Melissa Caster

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954-610-6640

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MelissaCaster@Bellsouth.net

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Hi! I’m Melissa

Many of the lessons I’ve learned about strategy, teamwork, and leadership developed during my seven years of school and club volleyball. In the game, there are three touches; the first is your defense, and the third is your offensive as you send the ball back over the net. My role was the second touch where I, “the setter”, would strategically choose what method of attack our team would use in a split second. I wasn’t the tallest hitter or the best server, but I was the glue that kept the team together, which landed me the honor of varsity captain my senior year. Being the decision maker behind our plays, I learned how to trust my intuition, quickly adapt to new situations, and lead confidently.


During my time at Michigan (Go blue!), I saw the overlap between two seemingly unrelated concepts: playing the role of a “setter” and brand strategy. After taking an advertising strategy class that solidified my drive to enter the industry, I saw how the teamwork and leadership strengths developed throughout my years playing sports intersected with my academic interest. Similar to guiding the team from defense to offense, I see marketing as an opportunity to take a brand to a new level, whether it be by boosting conversions, brand recognition, or audience engagement. Learning from my failures both on the court and in the classroom, I see everything as a learning opportunity and am always seeking ways to turn unconventional ideas into actionable realities through resonant storytelling.


I consider myself to be an architect, crafting compelling campaigns that capture attention, build a relationship between a brand and its consumers, and surpass business objectives. Leveraging a blend of analytical and creative skills, I immerse myself in market trends, brand identity, and consumer behavior to craft multi-channel approaches spanning from traditional media to digital platforms.

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Services

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Brand Strategy

Content Creation

Digital Marketing

Execute comprehensive brand strategy projects, from in-depth target audience research and interviews to competitive analysis and insight generation. Develop and implement full-scale campaigns, including media planning, paid social strategies, and detailed roadmaps, showcasing end-to-end strategic marketing expertise

Design eye-catching graphics and curate content for TikTok and social media feeds that align with brand aesthetics to drive engagement, generate leads, and maintain a cohesive visual identity across platforms

Craft data-driven digital strategies to amplify online visibility and impact. Optimize website performance, execute targeted paid advertising campaigns, and implement robust SEO tactics to reach and engage the target audience. Manage social media channels, design email marketing funnels, and leverage advanced analytics to deliver measurable results that drive conversions.

Services >

Brand Strategy

/ Content Creation

/ Digital Marketing

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Case Study:

Budweiser

BRIEF: Design a creative campaign for Budweiser aiming to reverse declining beverage sales amongst their younger audience.


EXECUTION: This campaign features physical customized cans for each Big Ten college, Big Ten map mock commercials featuring the cans, paid social, and an “Ultimate Gameday Experience” sweepstakes. The cans will be exclusively sold at local liquor stores near colleges, creating a treasure hunt and transforming them into unique memorabilia that match Budweiser’s vintage aesthetic.


STRATEGY: Between physical products, television views, and social network shares, the campaign is designed to gain traction both on social media and in person to promote the “Ultimate Gameday Experience” - on the bottom of each can is a QR code that acts as one sweepstake entry when scanned. The grand prize is 3 tickets to a Big Ten game of your choice, a locker room tour, meet and greet with your team’s players, and exclusive signed merch! This campaign uses school spirit as a vehicle to drive brand loyalty amongst current students and alumni, using the tagline “No matter who you root for, root with a Bud!”


Services >

Brand Strategy

/ Content Creation

/ Digital Marketing

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Case Study:

Anthem Hair & Health

BRIEF: Develop a research-based marketing improvement plan for Anthem Hair and Health, a Black-owned, family-run high-end salon in Detroit.


EXECUTION: Through comprehensive primary and secondary research, we identified the salon's main challenges and goals: strengthen online brand identity, increase profits, and foster client relationships through social media. Our research culminated in two key deliverables:

  1. An extensive, data-heavy presentation with the recommendations of integrating storytelling into their social media presence, highlighting individual stylists, and implementing a loyalty program to increase customer lifetime value.
  2. A detailed Social Media Guide featuring three consumer personas from different generations, complete with platform-specific strategies, content mockups, and tailored approaches to showcase store atmospherics, promote stylists, and advertise in-store products.


STRATEGY: This comprehensive strategy aimed to elevate Anthem Hair and Health's brand presence online, engage their target audience more effectively to increase loyalty from current customers while attracting new leads, and drive business growth through personalized, authentic, multi-generational marketing approaches.


Services >

Brand Strategy

/ Content Creation

/ Digital Marketing

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Graphic Design:

Global Travel

Trendemon

At Global Travel, I was responsible for creating engaging content and planning social media posts via monthly calendars. I developed targeted digital content to highlight the benefits of becoming a travel agent to recruit new leads and current promotions for practicing agents.

At TrenDemon, a web personalization platform startup, I was immersed in the B2B industry, doing competitive research on visual preferences, creating promotional ads, and social content to showcase services and promote the company at industry events for lead generation.

Services >

Brand Strategy

/ Content Creation

/ Digital Marketing

Brush Stroke Element

TikTok Short-Form Video:

Alpha Epsilon Phi

For Alpha Epsilon Phi's TikTok account, I produced engaging and on-trend videos showcasing our events throughout the year and crafted recruitment videos that highlighted our sisterhood values while maintaining a consistent aesthetic.


Services >

Brand Strategy

/ Content Creation

/ Digital Marketing

Brush Stroke Element

Playlist Curator & Freelancer:

As a lifelong music enthusiast, I have transformed my passion into a thriving, multifaceted side venture. Through my meticulous curation of countless Spotify playlists for niche moods, I have amassed a following of over 4,000 active listeners. Through PlaylistPush, I assist up-and-coming artists by providing them with constructive feedback on their music and tailored marketing strategies to bolster their presence across Spotify and various social media platforms. This has allowed me to not only monetize my deep appreciation for music, but also has been rewarding for me in playing a pivotal role in propelling the careers of talented, emerging musicians while discovering new talent.


My Interests

Cooking & Baking

My lifelong love for cooking and baking has me constantly experimenting with new recipes and sharing delicious creations with others. A highlight was during my semester abroad where I had the incredible experience of taking a cooking course in Madrid!

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Laptop with Empty Screen for Mockup
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Laptop with Empty Screen for Mockup
Pink Torn Grid Paper

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Coffee table book I gifted my family after our trip to Asia!

Taped Flowers Pastel Illustration

Scrapbooking

I'm passionate about bringing memories to life through scrapbooking – both by hand and digitally. I love blending photos, physical souvenirs, and textures to create cherished keepsakes for myself and loved ones.

My Camera Roll

+ some things I love...

+ some things I love...

beach

beach

hiking

hiking

Pizza!

Pizza!

Friends <3

Friends <3

Summer

Summer

Travel!

Travel!

Art

Art

animals

animals

sushi

sushi

flowers

flowers