We are a factory-direct mattress manufacturer that has recently launched a new organic mattress line and website. We’ve seen promising early sales on Amazon, and now we want to build a robust, long-term direct-to-consumer brand and sales engine.
We are very good at designing and manufacturing mattresses. We are not marketing experts, and we don’t have time to guess our way through it. We’re looking for a senior marketing professional who can:
Look at the business from the top down
Decide what needs to happen first, second, and third
Use any and every relevant channel (digital, content, paid media, partnerships, etc.)
Help us turn early traction into a systematic, scalable customer acquisition and brand-building machine
This is a strategy + leadership + light execution/coordination role. You don’t have to personally do every tactical task, but you must own the plan and guide the ship.
What We Know We Need Immediately
Right now, most of our content and visuals are AI-generated. Our first tangible priority is to:
Plan and execute real lifestyle photo and video shoots for the brand
Define what scenes, props, models, rooms, and angles we need
Ensure the resulting assets can be used across website, Amazon, ads, social media, email, and PR
You will be the one to define the creative direction and turn our photo/video shoots into a consistent visual brand.
Role Overview
You will act as a fractional Head of Marketing / Marketing Lead, responsible for:
Understanding our business, margins, and goals
Prioritizing which channels and initiatives to tackle first
Creating a practical growth roadmap (3, 6, 12 months)
Guiding (and sometimes managing) the people and resources needed to execute
You are not walking into a mature marketing operation. You are helping build it from the ground up.
Key Responsibilities
1. Business & Market Assessment
Review our:
Website
Amazon presence
Current messaging, pricing, and positioning
Understand:
Our products and unique advantages (factory-direct, organic, etc.)
Target customer profiles (who buys, why they buy, what alternatives they consider)
Competitive landscape (other mattress brands, organic/natural players)
From this, define:
Clear positioning (how we stand out)
Initial growth hypothesis (which channels and plays are likely to work first)
2. Brand & Messaging Foundation
Develop:
Brand narrative: Who we are, why we exist, what we stand for
Key messages: Why choose our mattresses vs. competitors
Tone of voice and communication guidelines
Ensure our website, Amazon listings, and future campaigns all align with this foundation.
Goal: Anyone seeing us for the first time understands who we are, what we offer, and why they should care within seconds.
3. Visual & Creative Direction (Immediate Focus)
Define the creative direction for:
Lifestyle photos (bedrooms, families, couples, minimal setups, etc.)
Product detail shots (materials, stitching, layers, “inside the mattress”)
Video content (brand story, product explainers, testimonials, behind the scenes at the factory)
Create clear shot lists and briefs for photo/video shoots, including:
Types of rooms and decor styles
Demographics and look of models (if needed)
Angles, compositions, and “must-have” hero images
Short-form video concepts (ads, social clips, reels/shorts)
Help us decide:
What we can shoot in-house / locally
What should be outsourced (photographer, videographer, editor, etc.)
You don’t need to be a photographer yourself, but you must know what kind of assets a strong DTC brand needs and how to brief the people who produce them.
4. Channel Strategy & Prioritization (All Channels on the Table)
Rather than starting from any single channel (SEO, ads, etc.), you will:
Identify and prioritize channels based on:
Effort vs. impact
Speed to test
Fit for our product and price point
Potential channels and initiatives include (you will choose the right mix and sequence):
Owned & Earned Channels
Website optimization (copy, structure, conversion)
Content (education: sleep health, materials, “organic”/non-toxic topics)
Email/SMS marketing (welcome flows, abandoned cart, post-purchase, education)
Organic social media (brand-building, social proof, content repurposing)
Reviews and testimonials (website, Amazon, third-party platforms)
PR and partnerships (bloggers, influencers, sleep/health experts, local partnerships)
Paid/Performance Channels
Paid search (Google Ads)
Paid social (Meta, YouTube, potentially TikTok)
Retargeting/remarketing strategies
Amazon ad and listing optimization (if part of the growth plan)
Your job is to recommend the right sequence. For example:
Fix brand messaging and visuals
Improve key website pages and product pages
Build a basic email funnel
Launch small-scale tests on 1–2 paid channels
Scale what works, cut what doesn’t, and keep layering on channels over time
5. Execution Oversight & Resource Coordination
Create a practical roadmap broken down into:
Quick wins (0–4 weeks)
Core foundation (1–3 months)
Scaling and optimization (3–12 months)
Help us:
Identify which tasks you will handle directly
Identify which tasks require additional freelancers/specialists (media buyer, copywriter, designer, etc.)
Write scopes/briefs for other freelancers as needed
Coordinate and oversee implementation to keep things moving and aligned with the strategy.
6. Measurement, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
Help set up or refine basic tracking and analytics (we’re okay if you guide this, you don’t need to be a hardcore data engineer).
Define key business metrics:
Traffic
Conversion rates
CAC (customer acquisition cost)
ROAS/ROI
Repeat purchase behavior, etc.
Provide regular, plain-English reports:
What we tried
What worked / what didn’t
What we’re doing next and why
Ideal Candidate
We’re looking for someone who:
Has significant experience in marketing and growth for consumer brands, ideally:
DTC / e-commerce
Home goods, furniture, bedding, sleep, or wellness (nice to have, not required)
Is comfortable acting as a fractional Head of Marketing / CMO-level thinker for a smaller company.
Has a strong grasp of multiple channels (not just one specialty), such as:
Website optimization & conversion
Content and storytelling
Paid acquisition (search/social)
Email/SMS and retention
Brand-building and creative direction
Has experience working with founder-led companies that:
Are strong operationally (product/manufacturing)
Need guidance on marketing priorities and sequencing
Communicates clearly, sets realistic expectations, and can explain the “why” behind recommendations.
Is comfortable starting from a lean, real-world environment (no big in-house marketing team yet, we will hire around your plan as we grow).
Engagement & Scope
We are flexible on structure, but a realistic path might look like:
Phase 1 – Discovery & Strategic Plan (First 4–6 Weeks)
Business/market review
Brand and messaging foundation
Creative direction + photo/video shoot plan
Channel prioritization and 3–6 month roadmap
Phase 2 – Build & Launch (Next 2–4 Months)
Oversee photo/video execution and asset rollout
Implement website and funnel improvements
Launch initial campaigns on selected channels
Set up basic reporting structure
Phase 3 – Optimize & Scale (Ongoing)
Iterate on what’s working
Explore new channels or partnerships
Support hiring/coordination of additional specialists as needed
We are open to:
Hourly (with expected hours per week)
Or a fixed-fee package for Phase 1 plus hourly/retainer for ongoing work
Please outline your preferred model in your proposal.
What We Provide
A quality product with real differentiation (factory-direct, organic-focused mattresses).
A new website ready for refinement and optimization.
Initial traction on Amazon and the operational capacity to fulfill demand.
Founders who:
Understand we need expert guidance
Are ready to invest in proper marketing foundations
Can make decisions quickly and implement changes
Please provide:
Your proposed engagement structure and rate (hourly or project-based for Phase 1).