Top Services: Digital Product / Digital Marketing / New Digital Revenue
CASE STUDY
Company & Background
A home improvement advertising magazine direct mailed to affluent households in approximately 70 U.S. markets had enjoyed more than 20 years of success. The company’s new leadership had visions to grow the business through digital transformation.
Their goal was to offer new ways for their clients (local home contractors and remodelers) to generate leads, while also aiding homeowners in finding highly qualified pros, ultimately generating new digital advertising revenue opportunities.
However, other dual-sided marketplaces had already become household names. Differentiating both the consumer and home pro experiences was key.
AI emerged as a key opportunity.
Strategy & Project Scope
By powering a local directory with AI chat, an AI image generator, and the added credibility of visible badges and a guarantee for certified pros, we sought to truly inspire homeowners with ideas for projects while recommending the best local companies to do the job. And we saw opportunities to reduce friction and frustration for both the consumer and the contractor.
What I Delivered
I accelerated development from concept to MVP in 60 days, followed by expansion to 50+ markets in the next 12 months, supporting sales reps, field office admins, and thousands of advertising clients in the process. I also kicked off audience development efforts.
- Local directory, searchable by category or using AI chat, with high-impact visuals and robust listings information.
- Developed criteria and process for Certified pros.
- AI chatbot: Collaborated with tech teams to test and train the AI to deliver the most relevant advertisers, as well as the desired voice, tone, and personality in its home improvement advice.
- Image generator to help homeowners envision room transformations, informed by UX testing and designed to provide meaningful AI prompts without user expertise.
- Go-to-market strategy, including online and offline media tests and creative assets.
- Scalable website publishing system, empowering nationwide field offices to manage advertisers’ content independently of tech teams.
- Sponsored content positions for national or local advertisers.
- Website analytics and Advertiser performance dashboards.
Impact
- Unlocked new digital advertising revenue streams with a pricing model that addressed a key pain point advertisers had experienced with other lead gen programs.
- Website traffic exceeded previous digital initiatives at the company.
- Visibility into users’ AI prompts provided data to inform audience growth campaigns and the roadmap for ongoing UX improvement.
