World Tomato Society

Industry: Education, Digital Media
Business Model: Subscription Membership, eCommerce
‍

I. Overview

World Tomato Society was established as a premier destination for tomato enthusiasts, offering a wealth of resources, including a the world's largest online tomato database.  It cateres to enthusiasts, gardeners, and experts who loved growing, cooking, eating, and discussing tomatoes. Deeply committed to research, education, and tomato preservation, their mission is to unite generations through a shared passion for cultural tomato heritage.

‍

II. The Challenge

Despite its passionate and dedicated following of over 1 million, the company struggled to maintain a consistent subscription revenue stream, hindering their ability to expand their global impact.

Key Obstacles:

‣ Outdated brand identity that didn’t convey exclusivity or value.

‣ Dormant email list of 100,000+ leaving significant revenue opportunities untapped.

‣ Lack of a sales funnel to guide users from browsers to paying members.

‣ Social media content that failed to drive conversions.

‣ Weak UVP (Unique Value Proposition), making it difficult to justify membership fees and sustain revenue growth.

‍

III. My Approach

The CEO tasked me with developing and executing a digital marketing and revenue roadmap that addressed branding, website optimization, email marketing, and membership growth—all within an accelerated timeline.

Rather than making surface-level improvements, I focused on deep, data-driven strategy to maximize the organization's potential. This required a rebranding effort that went beyond aesthetics. It needed to reinforce authority, enhance audience engagement, and introduce a monetization framework that would turn a passive audience into an active, paying membership base.

Role & Team

As Director of Digital Marketing, I led strategy, execution, and implementation across multiple disciplines, ensuring every decision was aligned with business goals and audience behavior.

My key responsibilities included:

‣ SEO research and content strategy to increase organic traffic and visibility.

‣ Branding and positioning to strengthen authority and exclusivity.

‣ Website design, development, and UX optimization to enhance conversions.

‣ Email marketing strategy and automation to engage subscribers and drive revenue.

‣ Social media and community engagement to scale audience reach and participation.

‣ Membership model restructuring to maximize retention and long-term value.

I worked alongside two executive stakeholders and one content manager to execute this transformation.

Strategic Opportunities for Growth

Through stakeholder meetings and audience research, I identified key areas that needed immediate attention to position the World Tomato Society as a premium membership brand.

1. Unifying the brand experience with consistent messaging and strong visual identity‍

The brand lacked cohesion, making it difficult to convey value and exclusivity. I redesigned the logo, refreshed the color palette and typefaces, and strategically chose colors—especially the shade of red—to enhance user experience and create a stronger emotional connection with our audience.
‍

2. Shifting focus to high-impact, digestible email marketing
The existing email strategy relied on long, infrequent newsletters that overloaded subscribers and contributed to high opt-out rates. I restructured the email marketing approach to focus on:

‣ A weekly educational series with concise, high-value content.
‣ Clear CTAs that drove users to engage, convert, and stay subscribed.
‣ A long-term strategy that set the stage for monetization through strategic sales emails.
‍

3. Simplifying website management with an SEO-driven modular framework‍

The website was difficult to update, leading to stale content and missed SEO opportunities. I eliminated the one-off design approach and established a modular WordPress framework that allowed the team to quickly update pages, optimize content for search, and maintain a high-converting visitor experience. This scalability also accommodated team growth and reduced the learning curve for new members.

‍

‍

IV. Rebranding & Repositioning

This was more than a simple rebrand. It was a digital transformation. I began by conducting a full brand audit, identifying gaps in messaging, visual consistency, and overall perception. From there, I developed a rebranding strategy focused on three key areas:

Authority & Brand Value

‣ I created trademarked slogans that reinforced the Society’s expertise and positioned it as the go-to resource for tomato enthusiasts.

‣ Messaging was refined to highlight the cultural and historical significance of tomatoes, appealing to both casual growers and expert horticulturists.

Visual Identity & Exclusivity

‣ A full brand identity refresh was implemented to reflect a premium membership experience.

‣ The new color palette and typography were carefully chosen to evoke trust, warmth, and passion—key emotions tied to the brand’s audience.

‣ The logo was redesigned with a sleek, refined aesthetic, balancing modern sophistication with timeless appeal to enhance brand value and establish trust.

‍Scalability & Cohesion

‣ I created a comprehensive Style Guide to ensure consistency across all platforms, from the website to email marketing and social media.

