Client
topology eyewear
Year
2016-2019
Engagement
Chief marketing officer
Client
topology eyewear
Year
2016-2019
Engagement
Chief marketing officer
Client
topology eyewear
Year
2016-2019
Engagement
Chief marketing officer
The engagement
The engagement
Chief Marketing Officer for this startup using AI, ML, Computer Vision and AR to create Custom-Tailored eyewear that’s fitted from an iPhone scan of your face, styled using Augmented Reality virtual try-on and made-to-order in San Francisco.
Joined as 5th employee/1st marketing hire at the seed-funded stage, grew the marketing team through company expansion to 40 staff and raising over $10M.
Developed the entire marketing mix from scratch, including Branding, PR, Campaigns, Growth Strategies, Events, Packaging, and Retail.
Rigorously tested and invalidated DTC channel based on unit economics.
Led pivot into retail, securing national distribution with Canada's #1 retailer.
Chief Marketing Officer for this startup using AI, ML, Computer Vision and AR to create Custom-Tailored eyewear that’s fitted from an iPhone scan of your face, styled using Augmented Reality virtual try-on and made-to-order in San Francisco.
Joined as 5th employee/1st marketing hire at the seed-funded stage, grew the marketing team through company expansion to 40 staff and raising over $10M.
Developed the entire marketing mix from scratch, including Branding, PR, Campaigns, Growth Strategies, Events, Packaging, and Retail.
Rigorously tested and invalidated DTC channel based on unit economics.
Led pivot into retail, securing national distribution with Canada's #1 retailer.
The engagement
Chief Marketing Officer for this startup using AI, ML, Computer Vision and AR to create Custom-Tailored eyewear that’s fitted from an iPhone scan of your face, styled using Augmented Reality virtual try-on and made-to-order in San Francisco.
Joined as 5th employee/1st marketing hire at the seed-funded stage, grew the marketing team through company expansion to 40 staff and raising over $10M.
Developed the entire marketing mix from scratch, including Branding, PR, Campaigns, Growth Strategies, Events, Packaging, and Retail.
Rigorously tested and invalidated DTC channel based on unit economics.
Led pivot into retail, securing national distribution with Canada's #1 retailer.
The Brief
The Brief
Founder Eric Varady had been working in stealth for several years on advanced manufacturing techniques, but had no customer validation, no positioning and struggled to explain why such an elaborate approach to eyewear was required.
My job began with founder research to understand the problem he was solving, customer discovery to validate the problem and category design to position the need for such a radically novel approach.
Founder Eric Varady had been working in stealth for several years on advanced manufacturing techniques, but had no customer validation, no positioning and struggled to explain why such an elaborate approach to eyewear was required.
My job began with founder research to understand the problem he was solving, customer discovery to validate the problem and category design to position the need for such a radically novel approach.
The Brief
Founder Eric Varady had been working in stealth for several years on advanced manufacturing techniques, but had no customer validation, no positioning and struggled to explain why such an elaborate approach to eyewear was required.
My job began with founder research to understand the problem he was solving, customer discovery to validate the problem and category design to position the need for such a radically novel approach.
CATEGORY DESIGN
CATEGORY DESIGN
Point of view
Point of view
Eric was motivated by the problems he experienced finding prescription eyewear that fit, which included glasses sliding down the nose, pinching, creating headaches as well as the generally frustrating shopping experience.
Eric's insight was that every person's face is unique, but all glasses are made thousands of a time for an average face, which does not represent many people. This led to his desire to enable mass customization of eyewear.
Together we distilled this insight into crisp POV statements like those seen in the images below.
Eric was motivated by the problems he experienced finding prescription eyewear that fit, which included glasses sliding down the nose, pinching, creating headaches as well as the generally frustrating shopping experience.
Eric's insight was that every person's face is unique, but all glasses are made thousands of a time for an average face, which does not represent many people. This led to his desire to enable mass customization of eyewear.
Together we distilled this insight into crisp POV statements like those seen in the images below.
