developed detailed guidelines for product design, quality control, pricing, and brand integrity to ensure the bedding line reflected the premium, stylish identity of Original Penguin. This foundation protected brand perception and set a high standard for future category expansions.
- Multi-Channel Distribution Strategy: Rolled out the new bedding line on OriginalPenguin.com, in 14 company-owned retail stores, global franchised stores, and with select wholesale partners including Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Belk, Macy’s, and Nordstrom. This multi-channel approach maximized exposure and allowed the brand to reach a broad consumer base.
- Integrated Global Marketing Campaign: Launched a cohesive, high-impact marketing campaign to support the new category, creating a unified message across all channels. This included print and digital ads, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media, direct response marketing, in-store signage, packaging design, and PR. Additionally, high-quality product images and descriptions were provided to all retail and wholesale partners to ensure consistency and drive conversion.
- DTC Site Sneak Preview for Early Access: To create anticipation and exclusivity, a limited release of the bedding line was launched on OriginalPenguin.com one week before general retail availability. The preview generated excitement among loyal customers and sold out the initial inventory within hours, establishing strong demand for the new product category.
Results and Impact:
This strategic expansion yielded outstanding results and demonstrated the effectiveness of a well-coordinated eCommerce and retail marketing approach:
- Record-Breaking DTC Sales: The pre-launch on OriginalPenguin.com sold out within the first few hours, validating consumer demand for the brand’s move into home goods.
- Enhanced Brand Affinity and Consumer Reach: Successfully grew brand affinity and wallet share with existing customers, while also capturing new consumer segments through expanded product offerings and diversified distribution.
- Profitable Growth and Visibility in New Categories: With a well-executed category extension, the Company secured new revenue streams, elevated its presence in the home goods sector, and established a scalable model for future product launches.
Through strategic expansion and a carefully calibrated launch campaign, this project demonstrated my expertise in driving profitability, brand growth, and cross-category innovation in eCommerce and retail. The success of Original Penguin’s entry into bedding highlights my ability to execute high-stakes brand initiatives that deliver powerful, results-oriented outcomes.
Direct-to-Consumer and B2B Telehealth Subscription Services
Driving Member Activation and Engagement for DTC & B2B Telehealth Subscription Service
Business Challenge:
The Company, a direct-to-consumer and B2B telehealth provider with over 10 million eligible members, faced a critical gap in user activation. Many members eligible through their benefit plans had not registered for the service, and most were unclear about when to use it versus going to a primary care physician, urgent care, or emergency room. To drive account activations and ensure high retention, the Company needed a compelling strategy to educate and engage members so they saw consistent value in the service.
Solution and Execution:
As Chief Marketing Officer, I led a fast-tracked, multi-channel marketing initiative to boost user registrations and increase service engagement. Within two months, we rolled out a comprehensive, data-driven engagement strategy that leveraged both digital and traditional marketing channels to maximize reach and impact.
Key elements included:
- Enhanced Engagement Marketing Strategy: Launched a fully optimized welcome kit and revamped website with high-quality, permission-based SEO content to streamline user activation. These resources made the registration process intuitive and clarified the telehealth value proposition.
- Data-Driven Demand Generation Campaigns: Deployed weekly, multi-touch engagement campaigns targeted at eligible members, using a blend of direct response marketing, social media, and search engine marketing (SEM). We provided educational content, video tutorials, blogs, PR, and SEO-rich collateral, ensuring that members understood when and how to use the service.
- Self-Service Marketing Hub for B2B Clients: Built a self-service marketing hub containing 275+ customizable campaign materials, allowing employer, health plan, and health system partners to easily spread awareness of the service within their organizations. These resources included mailers, website banners, FAQs, flyers, posters, tradeshow support materials, and promotional materials, increasing visibility and reinforcing brand consistency.
Results and Impact:
The strategic marketing overhaul significantly increased member engagement and service utilization, delivering rapid and measurable results:
- Record-Breaking Registration and Engagement Rates: The Company saw a 55% increase in member registrations, a 67% boost in user engagement, and a 44% rise in service utilization, reflecting high-value adoption and member activation.
- Market Awareness and SEO Traction: The updated, SEO-optimized site achieved swift traction, improving visibility and driving qualified traffic to the platform.
- High Retention Rates: Member retention reached an impressive 97%, underscoring the effectiveness of ongoing engagement initiatives and high service satisfaction.
This data-driven, multi-channel marketing approach highlighted my expertise in eCommerce and B2B digital strategy, underscoring my ability to transform customer journeys, drive high conversion, and optimize brand reach across touchpoints. By aligning marketing strategy with member needs and simplifying the activation process, this initiative set a new standard for customer experience and telehealth adoption.