‣ This guide provided clear direction for future content, ensuring that the brand’s identity remained intact as it scaled.

‍

As the project evolved, I became more strategic with time management after stakeholders were inspired by my concepts and chose to keep visual rebranding and messaging in-house instead of hiring an outside agency. This required me to pivot quickly, balancing the demands of the rebrand while ensuring a seamless, unified vision across all brand elements.

This shift also allowed me to work holistically on every aspect of the rebrand, ensuring that messaging, visuals, and positioning were fully aligned rather than fragmented across different teams. To create a brand that not only looked premium but felt premium, I immersed myself in tomato culture, analyzing audience behavior, emotional connections, and real-time engagement patterns.

Competitive research revealed that most brands in the space relied on predictable bright red branding, reinforcing traditional tomato imagery. Instead, I saw an opportunity to elevate the brand aesthetic, moving away from industry clichés to create a more refined, sophisticated identity that resonated deeply with our audience.

This hands-on, research-driven approach ensured every branding decision was rooted in audience psychology and market demand. The result? A visually cohesive, strategically positioned brand that not only captured engagement but also drove conversions and long-term growth.

‍

‍

V. Website Redesign

The original website lacked a structured conversion funnel, clear navigation, and compelling CTAs that would drive users toward membership or engagement. While it contained valuable content, it did not function as a growth engine for the business. Instead, it served as a static resource hub, failing to capture leads, nurture users, or convert visitors into paying members.

Before: A Website That Didn’t Convert

‣ No clear conversion path – Users had no structured journey to guide them from visitor to member.‍

‣ Outdated UX/UI – Outdated design, failing to convey brand exclusivity or value.‍

‣ Poor navigation structure – Key content was buried, making it difficult for users to find information, understand the benefits of membership, or quickly explore what the site had to offer.

‣ No lead capture system – Missed opportunities to engage, nurture and convert potential members.

‣ SEO inefficiencies – Poor site architecture and unoptimized content led to missed organic traffic opportunities.

‍

‍

Aligning the Strategy With User Needs

Before touching the website design, I needed to ensure that every decision was rooted in data and capture the needs of 1 million tomato lovers. I implemented a white-hat, data-driven SEO strategy that went beyond basic homepage tweaks and visual design upgrades. This was a holistic, long-term approach designed to position the company as the leading authority in the space, increase organic traffic, and create a high-converting user experience.

To build the right foundation, I focused on understanding how the audience had evolved:

‣ Referenced audience personas to confirm whether previous assumptions about user behavior were still relevant.

‣ Analyzed SEO data and traffic trends to identify underperforming pages and high-potential keyword opportunities.

‣ Reviewed past audience surveys to determine which content resonated and where engagement dropped off.

‣ Launched new audience research via email and social media, recognizing that user behavior had likely shifted due to external factors (e.g., post-pandemic changes in digital habits).

Social media played a critical role in shaping both the content and website strategy. By analyzing poll responses, open-ended questions, and user interactions on Instagram and Facebook Stories, I identified the key pain points and preferences that had the greatest impact on user experience and conversions.

I then combined these audience insights with keyword research and data analysis to determine which content should be prioritized on the website and within the membership area. This approach ensured that every piece of content was not only SEO-optimized but also aligned with real user needs, making the website more engaging, valuable, and conversion-driven.

‍

‍

This research validated my hypotheses:

✔ Users didn’t clearly see the value of membership when they could "Google" some of the information.

✔ They needed a guided experience—not just information, but clear next steps leading them toward membership.

✔ The website’s lack of structure was costing the business revenue by failing to capitalize on organic traffic and engaged users.

Once this real-time user feedback was aligned with SEO best practices, I was able to develop a high-converting website content strategy and customer journey map. The goal was simple: Create a site experience that naturally led users toward deeper engagement and ultimately, membership.

‍

The Result: A High-Converting Digital Experience

A streamlined, user-friendly experience was critical to turning engaged users into paying members. I approached the redesign with three primary objectives:

‣ Enhance site navigation and UX – Ensure users could easily find and engage with high-value content.

‣ Optimize the membership funnel – Clearly communicate the benefits of membership and reduce friction in the sign-up process.

‣ Monetize content effectively – Integrate digital resources and premium content to drive additional revenue streams.

