Praxis: Module 3
Project Overview
I Created Marketing Content for a Startup
In Lubbock, Texas, a recent policy change has prompted the use of individual household trashcans instead of community dumpsters. This means that each household will have its own personal curbside trashcan. Cue the need to address the age-old problem of holding your breath every time you open your trashcan lid. Hearing about the new city-wide ordinance, two entrepreneurs took to the drawing board. What’s one thing everyone can agree on? Dirty trashcans are a menace. A company by the name of Toucan Cleaners was born. Their goal: combat the stench and dangers of dirty trashcans.
Cover image of a Toucan, serving as a sneak peek for the mascot of Toucan Cleaners.
Why Toucan Cleaners?
The co-founders of the company are in my LinkedIn network, and I’ve been following their idea from the start. I instantly saw the potential it has, and wanted to help them however possible.
Every company needs a way to show potential customers who they are and what they do. That’s where I come into the equation.
Keep reading to see what I created for Toucan Cleaners.
Weekly Progress
I documented my experience each week. This is where you can read about it.
The first week was all about brainstorming topics and planning the project.
Week two consisted of collaboration with the company and developing their brand mascot’s story.
Week three focused on creating marketing content and how to track its efficacy.
What I Learned
To make it easy for you, here is a list of all the pieces to this project. Check them out:
- Is Copywriting a Dying Trade?
- In this blog post I discuss whether or not Artificial Intelligence (AI) is killing the copywriting business.
- Brand Mascot: Oscar the Tidy Toucan
- Here, I demonstrate how I created a personality and back story for the company’s mascot.
- Creating a Marketing Campaign for a Startup
- This blog post is about how I created marketing content for Toucan Cleaners’ Instagram account.
- Dynamic QR Codes to Measure Marketing Efficacy
- The best marketing is impactful, and here I explore one way to track the success of physical marketing mediums.
- Behind the Scenes at Toucan Cleaners
- I created a behind-the-scenes gallery to show off the company’s hard work.
What Would I do Differently?
What’s the biggest room in the world? Room for improvement.
It goes without saying that I worked diligently on this project, but I recognize some things that could have been done differently.
- Learn to create short social media videos
- The leading social media platforms are using short videos to boost user interaction. It would have been wise to add those to my repertoire.
- Choosing a Startup that had already launched
- Don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot and enjoyed working with Toucan Cleaners, but there was quite a bit I couldn’t publish because they haven’t launched yet. I will be revisiting this project in the future to include the pieces that I couldn’t originally.
That being said, I plan to learn all about short social media videos for use in the future!
Regardless of working around the secret Toucan Cleaners content, I learned invaluable lessons I’m certain will help me throughout my career. I’m very thankful for their help and willingness to share their business information with me. I look forward to working with them again!
What I Gained
I gained the following skills:
- Experience working with a real Startup
- Communication and respect for a client’s wishes
- Task, Time, and Project Management
- Instagram Ads
- Competitive marketing research
- Adaptability
Wrapping Up
Over the past month, I have pushed myself to my limits. I learned real-world lessons for making marketing content. Though it was challenging, I know it will ultimately continue to serve me as my career progresses.
As stated before, much of Toucan Cleaners‘ content could not be included in the original publication of this project. Once the company launches publicly, I will return to this post to include never-before-seen content.
Stay tuned! You won’t want to miss this.
Ves Slone 