Direct-to-Consumer eCommerce
Transforming Customer Experience for DTC eCommerce Brands
Business Challenge:
High volumes of support inquiries from customers seeking order status updates overwhelmed the Company’s customer service team, creating bottlenecks that impacted response times and limited agents’ capacity to handle more complex requests. Without an automated solution, agents were spending excessive time manually tracking orders, preventing them from focusing on critical support needs, cross-sell, and upsell opportunities. This inefficient process diminished the overall customer experience and hindered potential revenue growth.
Solution and Execution:
As Chief Digital Officer, I led the development and deployment of a comprehensive after-sales and service automation program across the Company’s direct-to-consumer eCommerce brands, including Callaway Golf Apparel, Perry Ellis, Original Penguin, Peony & Me, Laundry by Shelli Segal and Cubavera.
Key components included:
- Automated Post-Purchase Notifications: We introduced an automated email and SMS notification system that provided real-time order fulfillment and tracking updates. Customers were proactively informed about their purchase status, allowing them to plan for deliveries without needing to contact customer support.
- Enhanced Customer Experience Platform: This solution freed up the customer support team to focus on resolving high-value issues, enabling agents to engage more effectively with new customers and build loyalty through personalized interactions.
Results and Impact:
The automated post-purchase system delivered transformative results, reinforcing the Company's reputation for exceptional customer service:
- Significant Reduction in Support Requests: Automated notifications reduced customer support inquiries related to order status by over 40%, allowing agents to concentrate on complex requests and higher-value customer interactions.
- Boosted Customer Satisfaction and Engagement: Quarterly surveys showed a 550% increase in customer satisfaction and engagement, with customers responding positively to the proactive communication and seamless after-sales experience.
This strategic initiative showcases my expertise in eCommerce operations and customer experience optimization. By introducing technology-driven efficiencies and prioritizing customer satisfaction, we elevated the brand experience, decreased costs, and positioned the Company for sustained growth. This results-focused approach highlights my ability to drive profitability through both strategic vision and tactical execution.
Direct-to-Consumer eCommerce
Elevating Brand Perception and Reducing Costs through Strategic Packaging Solutions
Business Challenge:
Frequent customer complaints about damaged products upon delivery were negatively impacting the Company’s reputation and profitability. These issues stemmed from subpar packaging materials that failed to protect products in transit, leading to increased costs due to returns, reshipments, and diminished customer satisfaction.
Solution and Execution:
As Chief Digital Officer, I spearheaded a strategic overhaul of the Company’s product packaging to reinforce brand integrity, enhance the unboxing experience, and engage customers in meaningful ways that drive revenue:
- Premium Packaging Redesign: We conducted in-depth research and testing to design durable, visually appealing packaging that protected products during shipment. This initiative aimed to create a memorable and branded unboxing experience that conveyed quality and strengthened customer loyalty.
- Engagement-Driven Inserts: To capitalize on the post-purchase interaction, we included custom-designed collateral and postcards in each package to introduce customers to new product categories, upsell relevant items, and build excitement around upcoming launches. This initiative effectively turned packaging into a strategic marketing channel, leveraging each shipment as an opportunity to deepen customer engagement.
Results and Impact:
The revamped packaging and strategic marketing inserts delivered substantial results across key performance metrics:
- Reduction in Damaged Returns: The improved packaging reduced instances of damaged shipments by over 30%, cutting down costs related to reshipping and return processing, and enhancing operational efficiency.
- Increased Customer Satisfaction and Engagement: The premium packaging experience and personalized inserts contributed to a marked increase in customer satisfaction, with customers reporting a stronger brand connection and excitement about future purchases.
- Boosted Upsell and Cross-Sell Revenue: The newly designed inserts successfully engaged customers, generating a 20% increase in upsell and cross-sell revenue by introducing new products and promotions at the point of unboxing.
This case highlights my strategic and tactical eCommerce expertise, showcasing how a well-executed packaging solution can transform a business challenge into a powerful revenue driver and brand loyalty booster. By aligning operational improvements with targeted marketing, I ensured that the Company not only enhanced customer experience but also realized significant profitability gains.
Ready to Transform Your Brand with a Proven CMO?
Let’s discuss how I can bring visionary strategy and hands-on execution to your brand. I’m not just talk—I have a proven track record of delivering real, measurable results, as you can see on my website. With a unique blend of strategic insight and tactical expertise, I don’t just oversee growth—I drive it. I’ll craft a strategy that builds brand loyalty, delivers impactful outcomes, and ensures long-term success—and then I’ll make it happen.
If you're ready for a no-nonsense, results-driven CMO who will elevate your marketing from ordinary to extraordinary, let’s connect. I’m here to turn your goals into milestones and your vision into reality.
Let’s make it happen—contact me today.
Michael E. Donner
+1 (561) 542 7930
#eCommerceDigitalCMO