High Grounds

Creative Concept x Email Campaign Series

Project Summary:

High Grounds is a mock climbing gym concept I created to explore bold branding and community-first messaging. I developed the brand identity, visual assets, and email campaigns— thus, bringing the brand to life as something fun, motivating, and welcoming.

1

Newcomer Email Funnel

I designed a welcome drip specifically for new climbers, with the goal of converting first time guests into paying members. Emails were collected through waivers and the series focused on educating, encouraging, and building trust with those still exploring the sport.

Problem:

A key challenge was appealing to both beginners and seasoned climbers without leaning too far in either direction. I wanted to keep the brand approachable for newcomers while maintaining enough edge to resonate with experienced climbers.

Goal:

Turn new climbers into committed, long-term members.

2

Identified Key Behaviors

The strategy focused on guests who frequently visited but continued renting gear, often a sign they weren new and still deciding whether to commit. Since climbing is an expensive hobby, these guests often hesitate before investing in memberships or equipment.

Welcome Email Series:

3

Prioritized Likely Conversions

In contrast, frequent visitors who didn’t rent gear were likely members elsewhere and less likely to join. This insight helped tailor the campaign toward those most open to membership, with messaging that felt supportive—not salesy.

Social Media Collateral:

  • Ongoing Schedule Updates

  • Reoccuring Content

Item 1 of 5

Customer Personas:

Research:

To prepare for this project, I gathered information about climbing gyms and their target audience, which includes a wide range of ages, skill levels, fitness goals, motivations, and backgrounds. I conducted research through a combination of industry reports, consumer trend data, social media insights, and community forums like Reddit and Mountain Project. I also analyzed the websites and marketing strategies of well known climbing gyms to identify common themes in branding, amenities, and user engagement. I found that the consumer group would mainly consist of individuals ages 18 to 35 who are either active, adventurous, social, or problem-solving oriented, and looking to push themselves physically and mentally. With this knowledge, I was able to create two consumer personas, Ethan and Dani, to help guide my designs and messaging.

Results: