E-commerce · DTC · Performance Creative

Marketing built on
how people think.

Creative strategist: marketing from A to Z, built on research and human psychology

I dig into a market until I understand the people in it: what they want, what they fear and why they buy. That's how I see a problem differently from everyone else in the category, and I turn it into the positioning, message and ads that sell.

Open to remote contract · freelance · retainer 10 to 20 hrs / week Remote · UTC+8 Live overlap: 8am to 12pm US Eastern

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How I work

I map every angle in a market, from the one everybody runs to the one nobody does.

Good research does not stop at one clever idea. I cover the whole market: what competitors run, what the brand claims, and how real customers talk about their problem. Then I sort every angle, the proven ones everyone uses and the open ones nobody touches, so the team knows where to compete head on and where to stand out.

01 / MARKET

Read the market, then the brand

Competitors, category claims, and real customer language from reviews, forums and communities come first. Then the brand, checked against what the market actually says.

02 / CUSTOMERS

Classify every customer, find the underserved

Sort buyers by what they want, fear and struggle with. Map who every ad already targets, and who nobody is talking to yet.

03 / DELIVERY

Hand over everything needed to write the ad

Avatar, angle, awareness level, customer language, proof, claims to avoid, hooks and scripts. Ready to brief, shoot and test.

The three cases below are self-initiated spec research, not commissioned by the brands. No client relationship with these brands, no spend, no results claimed. (My real ads and real numbers are in the Operator section right below.) For one angle in each case I take it all the way to the hooks and scripts (shown in the "Hooks & script" panels); the other angles stop at the strategy, ready for a team to build. Every factual claim traces to a public source.

Messaging psychology

Know what the buyer already knows, then talk to that.

The same person needs a different ad depending on how much they already know about their problem and your product. I classify every customer and tag every hook by awareness level (Eugene Schwartz's five stages), so the message meets the buyer where they are instead of pitching too early or explaining too much.

01Unaware

What they know: nothing yet. They don't see the problem as a problem.
How I talk to them: open on a moment they recognize from their own life and let them see themselves in it.

"Noise made me leave every dinner early, until I found this." Loop

02Problem aware

What they know: the pain, in their own words. Not the fix.
How I talk to them: name the pain exactly the way they say it, then show there is a way out.

"Loud restaurants wreck you, but you still want to be with your friends. This is for you." Loop

03Solution aware

What they know: that fixes exist. They have doubts or a bad past experience.
How I talk to them: answer the objection head on and show why this one is different.

"I thought it was rude to wear earplugs while talking to people. Turns out nobody cares." Loop

04Product aware

What they know: the product. They're not sure it's right for them.
How I talk to them: proof, honesty, and a clear line on who it's for and who it isn't.

"If your skin gets oily by lunch, do NOT buy this balm. Here's who it's actually for." Jones Road

05Most aware

What they know: everything. They just need a reason to act now.
How I talk to them: remove the last risk and give a direct call to action.

"Order it now, pay on delivery." My gap-filler ad, Saudi Arabia

Customer awareness levelsMessaging psychologyCustomer classificationMarket & competitor researchCompetitor ad analysisAngle developmentCreative briefsHooks & scriptsUGC directionMeta creative testing

Operator experience · my own money

The real one: I ran my own DTC test, with my own cash.

The spec cases below show how I think. This is what I actually did with real money and a live ad account.

SELF-FUNDED

~$2,000

my own money, across 4 product tests

WINNER'S CPL

$3.89

cost per lead on the winning product

RESULT

4 → 1

products tested, one clear winner

I tested a gap-filler product into the GCC, mainly Saudi Arabia, where car culture and adventure are huge. I ran four product tests with about $2,000 of my own money. The fourth one was the winner. It brought in leads at a $3.89 cost per lead, so the demand was real.

Then the economics broke. After the Iran-US war, the landed cost per unit jumped from around $2 to around $6. That ate most of the margin and left me roughly $3 a unit. I had funding lined up to import at scale, but I stopped the operation anyway. I had spent the last of my own cash, and the margin was too thin to risk more.

The lesson I keep: demand is only half the business. Unit economics, logistics, and timing decide whether a winning ad becomes a real company. I would rather stop a risky operation than burn money I do not have.

