A comprehensive brand strategy for Zalando targeting the next generation of European fashion consumers, repositioning the platform as a culture-driven destination beyond pure e-commerce.
Zalando faces increasing competition from fast-fashion disruptors and social commerce platforms. The brand needed to differentiate through purpose and cultural relevance, shifting from a transactional mindset to an emotional one.
A Perfect Fit, Every Time — a strategy centred on personalisation, inclusivity, and style confidence, activating across digital, OOH, and community partnerships. The idea repositioned Zalando from a shopping platform to a personal style companion that understands you.
A responsible globalisation strategy for Netflix entering the Nigerian market, balancing global brand consistency with deep local cultural relevance. Presented under the name Next Frame Nigeria.
Nigeria’s media landscape is rich with local content traditions. Nollywood is the second-largest film industry in the world by volume. A top-down global approach risks alienating creators and audiences who have built a thriving industry independently of Western platforms.
Next Frame Nigeria proposed co-investment in local storytelling, creator partnerships, and an Afrocentric content pipeline designed to travel globally — Nollywood for the world. Rather than importing Netflix’s existing catalogue, the strategy centred on responsible globalisation: listening first, then amplifying.
A brand strategy evolution for Coachella addressing the tension between its roots as an alternative music festival and its current status as a global cultural spectacle.
Coachella risks losing its authentic identity as it scales. The Instagram festival narrative has diluted its credibility with music-first audiences, while commercial partnerships have eroded the alternative spirit that originally defined it.
A dual-layer strategy: deepening artistic integrity through curated programming and reducing performative attendance culture, while expanding digital access for global audiences who cannot attend. The idea was to make Coachella feel earned again — both for those there and those watching.
A full communication and media proposal for Tanqueray London Dry Gin, built around the insight that the pre-dinner hour is an underowned cultural ritual ripe for brand ownership. Presented to the Tanqueray client team.
In a crowded premium gin market, Tanqueray needed a distinctive cultural platform — not just another lifestyle campaign — to cut through and create genuine brand ritual. The brand had strong heritage but lacked a modern, ownable occasion.
The Magnificent Hour positions the golden hour before dinner as Tanqueray’s moment: a paid/earned/owned campaign spanning OOH, social, influencer, and experiential, anchored in the ritual of the perfect G&T. The idea gave Tanqueray cultural permission to own aperitivo culture in Spain.
A service design project mapping and reimagining the ideal Netflix customer journey — from discovery through to long-term loyalty — with a focus on reducing churn and increasing meaningful engagement.
As streaming competition intensifies, Netflix faces decision fatigue, content overwhelm, and account-sharing crackdowns — all of which threaten subscriber loyalty. The existing journey had friction points that drove passive disengagement.
A redesigned journey framework centred on personalisation depth, social viewing features, and proactive re-engagement moments — turning passive watchers into active communities. The proposal identified five key friction points and redesigned the experience around emotional milestones rather than content volume.
Spain ranks far lower on global happiness indexes than Finland despite its sunny, social culture. Daily life is full of micro-dramas: crowded metros, WhatsApp overload, chaotic commutes, endless meetings, and shifting plans which fuel emotional snacking. The Spanish snack industry is expanding (€30B in 2024, +5.7% YoY), with chocolate and biscuits being the go-to mood regulators for consumers.
Mikado’s position in Spain is anchored in an older, family-oriented consumer base, with consumption concentrated at home and driven by planned routines. While these buyers show strong satisfaction, the brand remains underdeveloped among 25–34-year-olds, who snack frequently but contribute little to Mikado’s share. Mikado holds a stable yet mature presence in the market, with significant untapped potential to grow by modernizing its formats, voice, and occasions to resonate with younger consumers.
Mikado’s strategic approach centres on reframing Spain’s everyday micro-dramas as opportunities for micro-delight, positioning the brand as a light, culturally attuned source of emotional relief. By integrating relatable 25–34-year-old scenarios directly into its packaging, the brand demonstrates an understanding of daily chaos and the emotions that trigger snacking behaviour. Each stick operates as a small emotional reset, reinforcing Mikado’s role as a playful companion in moments of minor frustration. While competitors emphasize indulgence, escape, or satiety, Mikado alone offers relief — a brief, proportional pause in the flow of everyday tension.
A campaign pitch for Domino’s Pizza Spain, built on the insight that Domino’s isn’t just food delivery — it’s the thing that makes the plan happen. Presented to the Domino’s client team.
Domino’s in Spain faces strong local competition and needed to own a cultural moment beyond price-led promotions. The brand had strong awareness but weak emotional equity among 20–35-year-olds making spontaneous social plans.
Si hay plan, hay Domino’s (If there’s a plan, there’s Domino’s) — a campaign that makes Domino’s synonymous with social spontaneity: the thing you order when the night comes together. Activating across TV, social, and delivery app, the campaign reframed ordering pizza as a social signal, not just a meal decision.
