Marketing Strategist . International Expansion
As Country Director for Love, Bonito's expansion into the North American market, I lead business development initiatives, foster key community and influencer partnerships, and oversee the creation and execution of impactful regional brand campaigns. My role also involves localizing brand materials from HQ to resonate with regional audiences, supervising performance marketing strategies, and driving successful events marketing efforts. Through strategic leadership and a focus on growth, I aim to elevate Love, Bonito's presence and brand relevance in this dynamic market.
Pop-up store in Soho NYC
The brand's first physical presence in North America was a strategic move to rapidly elevate brand awareness and establish trust with the local audience, showcasing the exceptional quality and authenticity of Love, Bonito.
The Execution:
I spearheaded the successful launch of the pop-up store from conceptualization to execution. I led all aspects of the project, including market research, location selection, lease negotiation, store concept & design, and marketing strategies to maximize visibility. I also managed influencer and community partnerships & in-store events drive traffic and engagement post launch. The pop-up store became a key touchpoint in strengthening the brand's connection with the local market, boosting awareness, and demonstrating Love, Bonito's commitment to quality.
The Impact:
Pop-up drove 30% of total new customers for market since launch
Accelerate omni-channel new customer acquisition by >100%
Big uplift in revenue and acquisition contribution from key NYC boroughs
Strong halo effect to eCom channel: x2 revenue YoY
Omni shopperʼs average LTM spend was 1.5x higher than ONL only
Launch Party: 200 attendees, 190+ press coverage (3.2B reach), 70+ organic social posts (300M+ impressions)
Store Activations
To drive foot traffic, brand awareness, and community engagement, I led my team in creating a series of in-store events, including exclusive showcases, influencer meet-and-greets, and a monthly "Living Room Conversations" program featuring women leaders in diverse fields. These events not only connected with local customers but also generated valuable content shared through our organic online channels, strengthening brand affinity among our broader audience beyond NYC.
Influencer Trips to Singapore
I led the organization of a highly successful annual brand trip to Singapore in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), bringing six macro to mega influencers from the US for two consecutive years. The trips were designed to amplify brand awareness while showcasing Singapore as a vibrant destination, strengthening our influencer relationships and elevating our brand presence in our key markets in addition to the US.
The Execution:
In 2023, I co-conceptualized and successfully pitched the "No Luggage Travel" campaign to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), securing their support for a unique partnership with Love, Bonito. The campaign involved sending six US-based influencers to Singapore, fully outfitted by Love, Bonito for the duration of their week-long trip. This innovative concept not only highlighted our brand’s fashion offerings but also created an unforgettable experience for the influencers.
The campaign provided STB with the opportunity to craft an itinerary that showcased Singapore’s latest attractions, strategically targeting American audiences. By aligning our brand with STB’s tourism goals, we created a win-win scenario that boosted both Love, Bonito’s visibility and Singapore’s appeal as a top destination, while offering the influencers a truly distinctive travel experience.
Building on the success of 2023, our teams partnered up once again in 2024 with a new concept titled “Ready, Set, Live” where we worked with 5 influencers with different niche of wellness, fashion, design, food and travel to showcase these facets of Singapore once again to an international audience.
The Impact:
>8M reach from combined 16M followers
Contributing to 10x YoY reach via influencer channel in 2023
ROI: >1 from direct promo code redemptions
Uplift to all Organic channels and Paid performance. Halo effect across other markets outside of the US.
Lunar New Year Collection Launch
To celebrate our modern heritage-inspired collection for Lunar New Year, I conceptualized and led my team in the execution of a community activation that brought together our bi-coastal customers, community partners, and influencers. The event was designed as an immersive cultural celebration, deepening connections with our audience while showcasing the richness of our collection.
The Execution:
I organized a charity mahjong social night to celebrate Lunar New Year, partnering with local community organizations like AceNextGen, Ascend, Green Tile Social Club and a popular restaurant chain. The ticketed event offered customers a chance to play or learn mahjong from each other, with all proceeds donated to an AAPI charity partner. Influencers were also invited to the events and outfitted in our new collection. This collaborative event created a fun and meaningful experience while supporting the AAPI community.
The Impact:
124 earned social clipping
500K+ Reach
Measured by Heart Cookbook
To accelerate lead generation ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, my team and I developed a creative campaign idea: a cookbook celebrating family heritage through food. Recognizing that food is a powerful cultural connector, we invited our community to submit their favorite home-cooked recipes, along with the stories behind them. The campaign was a resounding success, driving authentic engagement, encouraging email sign-ups, and inspiring customers to download the cookbook, all while strengthening connections to our brand through meaningful storytelling.
The Execution:
We engaged our community to submit their home recipes and the stories behind them, which were then compiled into an eCookbook for download. To celebrate its launch, we hosted two bi-coastal influencer cooking events in NYC and LA, where influencers were outfitted in our clothes and previewed our upcoming collection. Led by top cooking influencers Inga Lam (NYC) and Jess Woo (LA), the events featured cooking classes based on recipes from the cookbook by them, with influencers sharing the download link and showcasing their outfits across their social media channels.
The Impact:
Partnership with 3 lead influencers: Inga Lam, Jess Woo & Tue Nguyen (>1M followers)
23 posts, 620K impressions with a net EMV of $39,700
Attendees: 22 influencers
129 organic posts, 487K audience, 1.5M impressions. EMV: $112,400
500 lead gen (cookbook downloads) in a month
