Reviving a Home Bakery Brand

Role: Brand Consultant & Digital Strategist
Industry: Food & Beverage | D2C | Home-Based Business

Challenge

Cake Crumb, a boutique home bakery known for its artisanal cakes, was facing stagnation. Orders came through word-of-mouth with no digital presence, inconsistent customer experience, and poor repeat engagement. The founder needed help to turn a hobby into a reliable business—but lacked systems, brand clarity, and digital skills.

My Approach

1. Brand Reimagination from the Core
I started with a deep dive into the founder’s vision, understanding what made Cake Crumb unique—nostalgic flavors, homemade warmth, and intricate design.
I led a complete brand identity revamp: new logo, color palette, packaging design, tone of voice, and brand story. The goal was to position Cake Crumb as a premium but approachable artisanal bakery.

2. Building a Digital Foundation
Next, I set up Cake Crumb’s Instagram-first marketing system. I curated the entire visual and copy language—from photoshoots to captions that told a story.
I introduced reels and carousel formats to showcase behind-the-scenes baking, customer reactions, and celebration moments—turning passive followers into buyers.

3. Funnel Design & Ordering System
I implemented a lead capture and ordering funnel via Instagram DMs integrated with Google Forms and WhatsApp automation.
Instead of a static menu, I developed a rotating drop model (weekly special cake boxes) that created FOMO and structured production cycles.
This simplified inventory, minimized waste, and encouraged bulk ordering.

4. Strategic Collaborations & Viral Hooks
I proposed and executed collaborations with micro-influencers and themed pop-ups during local festivals. One "DIY Bento Cake Kit" campaign during Valentine's week went semi-viral—driving 300% more inquiries in 4 days.
I also used customer-generated content and reviews to run trust-building UGC campaigns.

5. Customer Retention & Analytics
Using order tracking and feedback forms, I created a basic CRM—identifying frequent buyers and building a reward model for them.
I introduced limited-edition launches and personalized cake messages to drive repeat orders and emotional connections.

Outcome

• Instagram grew from 0 to 2.1K+ highly engaged followers in under 6 weeks.
• Achieved a 4x increase in monthly orders, with the first month’s revenue hitting break-even targets.
• Reduced delivery chaos and last-minute changes by implementing a structured order intake system.
• Increased average order value by 37% through upselling combos and theme boxes.
• 28% of customers became repeat buyers within 3 months.

Lessons & Pivots

Initially, I made the mistake of going too “premium” with the branding—leading to pricing resistance. I pivoted to balance aspirational aesthetics with relatable messaging, which restored trust and conversions.
I also realized that in hyper-local businesses, trust and availability matter more than perfect marketing—so I focused on hyper-personal engagement, including voice notes and surprise goodies.