The winning creative · 2 of my 4 test videos

The product was a car seat gap filler: it seals the gap between the seat and the console so your phone and keys stop falling in. I wrote, filmed, and directed these UGC-style ads in Saudi Arabic. English translation and the angle are under each one.

Ad 1 · problem-first hook

English: "Every time, my phone falls between the seat and the console and I have to reach in and dig it out. It was so annoying. With this product the gap is sealed. Nothing falls in anymore. Available now, cash on delivery."

Angle: open on the everyday annoyance everyone recognizes, show the one-second fix, close on cash on delivery (the trusted way to buy in the market).

Ad 2 · curiosity hook + captions

English: "Why did nobody tell me about this sooner? My phone and keys always fall into the gap between the seat and the console. Honestly it got annoying. Now I've sealed the gap. Nothing falls in there anymore. Order it now, pay on delivery."

Angle: a stronger "why did nobody tell me" discovery hook, on-screen Arabic captions for silent autoplay, and a clear install demo before the same cash-on-delivery close.

Real project, from my own ad account. Figures are approximate, from memory. I stopped it for an honest reason: a cost jump after the Iran-US war made the unit economics too risky to keep spending on.

Selected work · 3 spec case studies

Three examples of the method, not the limit of it. Each one shows the crowded angles everyone runs, then the open customers they miss. The same process works on any DTC product.

Case 01 · reusable earplugs

Loop Earplugs

Loop sells good-looking earplugs that turn the volume down instead of blocking sound out. Their famous ad sells the concert. But the people who talk about Loop like it changed their life mostly aren't at a concert.

The saturated lane: what everyone already runs

"Protect your hearing at loud events without missing the vibe." The most-run message in the category, and where Loop already spends. Competing here means fighting the brand's own budget with a weaker version of their best-known story.

4 opportunity angles

ANGLE 01

The everyday sensory survival kit

Overstimulated ADHD / autistic adultMisophonia sufferer

The tensionThey do not want to block the world out. That feels isolating and unsafe. They want to take the edge off so they can keep functioning at work, in shops, on the train. Reduce, don't silence.

"I wear them wherever I tend to get overstimulated."
Recurring across ADHD and sensory communities

Why it's the opportunityLoop's paid creative leans aesthetic and event-driven. The daily-functioning story is enormous in the reviews and barely in the ads, and it hits harder. For this person earplugs aren't a Saturday-night extra. They're how they get through a Tuesday.

› Proof & guardrails

The ad must prove

What "reduce, not silence" really means: you still hear a coworker talk to you
A real day, not a stage
Honest trade-offs: slightly muffled, own-voice can feel plugged

It must never claim

That it treats or cures misophonia, tinnitus, ADHD or autism. It's a coping tool, not a medical device

My move nextDecide whether to lead on work focus or public overwhelm (they're different scripts), then write the hook against one specific moment.

ANGLE 02

"Still at the table"

Loud-restaurant social burnoutParent at a noisy party

The tensionThey love their friends but leave loud bars fried and go home early. They want to stay and actually hear the conversation. The fear is social.

"Isn't it rude to wear earplugs while someone's talking to me?"
The objection this angle has to answer

Why it's the opportunityIt flips earplugs from "blocking people out" to "being able to stay in the room." That reframe is emotional, specific, and I almost never see it run as a paid angle.

› Proof & guardrails

The ad must prove

You can still follow a conversation across a table (the Engage model keeps speech clear)
The honest limit: quieter and slightly filtered, not perfect natural hearing

It must never claim

Perfect, unaltered hearing. That's a different product category

My move nextPick the venue that hurts most for the target (dinner party, wedding, open-plan happy hour) and build the before/after around staying vs bailing.

Hooks & script · done

Three hooks, one emotional lane each:

Identity · problem aware: "Loud restaurants wreck you, but you still want to be with your friends. This is for you."
Objection · solution aware: "I thought it was rude to wear earplugs while talking to people. Turns out nobody cares, and I can finally actually communicate."
Transformation · unaware: "Noise made me leave every dinner early, until I found this."

Sample script (transformation, ~30s):

"Every single time. The place would get loud, my head would start pounding, and by nine I was already in an Uber home feeling like the boring one. Then a friend put me onto these. They don't cut everything out. They just take the noise down, so I can hear people without the room roaring over them. Last week I stayed till they kicked us out. First time in years I wasn't the first to leave."