Due to the limited time the CEO had for meetings, I produced wireframes in Adobe Photoshop rather than Figma to give her a quick sense of my progress when we met. I adapted using a mix of placeholders, photos, and a color instead of the traditional grayscale wireframes. In return, I received more precise and constructive feedback.
‍

‍

After: A High-Converting Digital Experience

‍
Complete UX & Navigation Overhaul

‍‣ Redesigned the website and membership dashboard to emphasize exclusivity and member benefits upfront.

‣ Integrated trust-building elements like social proof, expert endorsements, and testimonials.

‍
‍Lead Capture & Conversion Optimization

‣ Implemented lead capture forms at strategic points, offering valuable incentives (eBooks, exclusive content) in exchange for emails.

‣ Designed an automated email nurture sequence to guide new leads toward becoming paying members.

‍SEO-Driven Content Strategy

‣ Developed an SEO-focused content structure to maximize organic visibility.

‣ Implemented a blog optimization strategy, targeting search-intent-driven topics to attract new visitors.

‍
‍Premium Content & Monetization

‣ Integrated gated content, digital resources, and an eCommerce store to diversify revenue streams.

‣ Created a structured upsell journey, ensuring that free users were gradually introduced to paid offers.
‍

‍

Key Results From the Website Redesign:

‣ 27% increase in membership retention due to an improved sign-up process and user experience.

‣ 18% increase in new memberships within three months of the redesign.

‣ 22% revenue growth driven by eCommerce expansion and premium content monetization.

‣ Higher engagement rates – Lower bounce rates and longer session durations due to improved site structure.

‣ SEO-driven traffic growth, positioning the World Tomato Society as an industry authority.

‍

VI. Membership Revamp: Creating Value to Drive Subscriptions

The website redesign wasn’t just about improving navigation—it was about creating a compelling reason for users to become members and stay engaged. To achieve this, I rebranded and restructured the membership model, turning it into a high-value, must-have experience.

Introducing "On the Vine"

The existing membership structure was underwhelming, failing to convey a sense of exclusivity or real value. I repositioned it as an elite community for tomato enthusiasts, gardeners, and food lovers.
‍

Key Enhancements & Execution:

Stronger Brand Identity & Messaging

‣ Developed the “On the Vine” name to create a sense of belonging and exclusivity.

‣ Crafted clear value propositions that resonated with members, making it immediately clear why joining was worth it.

‣ Introduced new branding elements to reinforce the premium feel

‍
‍Seamless User Experience & Retention Strategy

‣ Simplified the membership sign-up process to reduce friction and improve conversion rates.

‣ Implemented automated email sequences to onboard and retain new members.

‣ Created a digital content hub, integrating premium resources, tools, and downloadable guides to enhance retention.
‍

‍

VII. Email Marketing: Reviving a Dormant List.

The company had a dormant email list of over 100,000 subscribers, an untapped resource that, if nurtured correctly, could become a major driver of engagement, conversions, and revenue. However, after 12 months of inactivity, simply sending emails wasn’t enough—it required a structured warm-up strategy to rebuild deliverability, restore trust, and establish a high-performing email marketing system.

A major challenge was avoiding spam filters and re-establishing domain reputation with providers like Gmail and Yahoo. A stale email list meant a high risk of low engagement and poor deliverability, so the reactivation plan had to be executed with precision.

Laying the Foundation: Strategy & Execution

I conducted a strategic analysis of our business goals, SEO data, and audience behavior to determine the best content approach to reintroduce emails without overwhelming subscribers, how to sequence emails for gradual engagement rebuilding (starting with educational value, not hard sells), and which email platform to use for better deliverability, segmentation, and automation.

Mailchimp was the existing platform, but I recommended Klaviyo for its advanced segmentation capabilities to personalize content, detailed analytics for real-time tracking and optimization, and seamless integration with future eCommerce expansion plans.

Once approved by the COO, I built an email content calendar and production roadmap that structured the re-engagement campaign over five weeks, gradually scaling up sends to reintroduce the brand to subscribers.

My E-mail Re-engagement Framework:

Each email was crafted to maximize open rates, click-through rates (CTR), and engagement while minimizing unsubscribes and spam flags.

1. Tease: The Art of Subject Lines & Preview Text

Subject lines and preview text are my secret sauce. With inboxes overflowing and aggressive SMTP filtering, crafting catchy, relevant, and personalized subject lines is critical. They’re the first impression that drove high CTRs and deliverability—keeping us out of spam and in front of subscribers.

