WHAT:

Propose an initiative Merit could implement to drive advocacy.

WHY:

Consumers are overwhelmed by choice online, and dark social often obscures referral attribution. Long-term brand equity relies on personalized utility, hence, my strategy shifts Merit’s focus from transactional advertising to facilitating organic, peer-to-peer storytelling. Recognizing that modern consumers want to buy into a validated, shared lifestyle, the ultimate goal is to increase Customer Lifetime Value and drive organic awareness through this sustained, personalized utility rather than short-term viral hype.

HOW:

To elevate retention into advocacy and shift Merit’s digital personalization efforts from a pure conversion tool into a self-sustaining growth loop, I formulated ‘On the Merit List,’ a comprehensive digital advocacy and community-driven loyalty strategy designed to transition repeat purchasers into active brand ambassadors. I structured the loyalty program’s value around exclusivity and advocacy, rewarding users with personalized merchandise and early access in exchange for user-generated content and peer-to-peer sharing. By utilizing AI to auto-generate personalized ‘Merit Edit’ routines based on occasion or budget, customers can easily export these highly visual recommendations to their social channels with unique referral links. Ultimately, this decentralizes Merit’s marketing and consistently feeds the top of the funnel with high-trust, peer-validated leads.