ANGLE 03

The light sleeper with a snoring partner

Light sleeper next to a snorerDay-sleeping shift worker

The tensionThey've tried foam plugs and hated them. They fall out and dig into your ear when you sleep on your side. They want something comfortable enough to side-sleep in that still knocks the snoring down. A reviewer described finally getting a solid eight hours after weeks of broken sleep.

Why it's the opportunity"Better sleep" is generic. "My partner snores and it's wrecking me" is specific and a little funny, and it's a real reason people buy. It's sharper than the calm-bedroom shots the category usually runs.

› Proof & guardrails

The ad must prove

Real side-sleeping comfort. The foam-plug failure is the whole reason they're shopping
Honesty: loud sounds still get through; this softens snoring, it doesn't deliver silence

It must never claim

Silence, or that it treats a sleep disorder

My move nextDecide if the hero is the sleeper or the loveable, guilty snorer. That choice sets the whole tone.

ANGLE 04

New-parent noise overwhelm · handle with care

Flooded postpartum parent

The tensionCrying, the TV, the dishwasher, the doorbell, all at once, on no sleep. They want everything turned down a notch so they don't snap, but they're terrified of not hearing their baby. "Reduce, don't silence" is the exact reassurance.

Why it's the opportunityAlmost nobody advertises to this parent directly. The feeling is heavy and real, and that's what stops the scroll.

› Proof & guardrails

The ad must prove

That you clearly still hear your child. If that proof isn't obvious, the angle is dropped

It must never claim

Any safety guarantee, or that it's fine to tune a child out

My move nextOnly run it if the "you still hear them" proof is airtight. If it isn't, kill it. The risk here is brand safety, not just a weak ad.

If a team could test one thing first

Start with Angle 01 (everyday sensory) or Angle 02 (still at the table). Both go after a big customer the concert ad ignores, and both have honest proof you can film. Angle 03 is the easiest lighter-toned win; Angle 04 is highest-warmth, highest-risk.

Honest boundary: I found strong evidence these customers and tensions exist and are underserved in Loop's ads. I did not prove any angle converts. That's what the test is for.

Sources (retrieved 2026-09-22): Loop US product / compare pages · audiologist & hands-on reviews (TechRadar) · neurodivergent-use write-ups · owner discussion across sensory / ADHD / sleep communities · NIDCD & CDC on noise exposure.

Case 02 · ceramic cookware

Caraway Cookware

"Non-toxic and beautiful" was a fresh story two years ago. Today it's the most crowded lane in cookware. The job isn't to say it louder. It's to find the person for whom "non-toxic" is the whole reason they're shopping.

The saturated lane: what everyone already runs

"Beautiful, PFAS-free cookware for a healthier kitchen." Our Place, GreenPan, Made In, All-Clad and a dozen others say the same words over the same pastel flat-lay. Repeating it adds nothing.

3 opportunity angles

ANGLE 01

The bird house

Pet-bird owners: parrot, cockatiel, conure

The tensionThis one is literally life-or-death. Overheated traditional non-stick (PTFE) releases fumes that can kill a pet bird within minutes. It's a well-documented hazard, and every bird owner has read the horror stories. Caraway is PTFE-free, and even names "pet-bird owners" on its own site. But almost no ad speaks to that person. To them, "non-toxic" isn't a wellness vibe. It means "my pans won't kill my bird."

Why it's the opportunityHigh intent, high emotion, low ad competition, and a community (r/parrots) that shares recommendations obsessively. It's a small audience, but they buy and they tell everyone.

› Proof & guardrails

The ad must prove

Stick to the documented fact: no PTFE, so no PTFE off-gassing risk
Keep the claim tight and factual

It must never claim

A vet-style guarantee ("this will save your bird")
That every other pan is a bird-killer beyond the real, documented overheated-PTFE hazard

My move nextChoose the tone (calm reassurance, or the quiet dread of the horror story), then write to one bird owner, not "pet parents" in general.

ANGLE 02

"I babied it and it still died"

Careful premium buyer, burned before

The tensionThey want to believe, but they (or a friend) followed every rule (low heat, hand-wash, silicone tools) and still watched the non-stick fade in a year or two. The category's dirty secret: ceramic non-stick wears faster than the "effortless forever" marketing implies.

