Keisha Young launched Clay and Olive Skincare with a passion for creating natural, effective skincare products. Like many entrepreneurs, she found herself wearing every hat in the business—content creator, social media manager, marketer, and sales director. Despite her dedication and the quality of her products, Keisha's efforts weren't translating into the growth she envisioned. She was exhausting herself with constant content creation and promotional activities that yielded minimal returns.
Clay and Olive Skincare had all the elements of a successful brand: exceptional products, an authentic founder story, and a clear market need. What was missing was a strategic approach to brand visibility and customer acquisition that would allow these strengths to shine in a crowded skincare marketplace.
Keisha faced multiple challenges that are common to skincare entrepreneurs:
The skincare industry is extraordinarily competitive, with new brands emerging daily and established giants commanding significant market share. Standing out requires more than just quality products—it demands strategic visibility.
Her DIY approach to marketing consumed enormous amounts of time without delivering proportionate results. She was creating content constantly, managing social media platforms, and orchestrating promotions without a cohesive strategy to guide these efforts.
While she understood her products intimately, Keisha lacked the specialized knowledge to build effective sales funnels and advertising campaigns that could systematically convert interest into sales.
Most critically, her focus on chasing press mentions and social media followers wasn't translating into a sustainable customer base or reliable revenue stream. Without a system to nurture these connections into loyal customers, initial interest quickly dissipated.
When Clay and Olive Skincare partnered with Ambiance Media Group, we implemented a comprehensive, multi-phase strategy designed to transform visibility into revenue.
We began by refining Clay and Olive's brand positioning to highlight its unique value proposition in the natural skincare space. This provided a solid foundation for all subsequent media outreach.
Through strategic media pitching, we secured high-impact placements that aligned with Clay and Olive's target demographic. These weren't random press mentions but carefully selected opportunities in outlets like MSN and Beauty Independent that reached potential customers directly. The crowning achievement of this phase was securing a coveted television segment on DayTime Chicago, giving Keisha a platform to showcase her products and share her founder story with a wide audience. This appearance significantly elevated the brand's credibility and visibility. With increased brand visibility established, we transitioned to a focused advertising strategy using Meta platforms. Rather than generic promotions, we developed highly targeted campaigns based on detailed audience analysis and purchase behavior.
Our team created high-converting ad creative that showcased the products' benefits while maintaining the authentic voice of the brand. These weren't just visually appealing ads—they were strategically crafted conversion tools. We implemented comprehensive A/B testing protocols to continually refine ad performance, ensuring every marketing dollar was optimized for maximum return. The most transformative element of our strategy was building a sophisticated sales funnel to systematically convert interest into revenue. This included: creating lead magnets that provided genuine value while capturing contact information from potential customers interested in skincare. Developing targeted email sequences that nurtured these leads with educational content, product information, and strategic offers designed to convert them into paying customers. Implementing an SMS marketing program that complemented email communications with timely, high-impact messages that drove immediate action. Establishing automated workflows that maintained consistent communication with customers and prospects without requiring Keisha's constant attention.
Rather than pursuing followers as the end goal, we helped Clay and Olive build a genuine community around the brand. We shifted focus from vanity metrics to engagement quality and purchase intent. We created content strategies that encouraged meaningful interaction rather than passive consumption, fostering a sense of belonging among Clay and Olive customers. By emphasizing value delivery over constant promotion, we established Clay and Olive as a trusted resource in the skincare space, not just another brand seeking attention.
The transformation of Clay and Olive Skincare from an overwhelmed startup to a thriving skincare business yielded impressive results across multiple dimensions.
The strategic media placements, including features in MSN and Beauty Independent, significantly expanded brand awareness among qualified potential customers interested in natural skincare. The television segment on DayTime Chicago provided massive exposure that traditional advertising couldn't have achieved within the same budget, while also lending credibility that paid promotions don't confer. The media success created a virtuous cycle, with each placement making subsequent opportunities more accessible and building Keisha's reputation as an expert in the natural skincare space.
The implementation of Meta ads transformed Clay and Olive's business trajectory, creating predictable, scalable customer acquisition channels that consistently delivered positive ROI. The sophisticated sales funnel converted interest into revenue systematically, creating a reliable business model that didn't depend on viral moments or unpredictable social media algorithms. By focusing on building a direct relationship with customers through email and SMS, Clay and Olive created a sales engine that operates around the clock, generating revenue even when Keisha isn't actively promoting.
Perhaps most importantly, the business underwent a fundamental shift from reactive, labor-intensive marketing to strategic, systems-based growth. This freed Keisha to focus on product development and other aspects of the business she's passionate about. The development of an engaged customer community created a foundation for sustainable, long-term growth through repeat purchases and word-of-mouth referrals. With established systems in place, Clay and Olive now has the infrastructure to scale efficiently without proportionately increasing Keisha's workload or marketing costs.
"When I launched my skincare brand, I was overwhelmed—constantly creating content, managing social media, and running promotions myself. I was working tirelessly to sell my products but using ineffective methods. Everything changed when I partnered with Farah to manage my brand's reputation. Clay and Olive Skincare quickly gained recognition through prestigious media features in MSN, Beauty Independent, and even secured a television segment on DayTime Chicago. Farah then elevated our strategy by implementing Meta ads, which completely transformed our business trajectory. She developed high-converting ads, created targeted strategies, and built a sales funnel that consistently generates leads and revenue. With Farah's framework, I transitioned from simply chasing press mentions and social followers to building a powerful email and text community that drives sales around the clock. The growth has been nothing short of exceptional."
~ Keisha Young, Founder of Clay and Olive Skincare
