DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY
LeanSEM x RugsDirect.com
As part of the LSE Career Accelerator Programme, my team (Knots + Clicks) collaborated with LeanSEM, a performance marketing agency, to craft a high-impact paid marketing strategy for their client, RugsDirect.com.
OUR BRIEF
Reverse a year-over-year revenue decline and optimise a $19 million Q4 digital marketing budget to achieve a blended ROAS of 13.
Working in a team of five, I served as the storytelling strategist and UX-focused content lead, co-authoring the final proposal and shaping a data-driven, full-funnel strategy that elevated campaign relevance and clarity.
We received a Distinction for our project.
overview
Driving Q4 Growth Through Paid Media
the project
The challenge
Despite strong brand equity, Rugs Direct had seen a 28% YoY revenue drop, with a sharp decline in average order value and underperforming campaigns across paid channels. Google Ads was inefficient, Meta underleveraged, and the overall customer journey suffered from a fragmented, non-personalised experience. The challenge was to turn this around quickly with smarter spend, channel integration, and UX-driven messaging that would convert both new and returning customers during a critical retail period.
strategic highlights
+ Performance Audit & Market Research: Analysed campaign data, conducted a UX audit, and assessed competitive strategies across paid and organic channels. + Persona Development & Funnel Mapping: We used behavioural segmentation to build four distinct personas and created tailored messaging strategies for each. + Channel-Specific Strategy: - Google Ads: Streamlined account structure, prioritised high-intent keywords, and introduced Performance Max campaigns. - Meta Ads: We scaled budget allocation and focused on high-conversion creative and storytelling-led content. + Email & SMS: We proposed personalisation, automation, and re-engagement strategies based on behavioural triggers. + UX Improvements: We identified key site issues — including mobile friction points and missing landing page alignment — and recommended optimisations to improve conversions. + Narrative Strategy & Pitch: As the team’s content architect, I simplified complex data and performance insights into a compelling proposal designed for agency and client buy-in.
outcome & lessons learned
OUTCOMES We delivered a performance-focused strategy projected to increase revenue by 10% in Q4 and achieve a blended ROAS of 13.1. The final pitch included creative direction, media plans, and a storytelling framework that balanced strategic depth with clarity and persuasiveness. LESSONS LEARNED A key lesson was the importance of cross-functional alignment: performance marketing, UX, and messaging must be integrated to deliver results at scale. I also strengthened my ability to translate data into accessible narratives — essential for stakeholder engagement in high-stakes pitches.
skills & tools used
SKILLS + Performance Marketing Strategy + UX Copywriting + Customer Segmentation + Messaging Architecture + Collaborative Teamwork + Strategic Storytelling + Data Analysis and Strategy Building TOOLS + Google Ads + Meta Ads Manager + Miro + Figma + Excel + PowerPoint
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