"We were mindful of cooking and cleaning per their recommendations… and they still wore sooner than expected."
Owner, r/UninfluencedReviews

Why it's the opportunityEveryone markets "effortless, beautiful, lasts." Almost nobody runs an honest version: how long it really lasts, how to make it last longer, and what the warranty covers. It feels scary. But when the loudest complaint is "it didn't last," honesty is what sets you apart.

› Proof & guardrails

The ad must prove

A real care routine, shown on screen instead of buried in fine print
Honest lifespan framing and clear warranty mechanics

It must never claim

"Permanent" non-stick, "lasts forever," or a specific "lasts X years" without a defined test

My move nextDecide how much honesty the brand can stomach, then write the hook around the exact moment of doubt: "is this actually going to last?"

Hooks & script · done

Three hooks across Trust and Fear:

Trust / lesson: "I've been through choosing a non-toxic pan 3 times in a year, and here's what I learned."
Investigation: "I babied my last premium nonstick pan but it still wore off, so I got obsessive about the why."
Fear: "Before you spend $145 on a pretty pan that dies in a year, watch this."

Sample script (fear):

"I've wasted so much on expensive nonstick that quit in months. Before you buy another, two things. First, and most important: usually it's not the pan, it's who you buy it from and the quality they actually put into it. Second, watch the killers: high heat, cooking spray, and metal tools eating the coating. The reason I landed here is they tell you that instead of pretending it lasts forever. PFAS-free, simple care rules, warranty. No pan lasts forever, but this one I can keep alive."

ANGLE 03

The new-kitchen reset

Life-transition buyer: move-in, first place, fresh start

The tensionThe trigger isn't "toxins." It's the emotional reset. They're finally binning the mismatched drawer of scratched hand-me-down pans and want the new chapter to feel like a fresh, grown-up kitchen. The colour and the storage racks deliver order and intention. The fear is paying premium for "just pretty."

Why it's the opportunity"Beautiful cookware" is saturated and generic. Attaching that same beauty to a specific life moment makes it personal instead of decorative. Moving, a wedding registry or a new home is a real buying trigger, and the pretty ads treat it as background.

› Proof & guardrails

The ad must prove

It earns its place: storage that works in a real cabinet, easy everyday cleanup
The "calm kitchen" payoff is real but subjective, so don't oversell it

It must never claim

That the cookware improves your life, relationship or home in any measurable way

My move nextPick the single life moment (move-in, first apartment, post-divorce reset). The trigger is the hook and the pans are the reward.

If a team could test one thing first

Start with Angle 01 (bird owners) to win a sharp, low-competition niche outright, or Angle 02 (durability honesty) for a trust position that could scale to the whole skeptical middle. Angle 03 is the safest brand-building play.

Claims warning (part of the work): the "non-toxic" space is legally sensitive. An advertising review (NAD, Aug 2025) found Caraway had support for its own PFAS-free claims but told it not to imply competitors' cookware is unsafe, and there's active litigation. Translation for creative: describe your materials factually; don't call the other guys poison.

Sources (retrieved 2026-09-22): Caraway product / care / warranty / testing pages · Target & Walmart listings · r/cookware & r/UninfluencedReviews · a 2025 independent chef test · VCA / pet-insurance on PTFE toxicity in birds · NAD decision summary & FTC Green Guides.

Case 03 · Miracle Balm

Jones Road Miracle Balm

A polarising product: some people call it a miracle, others say it's greasy and their hair sticks to their face. When something works brilliantly for one person and fails another, the smart move isn't to sell it to everyone louder. It's to get sharper about who it's for.

The saturated lane: what everyone already runs

"Effortless no-makeup glow," led by Bobbi Brown, aimed broadly at women 40+. It leans on a founder halo I can't replicate, and "dewy natural glow" is the most crowded promise in the category. Selling to "everyone" is also why the angry reviews pile up. It doesn't suit every skin type.

3 opportunity angles

ANGLE 01

Makeup for people who are bad at makeup

Intimidated, low-skill, owns almost no makeup

The tensionShe feels bad at makeup and gets intimidated in Sephora. She wants to look alive in 30 seconds with a finger, without brushes or a tutorial. Miracle Balm is forgiving and finger-applied. The trap is the learning curve nobody warns her about: break the seal, warm a tiny amount, less than you think.

Why it's the opportunityThe category sells to people who already love makeup. The "I don't know how and I don't want to learn" person is huge, emotionally under-served, and a perfect match for a forgiving finger product.

