Projects

SaaS Product Marketing, Competitor Benchmarking, and Campaign Strategy Case Study

💼 Project Context

I built this comprehensive product marketing case study across two distinct phases for my MKT2029 (Integrated Marketing Communications) course. In Phase 1, I acted as a solo principal investigator to audit Accurment’s behavioral science-backed Shopify application, Nudgie, deconstructing its market vulnerabilities against enterprise competitors like HubSpot and Maropost. In Phase 2, I translated these findings into a collaborative group landscape. Leading a team of five analysts, I spearheaded the Media Strategy & Channel Alignment to build an omnichannel launch blueprint targeting Australian small-to-medium business (SMB) merchants.

💡 The Challenge

Our market intelligence revealed a classic martech blind spot: while Nudgie possessed world-class academic credibility, its organic social media presence was severely underdeveloped, causing low trial and conversion rates. The industry was highly saturated and plagued by app-choice fatigue, budget sensitivity, and generic AI content loops that degraded consumer trust. Our core strategic mandate was to engineer an high-impact, ethically aligned IMC campaign that could cut through noise, lower financial entry barriers, and turn abstract behavioral science into visible proof.

🛠️ Strategic Frameworks & Tools Used

• Market Analysis & Benchmarking: Competitor Point-of-Difference (POD) Mapping (HubSpot vs. Maropost), SaaS Freemium/Subscription Funnel Auditing.

• Campaign Architecture: AIDA Sales Funnel Modeling, SMART Objective Optimization, Soft-Sell Narrative Arcs.

• Media Channels: Omnichannel Mix (Paid, Owned, Earned Architecture), Native Reels Layouts, User-Generated Content (UGC) Integration.

⚙️ My Execution & Analysis

• Deconstructed direct competitor acquisition dynamics, mapping out HubSpot’s tiered freemium architectures and Maropost’s high-commitment annual contracts to identify Nudgie’s low-risk pricing advantage.

• Audited brand trust friction points, isolating how a lack of user testimonials and reliance on sterile AI video outputs suppressed early marketplace adoption.

• Co-Architected a dual-demographic media funnel mapping tailored communication hooks to mobile-first Gen Z entrepreneurs (Karen) and evidence-seeking Gen X owners (Takashi).

• Formulated a data-driven SMART campaign schedule balancing organic LinkedIn storytelling across Q3 2026 with high-converting Meta paid ads across Q4.

• Engineered an ethical promotion loop by pioneering a nano-to-mid-tier influencer strategy utilizing Indigenous Australian SMB creators to drive organic, community-grounded trust.

• Designed high-converting ad mockups and storyboards by scripting narrative arcs that immediately grab user attention on pain points and drive a 20% discount CTA.

📈 Strategic Outcomes & Deliverables

• Delivered a comprehensive 12-month integrated media blueprint transitioning Nudgie from a theoretical behavioral engine to a visible, consumer-trusted conversion tool.

• Established aggressive quantitative KPIs targeting a 30% lift in brand awareness metrics and a 25% surge in Gen Z conversion rates via Meta Ads Manager tracking loops.

• Pioneered a hybrid "Lecture/Drama" podcast collaboration strategy, matching B2B guest speaker appearances with real-time product demo walkthroughs.

• Formulated defensive brand contingency protocols, mapping structured micro-pivots (e.g., ad spend reallocation, interactive polls) to mitigate potential live low-engagement risks.

Strategic Roadmap, Risk Management, and IPO Readiness Advisory Study

💼 Project Context

I developed this corporate innovation case study for my 3051IBA: Decision Making for Innovation management class at Griffith University. My task was to diagnose severe technological disruption within a legacy enterprise and design a defensible growth roadmap. Acting as a solo corporate strategy analyst, I investigated how the global certification leader, PeopleCert, could defend its market position as generative AI threatens to make traditional, one-off professional exam testing obsolete. I engineered a comprehensive strategic plan to pivot the company away from transactional testing and reconfigure its business model into an AI-enabled, subscription-based workforce upskilling platform.

💡 The Challenge

My situational analysis revealed that PeopleCert faced an urgent inflection point: the online proctoring software it pioneered had reached structural maturity and industry saturation. Concurrently, generative AI was rapidly lowering technical barriers, triggering a new industry S-curve, and exposing the firm's core products (like ITIL and PRINCE2) to aggressive substitution risks. With enterprise B2B buyers demanding visible, continuous ROI validation on employee competency, PeopleCert required a highly scalable, defensive innovation framework to protect its margins, stabilize recurring revenue streams, and ensure future IPO readiness.