‍

2. Target: Crafting Emails That Subscribers Actually Wanted

Many email strategies fail because they assume audience needs instead of using data to confirm them. To avoid this, I combined stakeholder expertise on the tomato-growing community, SEO insights to align emails with high-performing topics, and audience surveys & social media feedback to validate subscriber preferences.

This allowed for precise segmentation—engaged subscribers received richer content, while dormant subscribers were gradually reintroduced to avoid opt-outs.

‍

3. Teach: Delivering Value Through High-Quality Content

Instead of immediately pushing memberships, I prioritized education, positioning the Society as a trusted knowledge source. I repurposed archived content into premium digital assets.  One of the most effective assets was an eBook series that showcased premium content typically reserved for members, reinforcing the value of the “On the Vine” membership.

4. Test: Ensuring a Flawless Subscriber Experience

Testing was essential to prevent formatting issues or spam triggers. Before each send, I:

a. Sent test emails to multiple devices to check design and readability.
b. Analyzed inbox placement to avoid spam and promotions tabs.
c. Reviewed content structure to optimize engagement across all email clients.

Budget constraints prevented large-scale inbox testing, but since Gmail was the primary client for most subscribers, I optimized accordingly.

5. Track: Measuring Success & Refining the Strategy

Tracking was key to refining the strategy in real time. Throughout the five-week campaign, I monitored:

• Open rates to gauge subject line effectiveness.
• CTR to measure content engagement.
• Bounce & unsubscribe rates to identify friction points.
• Deliverability metrics to ensure strong inbox placement.
‍

✅ The results validated the approach.

With the email list now re-engaged and primed for conversions, the next step was leveraging it for membership growth, product promotions, and long-term revenue generation.

‍

VIII. Revenue Optimization & Monetization Strategy

To ensure long-term financial sustainability, I developed a multi-channel monetization strategy that aligned with the Society’s engaged audience while maintaining accessibility. The goal was to introduce revenue streams that felt natural, valuable, and worth paying for—not forced upsells.

‣ Tiered subscription pricing offered different levels of access, ensuring affordability for casual enthusiasts while providing premium perks for dedicated members. This structure also created a built-in upsell path, increasing lifetime value.

‣ Branded eCommerce expansion introduced an additional revenue stream through exclusive products tailored to the tomato-growing community, reinforcing brand loyalty while generating direct sales.

‣ Premium educational content monetization transformed high-value resources (eBooks, exclusive guides, and masterclasses) into revenue-generating assets, encouraging repeat purchases and increasing membership stickiness.

‣ Gated content & strategic lead magnets converted free users into paying members by offering exclusive research, webinars, and downloadable tools that showcased the deeper value of membership.

This approach diversified income streams while strengthening engagement and retention, ensuring the Society could scale sustainably without relying on any single revenue source.

XII. Social Media: Making Content Convert

Previously, the brands social media presence was disconnected from its business goals and focused on only posts of tomato images without a clear conversion strategy. While the brand had a strong following, it wasn’t driving memberships, engagement, or revenue.

I transformed social media from a passive content-sharing platform into a strategic, conversion-driven ecosystem by:

1. Shifting from only photos of tomatoes to an intentional content strategy that aligned with business objectives.

2. SEO-optimizing captions and hashtags to increase discoverability and organic reach.

3. Structuring content pillars around education, membership value, and engagement—ensuring every post had a purpose: to sell, educate, or build community.
‍

By treating social media as an extension of the membership ecosystem, I transformed it into a conversion channel rather than just a content-sharing platform. The redesigned visuals and strategic content helped bridge the gap between engagement and revenue, making social media a true asset to the Society’s digital growth.

‍

XIII. Reflection & Conclusion

The company’s business model thrived on connection, expert knowledge, and consistency—and we delivered. With a large audience, a wealth of content, and a team of subject matter experts, the potential was there. But potential alone isn’t enough. The key to transformation was harnessing business unit data, tightening our focus, and remaining adaptable to change. Once we aligned strategy with execution, profitability and engagement followed.

This was more than a rebrand—it was a full-scale digital transformation that turned passive followers into active, paying members and an underperforming platform into a thriving digital ecosystem.

By integrating brand storytelling, audience engagement, social media growth, and scalable monetization strategies, I repositioned the World Tomato Society as an industry leader, built a sustainable revenue model, and cultivated a deeply engaged community.

This wasn’t just a marketing overhaul—it was a blueprint for lasting digital growth. 🍅