Interim and Fractional Ecommerce Leadership for DTC and B2B ECommerce Brands

32% increase in new customer numbers

British American Tobacco (BAT) is one of the world’s largest multinational companies in the tobacco industry. Headquartered in London, UK, BAT produces and sells a range of tobacco products, including cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and vaping devices. The company operates in over 180 countries globally.

 

They acquired a struggling vaping brand and tasked me with leading the transformation to reverse its performance decline. Over an 18-month period, I successfully rejuvenated the brand, driving a significant recovery in customer acquisition and engagement.
British American Tobacco (BAT) has faced several challenges in sustaining growth in recent years. Regulatory restrictions on tobacco advertising and packaging, rising taxes on tobacco products, and increasing public health awareness have all constrained traditional cigarette sales.

 

At the same time, the company has had to navigate a rapidly evolving market with the rise of alternative nicotine products, shifting consumer preferences, and intense competition. These factors combined have made consistent revenue and market expansion increasingly difficult for BAT.

 

Acquisition was the way forward however the VIP Valing brand which they purchased had suffered from years of neglect and under investment – which I was recruited to address working alongside the Group Digital Director
I began by conducting a full ecommerce audit, evaluating the website’s UX/UI, checkout process, and conversion funnels. Working closely with BAT’s internal team, we executed a complete overhaul of site functionality, focusing on improving the user experience to drive higher conversion rates and reduce bounce rates.

 

I also implemented a robust CRM program designed to guide new customers through the onboarding process and highlight the unique selling points (USPs) of the brand, differentiating it from competitors. This program targeted customer retention through personalized email marketing, promotions, and exclusive VIP offers.

 

Additionally, I led a Local SEO strategy to improve organic search visibility, ensuring that customers could easily find the brand’s products both online and in physical stores, which increased local traffic and online purchases.

 

This led to a shrinking email database, lower email acquisition rates, and lost revenue opportunities due to a lack of insight into customer behavior.
New Customer Acqusition Improvement
 
The combined ecommerce improvements resulted in a dramatic recovery in performance. Website conversion rates improved significantly, helping us convert more first-time visitors into registered customers.

 

1 – 32% increase in New Customer Acquisition – New customer acquisition surged, with customer numbers increasing by +32% year-over-year after a prior decline of -43%.

 

2 – The Local SEO optimization improvement also played a crucial role in driving more organic traffic and increasing brand visibility, both in-store and online. This multifaceted strategy led to increased ecommerce revenue, better customer retention, and positioned the brand for sustainable long-term growth in a competitive digital marketplace.