Marketing strategy example

Marketing strategy example for a direct-to-consumer bedding brand

An ecommerce marketing strategy decides which shoppers a store wants to acquire, what it promises them, and how the budget is split across channels so that each order, and each customer over time, makes money. It is owned by the head of marketing and agreed with the founder, finance, merchandising and operations.

This is the Ecommerce version of the marketing strategy template.

Horizon: 1 year4 priorities · 11 outcomes

Use this template

What this marketing strategy template includes

ContextThe situation, the challenges to solve, and what is deliberately left out.
Target audienceThe segments marketing will focus on and what each one needs.
Positioning and messagingHow the brand should be understood and the proof behind it.
Channel mixThe role of each channel and the share of budget it receives.
BudgetHow the annual marketing budget is divided.
Priorities and measuresThree to five priorities, each with an owner, outcomes with a baseline and target, and the initiatives behind them.

Worked example

A complete marketing strategy for a fictional organization: direct-to-consumer bedding and bath linen brand selling through its own online store.

Worked exampleMarketing strategy

Organization	Direct-to-consumer bedding and bath linen brand selling through its own online store (50 staff)
Ambition	Reach $28 million in revenue with a first order that makes money, by winning full-price buyers and earning their second purchase within 90 days.
Horizon	1 year

Context

Where we are and what we are choosing

We took $24 million from 160,000 orders this year: 96,000 first orders averaging $132 and 64,000 repeat orders averaging $177. A first order leaves $52 in contribution margin before marketing. Blended acquisition cost is $46, but paid social, which takes 63% of the $4.8 million budget and brings 52% of new customers, now costs $61 per customer, up from $38 two years ago. Four sitewide sales a year bring in 40% of new customers, and only 16% of them order again within 12 months, against 34% of those who first buy at full price. Overall, 27% of new customers reorder. Returns run at 11%.

Challenges

A first order from paid social loses $9 after acquisition cost, and most customers never place the second order that would recover it.
Sales have trained a large part of our audience to wait for a discount. Sale shoppers buy one item, rarely return and pull down first-order value.
One channel sets our growth and our costs. When paid social costs rise, we have no other source of new customers large enough to absorb the change.

We will focus on

Full-price buyers setting up or refreshing a bedroom, who buy sets and bundles and come back for the next room.
The second order within 90 days, starting with the 212,000 past customers who have bought from a single category.
Building creators, affiliates, referral and paid search into channels that together bring more new customers than paid social.

We will not

Four sitewide sales a year. We keep two, in November and June, and accept a lower new customer count in the months that lose a sale.
Listing on online marketplaces. It would add order volume, but at a lower margin and without the customer's email, which is what the repeat strategy depends on.
Podcast and connected TV advertising, which our agency proposed. We cannot yet measure them well enough to justify moving budget from channels we can.

Target audience

Segment	Who they are	What they need	Priority
Bedroom setters	Adults 28 to 45 who have moved, renovated or upgraded a mattress in the last six months	Confidence about feel, fit and color without touching the fabric; a bundle that completes the bed	Primary, acquisition
Single-category customers	212,000 past customers who have bought only sheets, only duvet covers or only towels	A timely reason to add the next item, matched to what they own	Primary, repeat
Gift buyers	Shoppers buying for weddings, housewarmings and the holidays	Gift packaging, a clear delivery date and easy exchange for the recipient	Secondary, seasonal
Sale-only shoppers	Customers who have only ever bought during a sitewide sale	The lowest price	Reached during the two sale events only

Positioning and messaging

Positioning statement	For people setting up a bedroom they plan to keep for years, we make long-staple cotton and linen bedding that feels better after 50 washes than on the first night, sold direct at a fair everyday price. Department store brands charge more for the name, and discount brands replace quality with a permanent sale.
Key messages	One fair price all year, with two sales you can plan around. Feel it first: free fabric swatches and a 100-night trial. Complete the bed in one order and save with a bundle. Made to be washed weekly and still look good in five years.
Proof points	Customers rate us 4.7 out of 5 across 38,000 reviews. We wash-test every fabric 50 times before it goes on sale. 34% of full-price customers order again within a year. Fewer than 1 in 100 orders leads to a quality complaint.

Channel mix

Channel	Role	Budget share	Main metric
Paid social	Reach bedroom setters with bundle and swatch offers; retarget swatch requesters	45%	Cost per full-price new customer
Paid search and shopping	Capture shoppers searching for sheets, duvet covers and towels by fabric and size	20%	Contribution margin per order after ad cost
Creators and affiliate review sites	Earn recommendations from home creators and bedding review sites, paid on orders	12%	New customers per month
Email and text messages	Win the second order with category-specific flows; announce the two sales	9%	Second order within 90 days
Referral and package inserts	Turn deliveries into introductions with a give-and-get offer	6%	Referred new customers per month
Organic search and buying guides	Answer fabric, weave and sizing questions before the shopper reaches a competitor	5%	Organic new customers per month
Direct mail	Reach lapsed customers who no longer open email	3%	Reactivated customers per mailing

Budget

Category	Amount	Share
Paid social media spend	$1,920,000	40%
Paid search and shopping media spend	$912,000	19%
Creator fees and affiliate commissions	$576,000	12%
Retention: email, text messages and direct mail	$576,000	12%
Creative production for paid channels	$288,000	6%
Referral rewards and package inserts	$288,000	6%
Buying guides and organic search	$240,000	5%

Priorities and measures

Priority 1Owner: Head of Marketing

Acquire customers at full price

Full-price customers reorder at twice the rate of sale shoppers and spend more on the first order. Fewer sales and a bundle-led offer change who we bring in.

Outcome	Baseline	Target	Due
New customers acquired at full price	60%	75%	Q4 2027
Average first-order value	$132	$150	Q4 2027
First-order contribution margin after acquisition cost	$6	$15	Q4 2027

Initiatives

Cut sitewide sales from four to two and replace the 15% welcome discount with a bundle saving
Launch three bed bundles and make them the lead offer in prospecting ads
Offer free fabric swatches and retarget requesters for 30 days
Report contribution margin per order by channel weekly, not return on ad spend alone

Targets are illustrative. Adapt them to your baseline before you start.

Priority 2Owner: Retention Marketing Manager

Win the second order within 90 days

A customer who buys a second category tends to keep buying. Today post-purchase messages are the same for everyone and 89% of new customers do not reorder in the first three months.

Outcome	Baseline	Target	Due
New customers placing a second order within 90 days	11%	18%	Q4 2027
New customers who reorder within 12 months	27%	34%	Q4 2027
Revenue from email and text messages	21%	27%	Q4 2027

Initiatives

Build post-purchase flows by first category: sheet buyers see duvet covers in the same color, towel buyers see bath mats and robes
Send a care guide on delivery and a review request at day 21
Mail a postcard with a second-room offer to past customers who have not opened email in 180 days
Add a complete-the-set reminder to the account page and order confirmation

Targets are illustrative. Adapt them to your baseline before you start.

Priority 3Owner: Growth Marketing Manager

Build acquisition channels beyond paid social

Paid social brings more than half of new customers at a cost that has risen 61% in two years. Recommendations and search reach people who are already shopping for bedding.

Outcome	Baseline	Target	Due
New customers acquired through paid social	52%	38%	Q4 2027
New customers per month from creators, affiliates and referral	880 customers	1,800 customers	Q4 2027
Blended cost to acquire a customer	$46	$42	Q4 2027

Initiatives

Sign 40 home and interiors creators on a commission plus product basis, with usage rights for ads
Send product to the 15 review sites that rank for bedding comparison searches and join their affiliate programs
Launch a give-and-get referral offer promoted by an insert in every parcel
Split shopping campaigns by product margin and stop bidding on single pillowcases and other low-value items

Targets are illustrative. Adapt them to your baseline before you start.

