Case Study: Castelli Milano Canada – Strategic Brand Launch & Digital Growth
Overview
Castelli Milano Canada, a premium brand of luxury Italian-made journals, sought to establish a strong market presence in Canada while maintaining its high-end brand identity. The challenge was to introduce the brand to a new audience, create a cohesive marketing strategy, and optimize digital channels to drive both B2C and B2B sales.
The objective was to refine Castelli Milano’s brand positioning, implement a data-driven marketing strategy, and develop a seamless e-commerce and promotional sales experience that reflected the brand’s luxury appeal.
Strategic Approach
As the Marketing Strategist and Lead Designer, I developed and executed a comprehensive brand and digital marketing strategy to ensure a successful launch and sustained growth. My key initiatives included:
1. Brand Positioning & Market Strategy
Analyzed the competitive landscape to position Castelli Milano as a luxury journal brand in Canada.
Refined brand identity and messaging, ensuring consistency across digital, retail, and promotional markets.
Developed luxury-focused marketing materials, reinforcing Castelli Milano’s Italian heritage and craftsmanship.
2. Digital Marketing & Customer Engagement Strategy
Designed and executed a social media strategy, driving engagement and brand awareness through content creation, reporting, and audience targeting.
Managed paid social media campaigns, optimizing ad spend and creative assets to maximize ROI.
Captured high-quality product photography and video content, ensuring an elevated visual brand presence across marketing channels.
3. E-commerce Optimization & Sales Growth
Redesigned website UI/UX, ensuring a seamless shopping experience and increasing conversion rates.
Implemented abandoned cart recovery emails, reducing lost sales and improving customer retention.
Updated product listings and descriptions, ensuring clear, visually appealing, and accurate product information.
4. B2B Marketing & Promotional Expansion
Developed structured B2B marketing plans, including targeted email campaigns, sales materials, and internal documentation.
Designed and optimized digital marketing assets for Promo Castelli’s corporate sales division, ensuring consistency across B2C and B2B channels.
Collaborated with stakeholders to align promotional efforts with seasonal sales and product launches..
Results & Business Impact
Successfully launched Castelli Milano in Canada, establishing a recognizable luxury brand identity.
Drove significant engagement and sales growth through targeted social media and digital ad campaigns.
Enhanced customer experience and increased conversions by improving website design, navigation, and checkout processes.
Reduced abandoned cart rates and improved retention through optimized email marketing efforts.
Strengthened B2B partnerships by implementing a more structured, brand-aligned promotional strategy.
Delivered high-quality product photography and marketing materials, reinforcing Castelli Milano’s luxury positioning.
Conclusion
By implementing a data-driven marketing strategy, refining brand positioning, and optimizing digital engagement, I helped successfully launch and expand Castelli Milano Canada. This project showcases my ability to merge luxury branding with digital marketing, social media strategy, and e-commerce optimization, driving measurable success in both retail and promotional markets.
1. Brand Positioning & Market Strategy
Luxury Brand Photography & Visual Identity
As part of Castelli Milano’s brand positioning strategy, I developed and executed a high-end product photography approach to ensure the brand’s luxury appeal was consistently reflected across all digital and retail platforms.
Key Strategic Actions:
Aligned photography with brand identity – Ensured imagery reflected Castelli Milano’s premium craftsmanship and exclusivity.
Curated a consistent visual style – Established lighting, color grading, and composition guidelines for a cohesive luxury aesthetic.
Optimized for multi-platform use – Designed images for e-commerce, social media, email marketing, and retail displays, increasing conversion potential.
Strengthened brand storytelling through imagery – Captured product details, textures, and aspirational lifestyle shots to reinforce luxury positioning.
This strategic photography execution played a critical role in elevating Castelli Milano’s brand perception, ensuring consistency across all marketing channels and reinforcing its status in the luxury market.
Retail Product Launch & Merchandising
To reinforce Castelli Milano’s luxury market positioning and drive retail sales, I assisted with new product launches and retail merchandising, ensuring a seamless brand experience across retail sales channels. By integrating visual merchandising, promotional messaging, and sales-driven display strategies, I optimized brand visibility and consumer engagement at key retail touchpoints.
Key Strategic Actions:
Led new product launch campaigns – Developed multi-channel strategies to introduce new product lines, ensuring alignment with sales goals.