🛠️ Strategic Management Frameworks Used

• Market Intelligence & Sensing: Porter’s Five Forces Analysis, Technological S-Curve Mapping, Dynamic Capabilities Framework (Sensing, Seizing, Reconfiguring).

• Operational Execution: Balanced Scorecard KPI Framework, Heavyweight Hybrid NPD Team Architecture, Capability & Coordination Mapping.

• Risk Mitigation & Distribution: Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), ISO 42001 Ethical AI Standards, Razor-and-Blade Subscription Pricing Model.

⚙️ My Execution & Analysis

• Deconstructed PeopleCert’s competitive positioning by mapping its core IP landscape against direct rivals (like PMP) and assessing its downstream infrastructure dependencies on cloud partners.

• Plotted dual technological S-curves to visually demonstrate to leadership the extreme urgency of transitioning from an exam-only provider to a continuous data-driven learning ecosystem.

• Seized unmapped B2B market demand by architecting an ecosystem that leverages the Microsoft Azure alliance to run continuous corporate skill-gap analyses, utilizing a network of 2,000 Accredited Training Organisations (ATOs) for localized execution.

• Reconfigured the firm's centralized, founder-led management style into a decentralized corporate governance structure to accelerate cross-border deal velocity and bolster investor confidence.

• Designed a Balanced Scorecard tracking framework with explicit performance boundaries, modeling a 30–35% Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) growth target and a 15–20% corporate skill-gap reduction metric.

• Formulated a strict risk-gating mechanism for the New Product Development (NPD) process by utilizing FMEA Risk Priority Numbers (RPN), early enterprise beta testing, and structured canary releases.

• Evaluated an aggressive go-to-market strategy blending a first-mover deployment roadmap, localized IP licensing safeguards, and an enterprise razor-and-blade pricing matrix.

📈 Strategic Outcomes & Achievements

• Blueprinted a resilient corporate innovation architecture transitioning a transactional testing unicorn into a future-proof, defensive SaaS upskilling platform.

• Delivered an actionable, phased corporate growth timeline (90-day onboarding, 12-month scaling, and 3-year full integration horizons) keeping human-in-the-loop safety rollbacks active.

• Established structural corporate compliance benchmarks by anchoring product engineering within ISO ethical AI guidelines to satisfy public institutional investors prior to public listing.

Strategic Market Development, Audience Analytics, and High-Impact IMC Modeling Case Study

💼 Project Context

I developed this comprehensive market development strategy for my 3028MKT: Marketing Strategy & Analytics capstone course at Griffith University. The objective across this two-part campaign was to engineer a data-driven interstate expansion model for Victoria’s sustainable agricultural pioneer, Honest Eggs Co.. In Phase 1, I worked independently to conduct a rigorous macro-environmental and competitor situation analysis, identifying core consumer knowledge gaps. In Phase 2, I stepped into a collaborative leadership space—guiding a team of six analysts to translate my baseline analytics into a multi-channel Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) activation plan to capture premium regional market share. [, 3]

💡 The Challenge

Our strategic assessment highlighted a massive product positioning roadblock: the Queensland grocery sector was highly saturated and dominated by cheap, high-reach organic and mass-market alternatives (like Sunny Queen and Macro Organic). While local consumer trends showed rising demand for ethical farming practices, the broader market failed to recognize how Honest Eggs Co.’s premium "open-range" regenerative metrics outperformed generic "free-range" claims. Our primary challenge was to scale brand visibility in a foreign state on a calculated budget, eliminate consumer purchasing friction, and mathematically justify a premium price point through transparent, proof-based marketing.

🛠️ Strategic Marketing & Analytics Frameworks Used

• Macro-Environmental Strategy: PESTEL Situation Analysis, Industry Rivalry & Market Review Matrix.

• Audience Data Analytics: 2023 Australian Organic Market Report Database Sourcing.

• Campaign Distribution & Architecture: B2B2C Retail Channel Mapping (Woolworths, Coles, Organic Cafe Networks), Shared Voice (UGC) Engagement Funnels.

• Performance Metrics & Telemetry: SMART Objective Framework, QR Digital Performance Tracking Loops, Ad Spend Engagement Audits. []

⚙️ My Execution & Analysis

• Deconstructed regional competitor market share layouts across major Australian supermarket shelves to pinpoint precise vulnerabilities in low-cost branding architectures.

• Isolated and profiled our ideal expansion demographic by mining the Australian Organic Market Report, isolating health-conscious urban consumers aged 18–39 within a targeted $40,000+ income tier.

• Localized our launch geographic parameters by mapping out premium, high-density target zones specifically across Brisbane's inner-city hubs and the Gold Coast.