TikTok · Instagram · Ongoing
+37% views in 30 days · +6% followers · 100% organic growth
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TikTok · Instagram · 2024
5,308 TikTok followers from 300 · +2,000 Instagram followers in 6 months
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Instagram · Facebook · 90 days
4,000+ accounts reached · 27,696 views · full social management
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+37%
Views in 30 days
+6%
Follower growth in 30 days
100%
Organic — zero paid spend
2
Active platforms managed
MASHlife needed a cohesive social presence that could grow its community organically and establish the brand's voice across TikTok and Instagram. The goal was consistent, high-quality content that felt genuine — not corporate.
As Social Strategist and Content Creator, I developed the full content framework — from content pillars and posting cadence to visual identity and community engagement guidelines. Every piece of content was created with the brand's audience in mind: accessible, warm, and community-first.
Within 30 days of implementing the new strategy, MASHlife saw a 37% increase in total views and a 6% uplift in followers — entirely through organic activity. The engagement rate improved significantly as the content began to resonate more deeply with the existing community while attracting new audiences.
Click any card to view the reel on Instagram.
5,308
TikTok followers (from ~300)
+2,000
Instagram followers in 6 months
<1yr
TikTok growth timeline
2
Platforms: TikTok + Instagram
Annie Velez is a Latin dance instructor and event host based in Raleigh, NC, and CEO of MASHlife. She needed a professional social presence that could build her personal brand, promote her events, and attract new students — all while staying true to her vibrant, energetic personality.
I handled end-to-end strategy, production, and publishing across both platforms. This included developing Annie's content identity, filming and editing short-form video content, building a content calendar around her events schedule, and engaging with her growing community. The focus was on showcasing Annie's authentic energy — turning her passion into content that genuinely connected.
Annie's TikTok grew from approximately 300 to 5,308 followers in under a year. Her Instagram gained over 2,000 new followers in just six months. The growth was entirely organic, driven by consistent, high-quality content that positioned Annie as a go-to voice in the Latin dance community in North Carolina.
Click any card to view the post on Instagram.
4,000+
accounts reached
27,696
views across content
90
days of full management
100%
organic growth
ZenMonkey came to me looking for slow, steady, and sustainable growth across their Instagram and Facebook accounts. They already had strong branding and logos in place, but were struggling to translate their visual identity into a cohesive social media presence. Their main goals were to create a more consistent, branded feed and drive more potential students to click the link in their bio.
We started with an Instagram audit and a strategy call to align on their goals, challenges, and next steps. From there, I created a one-month content calendar designed to strengthen their branding, improve consistency, and support organic growth.
After the initial strategy phase, the owners decided they wanted a more hands-off approach so they could focus on other business ventures. I then began managing their social media accounts fully — handling content planning, posting, and account growth.
A visual side-by-side of the ZenMonkey Instagram feed before and after full account management.
Over 90 days of complete organic management, ZenMonkey reached 4,000+ accounts and gained 27,696 views across their content.
After a successful run, the clients ultimately decided to pause classes and social media indefinitely due to other business priorities.
Campaign concepts, brand thinking, and integrated ideas.
Integrated Campaign Concept · AI-Assisted Production
An integrated campaign built around a single observation: the branded bag you carry through your day does something no paid placement can replicate. Concept spans social, OOH, and TV.
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Strategic Sponsorship Concept · BookTok × Away
Away as the travel brand living inside the stories BookTok loves. A partnership platform built around Off-Campus, Windy City, and Fourth Wing — positioning the brand inside cultural worlds, not around them.
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"I'm on the way."
This idea came from a real moment. I was walking out of an Italian restaurant with their branded bag and realised something: the bag itself was doing advertising work that no poster could. It made me think about Trader Joe's, and how people genuinely want to be seen carrying it. That cultural shorthand, where a bag signals taste and a kind of quiet identity, felt like an underused idea outside of food.
I wanted to bring that thinking into a different space. I chose Zara Home because I had been studying the brand at university as part of a behavioural science project, comparing how Zara and IKEA approach aspiration differently, and what makes people attach meaning to one brand over another. Zara Home sits at a specific intersection: elevated enough to feel considered, accessible enough to feel everyday. That combination felt right for a campaign about quiet luxury.
The average person is exposed to up to 10,000 ads a day but consciously notices fewer than 100 (Forbes). Most advertising competes for attention. This idea does not. People carrying a branded bag through their daily commute are doing something no paid placement can replicate. They are making the brand feel like it belongs in real life.
"Not every luxury needs an occasion. Sometimes it's just what you're carrying on the way home."
What started as a social concept became something bigger: an integrated campaign platform. The same creative idea, quiet presence over loud promotion, works across every format. On social, it feels candid. On a billboard, it's one frame and two words. On TV, it's thirty seconds of a city, a bag, and ambient sound. No announcements. No selling. Just presence.
Campaign Tagline
"I'm on the way." The strategic platform. Lives on the brand side, endures across all channels and formats.
