Ayaan Sadiq.
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Research + Influencer Campaign · 2026

Vessi, Canadian Perception & Influencer Activation

Two connected workstreams for Vessi: a 10-12 week Canadian consumer-perception study (brief, 300-respondent dataset, 12-slide report) and a fall-rain influencer campaign, 'Walk Through Anything', built on the research insights with an $8,000 budget across TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.

Client

Vessi Footwear

Industry

Footwear · DTC · Sustainability

Role

Research Strategist & Campaign Strategist

Year

2026

Pair of white waterproof sneakers on a wet Canadian sidewalk with a creator filming nearby, capturing rain-test content.

Case Study · 12

"Awareness is moderate, but feature perception is strong; purchase barriers (price, no try-on, style fit) are practical, not brand-related. Vessi sells itself in the rain, so the activation doesn't need polished celebrity content, it needs relatable commuters in real weather, captured short-form."

Objective

Measure Canadian awareness, perception and purchase drivers for Vessi across Urban Millennials and Suburban Gen Z, then translate the findings into a creator-led fall campaign designed to generate 100+ UGC posts, lift website traffic 15-20% and drive fall-season sales.

Result

A complete research + activation package: 5-page research brief, 300-respondent synthetic dataset, 12-slide consultant-style report with four prioritized recommendations, plus a fully scoped influencer campaign (concept, #WalkThroughAnything hashtag, 70/20/10 budget split, creator database, content playbook and measurement framework).

Deliverables

  • ·Research brief & proposal (5 pages, ~$1,210 budget plan)
  • ·300-respondent synthetic survey dataset (180 urban + 120 suburban)
  • ·Cross-tab analysis (urban vs. suburban)
  • ·12-slide final report with four prioritized recommendations
  • ·Excel data file (5 tabs: secondary research, market data, competitors, trends, raw data)
  • ·Campaign concept + #WalkThroughAnything hashtag system
  • ·Timeline (Sept 15 - Nov 30) and $8,000 budget split (70/20/10)
  • ·Influencer database with platform and tier tagging
  • ·Content type playbook (rain tests, commute days, outfit reels, POV)
  • ·Evaluation framework (reach, ER, CTR, conversion, UGC, ROAS)

Skills applied

Quantitative research designSegmentation & cross-tab analysisInsight synthesisInfluencer strategyCampaign planningBudget allocationPerformance measurement

01

Challenge

Vessi has a strong digital-first brand but limited visibility into how Canadians perceive its waterproof tech and sustainability story, and it under-uses seasonal storytelling and UGC during peak rainy season, when its product makes its strongest case.

02

Insight

Awareness is moderate, but feature perception is strong; purchase barriers (price, no try-on, style fit) are practical, not brand-related. Vessi sells itself in the rain, so the activation doesn't need polished celebrity content, it needs relatable commuters in real weather, captured short-form.

03

Strategy

  • ●Prioritize Urban Millennials (25-40) for ad spend; treat Suburban Gen Z (18-29) as a trend-driven secondary segment.
  • ●Lead messaging with 'Waterproof for everyday life,' supported by sustainability proof.
  • ●Concentrate channel investment on Instagram and TikTok creator demos plus commuter-lifestyle content.
  • ●Close the conversion gap with free shipping & returns, limited-time offers and pop-up try-on events.
  • ●Allocate 70% of campaign budget to creators, 20% to paid amplification of best UGC, 10% to production support.
  • ●Measure across reach, engagement, CTR, conversion, UGC volume and ROAS, not vanity numbers.

04

Execution

  • ●Wrote the research brief with sampling plan, methodology, data cleaning steps, budget and 10-12 week fielding timeline.
  • ●Generated and cleaned a 300-respondent synthetic dataset and ran urban-vs-suburban cross-tabs.
  • ●Built a 12-slide consultant-style report ending in four prioritized recommendations.
  • ●Wrote the campaign concept and #WalkThroughAnything hashtag system aligned to fall rain peak.
  • ●Mapped the $8,000 budget into clear allocations ($5,600 influencers / $1,600 paid / $800 production) and built the creator database with platform and tier tagging.

05

Outcome

  • ●A decision-ready baseline dataset and segmentation framework Vessi can track over time.
  • ●Three to five concrete marketing decisions surfaced from the data, not opinion.
  • ●A creator-led activation system that turns weather into the proof point.
  • ●Clear roles for paid ads (amplify the best UGC) and production (enable creators, not direct them).

06

Key Learnings

  • ●Synthetic data is strong scaffolding for segmentation, but it should be flagged as a limitation, not hidden.
  • ●Recommendations only earn their place when each one ties back to a specific finding.
  • ●Authenticity scales when the brief is narrow enough that every creator answers the same product question.
  • ●70/20/10 forces decisions early; vague splits become 50/30/20 in execution.

07

What I Would Do Next

  • ●Replace the synthetic dataset with a 300-respondent live panel to validate the urban-vs-suburban split.
  • ●Pilot the 'Waterproof for everyday life' messaging in a four-week paid social test against the current creative.
  • ●Lock the first ten creators by July to open content windows before rain peaks.
  • ●Build a UGC rights workflow so the best posts can become paid ads within 48 hours.

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