Priority 4Owner: Brand and Content Lead

Set honest expectations before the order

Nearly half of returns cite feel or color that did not match what the shopper expected. Each one costs shipping both ways and usually ends the relationship.

Outcome	Baseline	Target	Due
Order return rate	11%	8.5%	Q4 2027
Returns citing feel or color not as expected	46%	30%	Q3 2027

Initiatives

Reshoot every color in daylight and lamp light and show both on product pages
Publish a fabric guide comparing percale, sateen and linen by feel, warmth and wrinkling, linked from every ad landing page
Add customer photos and a feel rating from reviews to each product page

Targets are illustrative. Adapt them to your baseline before you start.

Blank marketing strategy template

The same structure with a prompt in every field. Copy it, or download it as a Word or Excel file.

Your planMarketing strategy

Organization	[Describe your organization in a few words, with its size]
Ambition	[One sentence on where you want to be at the end of the plan]
Horizon	[How long the plan runs, for example 12 months]

Context

Where we are and what we are choosing

[Where things stand today: the facts that make this strategy necessary]

Challenges

[A problem the strategy has to solve]
[A problem the strategy has to solve]

We will focus on

[Something you are choosing to concentrate on]
[Something you are choosing to concentrate on]

We will not

[Something you are deliberately leaving out]
[Something you are deliberately leaving out]

Target audience

Segment	Who they are	What they need	Priority
[Segment]	[Who they are]	[What they need]	[Priority]
[Segment]	[Who they are]	[What they need]	[Priority]
[Segment]	[Who they are]	[What they need]	[Priority]

Positioning and messaging

Positioning statement	[Your positioning statement]
Key messages	[Your key messages]
Proof points	[Your proof points]

Channel mix

Channel	Role	Budget share	Main metric
[Channel]	[Role]	[Budget share]	[Main metric]
[Channel]	[Role]	[Budget share]	[Main metric]
[Channel]	[Role]	[Budget share]	[Main metric]

Budget

Category	Amount	Share
[Category]	[Amount]	[Share]
[Category]	[Amount]	[Share]
[Category]	[Amount]	[Share]

Priorities and measures

Priority 1Owner: [Role accountable for this priority]

[Name the priority in a few words]

[Why this priority matters now, in one or two sentences]

Outcome	Baseline	Target	Due
[Metric you will track]	[Where it is today]	[Where it should be]	[When]
[Metric you will track]	[Where it is today]	[Where it should be]	[When]
[Metric you will track]	[Where it is today]	[Where it should be]	[When]

Initiatives

[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]
[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]
[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]
[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]

Priority 2Owner: [Role accountable for this priority]

[Name the priority in a few words]

[Why this priority matters now, in one or two sentences]

Outcome	Baseline	Target	Due
[Metric you will track]	[Where it is today]	[Where it should be]	[When]
[Metric you will track]	[Where it is today]	[Where it should be]	[When]
[Metric you will track]	[Where it is today]	[Where it should be]	[When]

Initiatives

[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]
[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]
[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]
[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]

Priority 3Owner: [Role accountable for this priority]

[Name the priority in a few words]

[Why this priority matters now, in one or two sentences]

Outcome	Baseline	Target	Due
[Metric you will track]	[Where it is today]	[Where it should be]	[When]
[Metric you will track]	[Where it is today]	[Where it should be]	[When]
[Metric you will track]	[Where it is today]	[Where it should be]	[When]

Initiatives

[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]
[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]
[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]
[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]

Priority 4Owner: [Role accountable for this priority]

[Name the priority in a few words]

[Why this priority matters now, in one or two sentences]

Outcome	Baseline	Target	Due
[Metric you will track]	[Where it is today]	[Where it should be]	[When]
[Metric you will track]	[Where it is today]	[Where it should be]	[When]