Post Caption
"On the way home." The human, in-the-moment line. Works in-feed. Feels personal. Lets the image breathe.
These do completely different jobs. The tagline is strategic and ownable. The caption is what makes someone pause mid-scroll. Understanding the difference between brand voice and content voice is the point.
City street, dusk. Veo / AI-assisted production.
Autumn residential street. Veo / AI-assisted production.
Editorial still. Ideogram / AI-assisted production.
Editorial still. Ideogram / AI-assisted production.
Short-Form Video · Social
The Walking Sequence
Two clips: a London street at dusk, an autumn residential pavement. The subject never looks at the camera. The bag moves naturally at her side. Ambient city sound, no voiceover. Cut together slowly, with intention.
Static · Editorial
Bus Stop
Morning light, a bus shelter, a woman looking forward. Two people sit behind her. She isn't performing anything. The Zara Home wordmark visible but unhurried. Works as a social still or scaled to a billboard.
Static · Cinematic
Metro
Amber carriage light, a book in her hands, the bag resting on the seat beside her. She is not showing it off. It is simply part of her day, the same way a beautiful home is simply part of who she is.
TV / OOH Concept
The 30-Second Spot
Three or four people across different cities, London, Paris, Madrid, going about their day. No dialogue. Ambient city sound. The bag appears in each scene incidentally. Ends on a single frame, tagline. That's the ad.
Organic Social · Instagram · TikTok
Prepared by: Sophia Hastings
Brand: Zara Home
Campaign: Carried Quietly
Show us a real moment. You, the bag, your city. Nothing more.
Aspirational but never loud. Every piece of content should feel like it belongs in a real life, not a set.
Caption
"On the way home."
This is a spec concept. All assets were produced using AI tools (Veo / Ideogram) with creative direction, prompting, and concept by Sophia Hastings. AI-assisted production is clearly labelled because honesty matters, and because in 2026, the ability to direct AI tools to achieve a specific aesthetic is itself a skill worth showing.
Sophie Hastings
I'm a creative marketing professional with a passion for building brands that mean something. My work lives at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and culture — from developing global brand platforms to growing communities one piece of content at a time.
Originally from the US, I've built my career across international markets. I'm currently completing my MSc in Strategic Marketing & Communication at IE Business School in Madrid, where I've worked on projects for brands including Netflix, Tanqueray, Zalando, and Domino's.
I speak English and Spanish fluently, and have a conversational level of Korean — which reflects a broader curiosity about global markets, culture, and communication.
Skills
Languages
Education
Current
IE Business School
MSc Strategic Marketing & Communication
Madrid, Spain · 2024 – July 2025
UNC Chapel Hill
BA Global Studies
Minor: Spanish Translation & Interpreting
Chapel Hill, NC
Based in
Certifications
Google Ads Certifications
LinkedIn · Issued Jan 2024
Project Management Simplified
Project Management Institute · LinkedIn Learning · Issued Jan 2023
SheCodes Basics
SheCodes · Issued Nov 2022
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
TEFL Fullcircle · Issued Feb 2021
I'm currently open to internship opportunities, freelance projects, and full-time roles in marketing, brand strategy, and social media. Based between London and New York — available globally.
Open to opportunities
Internships · Freelance · Full-time roles
London / New York City
Available for remote & international roles
"The best stories happen when you go somewhere that changes you."
This project started with a passion. Through BookTok I found Off-Campus — and then a dozen more series after it. I've always been someone who notices ad placements. The more I watched adaptations, the more it stood out: I could always tell. And in a generation that has grown up skipping, scrolling, and tuning out paid media, that felt like a missed opportunity.
Through a course on Strategic Sponsorships, I kept coming back to the same question: what does it mean for a brand to belong inside a cultural world rather than just advertise around it? BookTok readers already collect special editions, character playlists, and curated merch. They think about travel the same way they think about story — as something that changes you. Away was built around exactly that idea. And with all three series being picked up by Amazon Prime, the opportunity isn't just cultural — it's a long-term platform play.
So I started asking: what if Away entered BookTok not through merchandise, but through the emotional logic of travel itself?
"The best stories happen when you go somewhere that changes you."
Always Away is a partnership platform that positions Away as the travel brand living inside the stories people love. It begins with Off-Campus as a proof of concept — product integration, a character quiz, a limited collection — and scales into Windy City and Fourth Wing as each adaptation drops.
Phase 1 — Proof of Concept
Launch with Off-Campus: subtle product integration into the adaptation, a character-matched travel quiz, and a limited edition collection.
Phase 2 — Scale Across the Universe
Windy City and Fourth Wing activations layered in as each adaptation drops. Same emotional logic, new cultural worlds. Long-term presence rather than one-off placement.
Why it works
BookTok audiences already buy into worlds, not products. Special editions, playlists, character merch — they want to take the story with them. Away becomes the brand they pack when they leave home like their favourite character.
Full strategic deck below — concept, sponsorship rationale, phased rollout, and creative direction.