• Pioneered a hybrid, digital-to-physical B2B2C ecosystem by securing direct grassroots verbal agreements with local organic cafe partners to host limited-edition product collaborations.

• Designed an interactive in-store conversion model titled "Supermarket Storytelling Corners," integrating short-form video assets and localized QR codes to educate buyers directly at the retail point of purchase.

• Formulated an automated organic social campaign loop on TikTok and Instagram that incentivized consumer creator submissions to organically boost regional brand dialogue without excessive ad-spend waste.

• Co-Authored a defensive marketing implementation framework that clearly established high-converting quantitative key milestones over a 6-to-12-month trajectory.

📈 Strategic Outcomes & Analytical Deliverables

• Blueprinted an end-to-end interstate market penetration roadmap, transforming a niche agricultural asset into a highly defensible, value-led Queensland brand story.

• Established a transparent tracking matrix targeting a 30% product coverage expansion across key metro retailers and an aggressive 30% lift in localized brand awareness metrics.

• Delivered a robust, risk-mitigated campaign model by embedding transparent QR code digital telemetry, enabling real-time conversion monitoring from cafe menus directly back to origin-farm landing pages.

Advanced Japanese Literary Analysis, Historical Research, and Hermeneutic Methodology

💼 Project Context

I authored this comprehensive academic research thesis entirely in Japanese during my immersion study at a Japanese high school. The objective was to conduct an independent, university-level literary critique of Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s foundational Taisho-era works, focusing on The Nose (Hana) and Rashomon. The core challenge lay in navigating archaic text structures, interpreting nuanced historical commentaries, and executing high-level psychological profiling in a second language. I successfully defended the thesis, earning high praise for my deep hermeneutic analysis. This project stands as concrete proof of my near-native Japanese fluency, rapid cultural adaptation, and advanced qualitative research capabilities.

💡 The Research Challenge

Most high school language curricula limit students to conversational or basic business Japanese. My objective was to bypass these limits by executing a deep literary evaluation of Akutagawa's self-caricature mechanisms. The intellectual challenge centered on unpacking Akutagawa’s profound psychological trauma following a broken marriage proposal due to family egoism, and tracing how that emotional devastation directly shaped the non-autonomous, peer-dependent behaviors of his characters. To map this complex intersection of personal biography, egoism, and artistic projection, I had to synthesize extensive Japanese literary criticism (Sakuhin-ron) independently.

🛠️ Research Frameworks & Methodological Tools

• Literary Hermeneutics: Biography-to-Text Mapping (Evaluating Akutagawa's letters and personal diaries against his narrative structures).

• Comparative Textual Analysis: Structural Mirroring Matrix (Rashomon vs. The Nose as dual psychological defense mechanisms).

• Source Material Sourcing: Native Japanese Literary Criticism Sourcing (Synthesizing analytical perspectives from Japanese scholars like Yasuyoshi Sekiguchi, Juichi Katsakura, and Yuichi Sasabuchi).

• Language Agility: Advanced Text Production (Writing in formal academic Japanese prose, including proper citation conventions and kanji combinations).

⚙️ My Research Execution & Analysis

• Deconstructed the psychological profile of the protagonist, Zenchi Naigu, mapping his hyper-fixation on public perception directly onto Akutagawa's own hypersensitivity to early literary critics.

• Analyzed the dual technological and emotional S-curves of Akutagawa’s early career, tracking how his transition from 今昔物語集 (Konjaku Monogatarishu) source materials morphed into modern psychological allegories.

• Contrasted the cathartic, triumphant egoism displayed by the servant in Rashomon against the stagnant, defensive cyclical nature of Naigu’s long nose in The Nose.

• Synthesized dense Japanese critical commentaries to argue that Akutagawa's implementation of "caricature and exaggeration" was a calculated attempt to gamify his real-world heartbreak into a "pleasant" narrative.

• Evaluated Akutagawa's post-writing reflections (noting his profound exhaustion and disillusionment) to prove that his creative attempt at self-overcoming ultimately resulted in an artistic bottleneck.

• Drafted a rigorous 8-page academic paper completely in native-standard da-tai (da/de aru) prose, managing cross-referenced bibliographies and structural formatting seamlessly.

📈 Academic Outcomes & Language Strengths Demonstrated

• Produced a high-scoring, original piece of Japanese literary criticism that serves as absolute verification of my ability to operate in high-pressure, native-level academic and corporate Japanese environments.

• Delivered a nuanced comparative framework highlighting how unresolved personal guilt and self-reproach can bypass conscious intent to manifest in creative output.

• Demonstrated advanced qualitative capabilities, showcasing deep pattern recognition, thematic tracking, and text synthesis skills that translate directly into market research and corporate analysis.