Initiatives

[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]
[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]
[A project or action that moves the outcomes above]

How to adapt it

01
Work out contribution margin on a first order before marketing, then compare it with acquisition cost by channel. That shows which channels pay back on the first order and which rely on a repeat.
02
Split new customers by how they were acquired, full price or sale, and compare their repeat rates. Decide how many sales the business can afford.
03
Find the second purchase that most often follows the first and build post-purchase messages around it.
04
Set a ceiling for the share of new customers any one paid channel may supply, and fund the alternatives before you need them.
05
Separate media spend from creative production in the budget so both are visible.
06
Bring return reasons into marketing planning. Product pages and ads that overpromise show up there first.

How to run it

A plan only works if it is reviewed on a rhythm. This is the cadence the example assumes.

Check-in	Outcome owners update progress and confidence weekly.
Review	Priority owners review outcomes and unblock initiatives monthly.
Reset	Leadership revisits priorities and targets quarterly.

Tability keeps this cadence for you. Each priority becomes an objective, each outcome a key result with its baseline and target, and each initiative a tracked task. Owners get a check-in reminder and the plan shows what is on track.

Track this plan in Tability

Still comparing tools? See the 10 best strategy software tools.

Common mistakes

Steering by return on ad spend alone, which ignores margin, returns and whether the customer ever comes back.
Adding another sale to hit a monthly revenue number, and teaching full-price customers to wait.
Sending every new customer the same emails regardless of what they bought.
Letting one paid channel supply most new customers until its costs force a cut in growth.

Questions, answered.

What should an ecommerce marketing strategy include?

It should include the shopper segments in priority order, positioning with proof points, a channel mix with a role and budget share for each channel, and the annual budget. Tie the outcomes to unit economics: first-order value, acquisition cost, contribution margin, repeat purchase rate and return rate.

How much should an ecommerce brand spend on marketing?

Spend what the contribution margin can support, not a fixed share of revenue. In this example the brand spends $4.8 million, 20% of revenue, and the test is whether a first order still makes money after acquisition cost. If it does not, the budget depends on repeat orders that must be measured.

How can an online store rely less on paid social?

Build two or three other sources of new customers and give each a budget and a target. This example funds creators and affiliate review sites paid on orders, a referral offer in every parcel, and paid search split by product margin, aiming to cut paid social from 52% to 38% of new customers.

Should an ecommerce brand use discounts to acquire customers?

Sparingly, and only after comparing the repeat rate of discount-acquired customers with full-price ones. In this example customers first acquired in a sitewide sale reorder at 16% against 34% for full-price buyers, so the brand halves the number of sales and leads with bundles instead.

Which metrics matter most in an ecommerce marketing strategy?

Contribution margin per order after acquisition cost, repeat purchase rate and blended cost to acquire a customer matter most, because together they show whether growth is profitable. Average order value and return rate explain why those numbers move. Return on ad spend is useful inside a channel but misleading as the overall measure.

Marketing strategy example for a direct-to-consumer bedding brand

Get the Word file

What this marketing strategy template includes

Worked example

Context

Target audience

Positioning and messaging

Channel mix

Budget

Acquire customers at full price

Win the second order within 90 days

Build acquisition channels beyond paid social

Set honest expectations before the order

Blank marketing strategy template

Context

Target audience

Positioning and messaging

Channel mix

Budget

[Name the priority in a few words]

[Name the priority in a few words]

[Name the priority in a few words]

[Name the priority in a few words]

Get the Word file

How to adapt it

How to run it

Common mistakes

Questions, answered.

What this marketing strategy template includes

Worked example

Acquire customers at full price

Win the second order within 90 days

Build acquisition channels beyond paid social

Set honest expectations before the order

Blank marketing strategy template

[Name the priority in a few words]

[Name the priority in a few words]

[Name the priority in a few words]

[Name the priority in a few words]

How to adapt it

How to run it

Common mistakes

Questions, answered.

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