Assisted in the design of in-store retail displays & planograms – Strengthened Castelli Milano’s luxury perception by creating visually compelling merchandising strategies that encouraged engagement.
Coordinated sales-driven product rollouts – Developed promotional messaging, display materials, and marketing assets that reinforced Castelli Milano’s brand exclusivity.
Integrated store promotions – Ensured brand consistency between digital promotions and physical retail placements, maximizing impact.
This retail merchandising and product launch strategy supported Castelli Milano’s entry into the Canadian market, strengthening brand presence across both corporate and consumer-facing sales channels.
2. Digital Marketing & Customer Engagement Strategy



Digital Marketing & Social Media Engagement Strategy
To establish Castelli Milano as a luxury brand in Canada, I developed and executed a social media engagement and video strategy that emphasized storytelling, brand heritage, and interactive content. This approach strengthened community engagement, reinforced Castelli Milano’s craftsmanship, and increased digital brand awareness.
Key Strategic Actions:
Content Strategy & Community Engagement – Created a video series showcasing notebook usage, creative inspiration, and brand storytelling to target luxury stationery consumers.
Behind-the-Scenes Brand Storytelling – Produced videos exploring what goes on behind-the-scenes at Castelli Milano Canada to put humans behind the name.
Interactive Weekly Engagement Initiative – Launched Shape Your Thoughts, a structured community engagement campaign that strengthened long-term audience interaction, as well as Behind-the-Brand, a series which delves into the concept and inspiration behind each journal line.
Data-Driven Optimization – Used social media performance insights to refine content strategies, improving audience targeting and engagement rates.
Brand Messaging & Training – Developed internal brand guidelines to ensure consistent voice, tone, and engagement strategies across platforms.
By integrating compelling brand storytelling with interactive digital campaigns, I helped increase audience engagement, reinforce brand positioning, and drive meaningful customer interactions that supported Castelli Milano’s long-term growth in the luxury stationery market.
3. E-commerce Optimization & Sales Growth
E-commerce Optimization & Digital Sales Strategy
As part of Castelli Milano’s digital growth strategy, I assisted in optimizing the brand’s Shopify e-commerce experience to improve conversions, strengthen customer engagement, and ensure a luxury shopping experience aligned with its premium positioning.
Key Strategic Actions:
Implemented SEO best practices – Optimized product descriptions, metadata, and navigation to increase search visibility and attract high-intent buyers.
Enhanced checkout process – Improved cart functionality and UX to reduce drop-offs and increase conversion rates.
Designed UI/UX updates – Made changes to create a visually refined, user-friendly interface that aligned with Castelli Milano’s luxury aesthetic.
Developed high-quality website imagery – Designed branded banners and product visuals to drive engagement and improve purchase intent.
Monitored and optimized website performance – Used data-driven insights to refine conversion pathways and customer retention strategies.
This strategic Shopify optimization was a key part of Castelli Milano’s digital marketing and e-commerce expansion, ensuring a seamless online experience that drove sales and reinforced luxury brand perception
4. B2B Marketing & Promotional Expansion
B2B Marketing & Corporate Growth Strategy
To expand Castelli Milano’s presence in the B2B corporate market, I developed and executed a structured marketing and sales strategy focused on increasing corporate partnerships and promotional product sales.
Key Strategic Actions:
Developed targeted B2B marketing campaigns – Created annual promotional strategies tailored to corporate buyers, increasing engagement and conversions.
Designed high-impact sales & promotional materials – Produced product catalogs, sales sheets, website imagery, and advertising assets that effectively showcased Castelli Milano’s offerings.
Executed B2B email marketing strategies – Designed and managed email campaigns targeting corporate clients, improving lead generation.
Designed branded product samples & custom advertising pages – Developed tailored, on-brand product samples and promotional materials to enhance corporate sales presentations, support client outreach, and serve as a strategic sales tool for securing new business opportunities. Additionally, collaborated with companies that sought custom advertising pages within their branded notebooks to reinforce brand recognition, promote events, and enhance corporate marketing efforts.
Ensured cohesive branding across all B2B platforms – Strengthened consistency across digital, print, and corporate sales channels.
This structured B2B marketing strategy reinforced Castelli Milano’s presence in the corporate and promotional product market, increasing brand visibility and driving measurable sales growth.