Point of view
Eric was motivated by the problems he experienced finding prescription eyewear that fit, which included glasses sliding down the nose, pinching, creating headaches as well as the generally frustrating shopping experience.
Eric's insight was that every person's face is unique, but all glasses are made thousands of a time for an average face, which does not represent many people. This led to his desire to enable mass customization of eyewear.
Together we distilled this insight into crisp POV statements like those seen in the images below.
positioning
positioning
We decided to position Topology as the leader of a new category called Custom-Tailored Eyewear, compared to all other eyewear which we positioned as "stock" eyewear.
This subtly pejorative "anti category" name of stock was deliberately chosen to tarnish the overpriced, designer brands as inferior compared to the custom POV of Topology.
We decided to position Topology as the leader of a new category called Custom-Tailored Eyewear, compared to all other eyewear which we positioned as "stock" eyewear.
This subtly pejorative "anti category" name of stock was deliberately chosen to tarnish the overpriced, designer brands as inferior compared to the custom POV of Topology.
positioning
We decided to position Topology as the leader of a new category called Custom-Tailored Eyewear, compared to all other eyewear which we positioned as "stock" eyewear.
This subtly pejorative "anti category" name of stock was deliberately chosen to tarnish the overpriced, designer brands as inferior compared to the custom POV of Topology.
Execution
Execution
My early customer research revealed that while many customers did experience the symptoms of poor-fitting eyewear, most did not understand that the problems were actually due to poor fit, and blindly accepted the problems as a given.
This insight instructed us to invest in detailed explanation of the problem prior to revealing the solution, which successfully activated customers. We paired this with very bold and opinionated copy that drew attention to the contrasts.
My early customer research revealed that while many customers did experience the symptoms of poor-fitting eyewear, most did not understand that the problems were actually due to poor fit, and blindly accepted the problems as a given.
This insight instructed us to invest in detailed explanation of the problem prior to revealing the solution, which successfully activated customers. We paired this with very bold and opinionated copy that drew attention to the contrasts.
Execution
My early customer research revealed that while many customers did experience the symptoms of poor-fitting eyewear, most did not understand that the problems were actually due to poor fit, and blindly accepted the problems as a given.
This insight instructed us to invest in detailed explanation of the problem prior to revealing the solution, which successfully activated customers. We paired this with very bold and opinionated copy that drew attention to the contrasts.
Brand
Brand
BRAND STRATEGY
BRAND STRATEGY
Topology is a very high tech process, but the end product of eyeglasses are still very much a statement of style. So after initial "prototype" branding had failed to resonate with many customers, we knew we needed a brand to match our assertive positioning.
In addition to injecting some style and character, we recognized the opportunity of tapping into the zeitgeist of individualism and inclusion that would also appeal to our early adopter audience.
Topology is a very high tech process, but the end product of eyeglasses are still very much a statement of style. So after initial "prototype" branding had failed to resonate with many customers, we knew we needed a brand to match our assertive positioning.
In addition to injecting some style and character, we recognized the opportunity of tapping into the zeitgeist of individualism and inclusion that would also appeal to our early adopter audience.
BRAND STRATEGY
Topology is a very high tech process, but the end product of eyeglasses are still very much a statement of style. So after initial "prototype" branding had failed to resonate with many customers, we knew we needed a brand to match our assertive positioning.
In addition to injecting some style and character, we recognized the opportunity of tapping into the zeitgeist of individualism and inclusion that would also appeal to our early adopter audience.
Execution
Execution
I hired San Francisco's "Character" (Now Dentsu) design studio to execute the brand redesign across all channels. The result is a fun, bold and highly original brand, differentiated from stock eyewear while also highly original for a tech brand.
I hired San Francisco's "Character" (Now Dentsu) design studio to execute the brand redesign across all channels. The result is a fun, bold and highly original brand, differentiated from stock eyewear while also highly original for a tech brand.
Execution
I hired San Francisco's "Character" (Now Dentsu) design studio to execute the brand redesign across all channels. The result is a fun, bold and highly original brand, differentiated from stock eyewear while also highly original for a tech brand.
TRACTION
TRACTION
DIGITAL
DIGITAL
From 2016 through 2018 our primary channel hypothesis was Direct-to-Consumer / ecommerce. I built an internal team to apply the branding across web, mobile, Shopify and email marketing automation.
With a focus on video, we rolled out the new brand across paid social, SEM/SEO, PR and influencer partnerships.
Despite excellent performance of the creative, further viability testing of the channel revealed that unit economics were never going to be viable. I therefore facilitated a major pivot decision with the board and we pivoted into in-store retail.
From 2016 through 2018 our primary channel hypothesis was Direct-to-Consumer / ecommerce. I built an internal team to apply the branding across web, mobile, Shopify and email marketing automation.
With a focus on video, we rolled out the new brand across paid social, SEM/SEO, PR and influencer partnerships.
Despite excellent performance of the creative, further viability testing of the channel revealed that unit economics were never going to be viable. I therefore facilitated a major pivot decision with the board and we pivoted into in-store retail.
DIGITAL
From 2016 through 2018 our primary channel hypothesis was Direct-to-Consumer / ecommerce. I built an internal team to apply the branding across web, mobile, Shopify and email marketing automation.
With a focus on video, we rolled out the new brand across paid social, SEM/SEO, PR and influencer partnerships.
Despite excellent performance of the creative, further viability testing of the channel revealed that unit economics were never going to be viable. I therefore facilitated a major pivot decision with the board and we pivoted into in-store retail.
Retail
Retail
The pivot to in-store retail required a major re-work of our marketing materials into sales materials for guided selling by opticians. I led the concepting and development of a new POS display concept and personally trained and setup several new stores to hear feedback and iterate the design.
After implementing a small number of pilot stores in the USA, we scored a nationwide trial with Canada's #1 eyewear retailer. We aced the pilot and unlocked $5M funding plus national distribution.
The pivot to in-store retail required a major re-work of our marketing materials into sales materials for guided selling by opticians. I led the concepting and development of a new POS display concept and personally trained and setup several new stores to hear feedback and iterate the design.
After implementing a small number of pilot stores in the USA, we scored a nationwide trial with Canada's #1 eyewear retailer. We aced the pilot and unlocked $5M funding plus national distribution.
Retail
The pivot to in-store retail required a major re-work of our marketing materials into sales materials for guided selling by opticians. I led the concepting and development of a new POS display concept and personally trained and setup several new stores to hear feedback and iterate the design.
After implementing a small number of pilot stores in the USA, we scored a nationwide trial with Canada's #1 eyewear retailer. We aced the pilot and unlocked $5M funding plus national distribution.
B2B Licensing
B2B Licensing
Following the Canadian investment and distribution, Topology went on to develop white label products offerings for the retailer's own brands, as well as implementation of Topology's virtual fitting experience for the retailer's full catalogue.
Following my departure at the end of 2019, Topology pivoted again during COVID to become the major provider of virtual fitting experiences, allowing optical stores shuttered by the pandemic to meet the need for online shopping of stock eyewear.
Following the Canadian investment and distribution, Topology went on to develop white label products offerings for the retailer's own brands, as well as implementation of Topology's virtual fitting experience for the retailer's full catalogue.
Following my departure at the end of 2019, Topology pivoted again during COVID to become the major provider of virtual fitting experiences, allowing optical stores shuttered by the pandemic to meet the need for online shopping of stock eyewear.
B2B Licensing
Following the Canadian investment and distribution, Topology went on to develop white label products offerings for the retailer's own brands, as well as implementation of Topology's virtual fitting experience for the retailer's full catalogue.
Following my departure at the end of 2019, Topology pivoted again during COVID to become the major provider of virtual fitting experiences, allowing optical stores shuttered by the pandemic to meet the need for online shopping of stock eyewear.