› Proof & guardrails

The ad must prove

The just-a-finger application, filmed honestly
The tiny-amount rule up front, so she doesn't fail on day one
Realistic sheer payoff: glow, not coverage

It must never claim

That it covers like foundation, or works for literally everyone

My move nextDecide if the emotional hook is relief ("finally, something I can't mess up") or permission ("you don't have to be good at this").

ANGLE 02

The dry-skin, dry-winter glow

Dry / cold-climate skinPerimenopausal dryness

The tensionEverything they put on sits in their dry patches and looks worse by noon. They want moisture plus a little life, not cakey powder. This is the exact skin context where the balm's emollient nature is a strength. One buyer in Alaska called its heavy feel a plus in the dry cold.

Why it's the opportunityThe product polarises because it's sold to everyone. The better play is to aim it at the skin type it actually works for, so more buyers are happy and fewer send it back.

› Proof & guardrails

The ad must prove

The dry-skin / dry-climate before-and-after
Honesty that it's emollient and glowy, not matte or set-dry

It must never claim

That it suits oily skin, or a proven "24-hour hydration" number (no inspectable study found)

My move nextPick the trigger moment (winter, a trip somewhere dry, the season foundation starts flaking) and build around it.

ANGLE 03

The honest anti-avatar

Oily skin · hair-in-face · scent-sensitive

The tensionThis buyer buys it, hates it, and leaves a furious review. The strategy: speak to them first and disqualify them: "if your skin runs oily and you hate a dewy finish, this probably isn't your product, and here's why."

"It's so gloopy that your hair sticks to your face." · "It never sets." · "Too sticky… I'll never use it."
Real 1-star reviews this angle gets ahead of

Why it's the opportunity almost nobody usesPre-qualifying does three things at once: it builds real trust, it filters out the buyers who'd return it and trash the reviews, and it makes the people who stay convert harder. Sometimes the best strategy is telling the wrong customer "not you."

› Proof & guardrails

The ad must prove

Honest texture and scent: it's balmy, scented with aromatic oils, and stays dewy
A low-risk path for the unsure: the mini, the shade quiz, the return window

It must never claim

Universal fit, hypoallergenic, or fragrance-free. The label lists limonene, linalool & citral

My move nextDecide how bold the disqualification is. Only run it if the brand will actually stand behind pointing some people away.

Hooks & script · done

Three hooks that filter the wrong buyer out:

Identity: "If your skin gets oily by lunch, do NOT buy this balm. Here's who it's actually for."
Clean filter: "Dry skin, this is for you. Oily by noon? Skip it."
Talk-you-out: "I'm about to talk you OUT of buying the product I'm selling."

Sample script (talk-you-out):

"I would rather lose the sale than get a bad review. So here's the truth. This balm is thick. It feels wet on your skin. And it has a strong smell. If your skin is oily, or you hate that wet look, or smells bug you, you will hate it. But if your skin is dry and dull and nothing else works, it's really good. Buy it for the right reason. Order now."

If a team could test one thing first

Start with Angle 02 (dry-skin win) for the cleanest performance test, because you're aiming the product where it actually works. Angle 01 is the biggest emotional audience; Angle 03 is the boldest and the best talking point.

Honest boundary: the reviews clearly show who this product wins for and who it fails. That's evidence of who to target, not proof any angle converts. No results claimed, and I'd never universalise this product to every face.

Sources (retrieved 2026-09-22): Jones Road US / UK product, ingredient & policy pages · multi-tester editorial (Good Housekeeping, TODAY) · US & UK Trustpilot · a Mumsnet owner thread · a Reddit-review roundup · competitor pages (Merit, Tower 28, Saie).

Marketing built onhow people think.

I map every angle in a market, from the one everybody runs to the one nobody does.

Read the market, then the brand

Classify every customer, find the underserved

Hand over everything needed to write the ad

Know what the buyer already knows, then talk to that.

The real one: I ran my own DTC test, with my own cash.

Loop Earplugs

The everyday sensory survival kit

"Still at the table"

The light sleeper with a snoring partner

New-parent noise overwhelm · handle with care

Caraway Cookware

The bird house

"I babied it and it still died"

The new-kitchen reset

Jones Road Miracle Balm

Makeup for people who are bad at makeup

The dry-skin, dry-winter glow

The honest anti-avatar

Marketing built on
how people think.