GRACEPLACE ART | CASE STUDY
Building a mission-driven art business from the ground up.
From website design to social media strategy, product development, email marketing, wholesale outreach, corporate gifting, collaborations, partnerships, and backend systems, I helped build the digital foundation and growth behind GracePlace Art.
About GracePlace Art…
GracePlace Art is a purpose-driven art and gift company founded by Bonnie Reber and her daughter Grace, an artist with Down syndrome. The business was created to provide Grace with opportunities to create, learn, grow, work, and give back while sharing a larger message of inclusion, representation, and possibility.
From the earliest stages of the business, I partnered with GracePlace Art to help transform an idea into a fully functioning brand and business. My role extended far beyond marketing. I helped build the customer experience, marketing ecosystem, partnerships, and operational systems that supported the growth of the company over time.
The Challenge
Like many small businesses, GracePlace Art began with a powerful mission, but needed the infrastructure, strategy, and systems necessary to grow sustainably.
As the business evolved, the challenge became not only growing sales, but creating multiple pathways for growth through partnerships, collaborations, wholesale accounts, corporate gifting, and community relationships that could expand the reach of the brand beyond its existing audience.
The Goal
Tell Grace's story authentically
Create products that would showcase Grace’s art
Build an engaged community
Drive product sales through multiple channels & an integrated marketing strategy
Expand into wholesale, retail, and corporate gifting opportunities
Develop strategic collaborations to increase brand awareness and build revenue
Create systems to support long-term growth
My Role…
Brand & Website Dev
Designed and built brand and website
Developed messaging | customer journey
Built shop and e-commerce experience
Managed updates and improvements
Graphics/photos/marketing materials
Product Dev & Launch
From concept through launch
Planned and executed integrated launch campaigns across web, email, social, and promotional channels
Story driven marketing connecting products to mission, increasing engagement, visibility, sales
Ongoing product promotional campaigns
Content & Social Strategy
Built social media presence from the ground up
Developed content pillars & storytelling strategy
Wrote captions and campaign messaging
Planned and executed promotional campaigns
End to end social media services - from planning to filming to publishing and engagement
Collabs & Partnerships
Identified and supported collaboration opportunities aligned with brand's mission
Developed partnership messaging, promotional and launch strategy
Expanded brand visibility & additional revenue
Leveraged collaborations as both marketing & business growth opportunities
Email Marketing
Built and managed email marketing strategy
Created promotional campaigns
Developed launch sequences
Wrote holiday and seasonal sales campaigns
Supported customer retention/repeat
Wholesale Growth
Developed wholesale outreach strategy
Created retailer outreach messaging
Built relationships with retail partners
Positioned GracePlace Art as a purpose driven brand for gift shops, boutiques, bookstores, coffee shops, and specialty retailers
Corporate Gifting
Developed corporate gifting strategy
Created outreach materials and messaging
Positioned brand as a gifting solution for businesses seeking impactful products
Built partnership relationships/opportunities
Operations & Systems
Developed organizational systems & workflows
Supported backend business processes
Built operational infrastructure to support continued growth across multiple channels
Strategic Partnerships & Growth Opportunities
One of the most impactful outcomes of my work with GracePlace Art was the growth of strategic partnerships, collaborations, wholesale opportunities, and corporate gifting relationships.
As brand awareness and visibility increased, new opportunities started showing up organically, facilitating GracePlace Art’s evolution into a recognizable mission-driven brand that attracted the attention of retailers, corporate partners, media outlets, and like-minded organizations looking to collaborate.
I helped foster business relationships, manage communications, and promote collaboration / partnership launches across our social media, web, and email campaigns.
*Notable Achievements Below…
Intuit Corporate Gifting
Established relationships with intuit employees which led to being selected for a corporate gifting campaign featuring 2,300 of GracePlace Art’s "Treat Yourself" journals for employee gift boxes. The partnership generated significant sales as well as brand awareness among a new audience.
The Happy Planner
The happy planner found GracePlace Art on social media and reached out regarding a collaboration featuring custom art for a new product line. The collaboration introduced Grace's artwork and story to a highly engaged creative community and maintaining the brand relationship led to a second line of collaborative products.
Disney/Pixar
Upon finding GracePlace Art on social media, Disney/Pixar asked GracePlace Art to create a custom piece of art and associated content for their World Down Syndrome Day campaign. This partnership opportunity expanded brand awareness and credibility through alignment with a globally recognized brand.
The Pioneer Woman & The Mercantile
I supported GracePlace Art in pitching the idea of a creating custom line of cards for The Pioneer Woman to be sold exclusively at The Mercantile. The brand accepted the proposal and features GracePlace Art cards in their shop. The partnership increased exposure and growth opportunities through retail visibility and relationship building.
Dr Pepper
Created a social media reel featuring Grace sharing her love of Dr Pepper, which gained significant traction online and caught the attention of the brand.
Dr Pepper reached out directly and sent Grace a personalized package, generating additional content, engagement, and brand awareness for GracePlace Art.
Alivia
After seeing GracePlace Art on social media and interacting with us at local events, Alivia connected with us to feature Grace’s designs in an inclusive fashion collaboration, bringing Grace's artwork to a highly engaged audience while supporting a shared mission of representation and inclusion.
Relationship building and launch success led to a second clothing line collaboration, further increasing GracePlace Art’s visibility and brand authority.
Social Media Audience Growth
I created and grew GracePlace Art's social media presence from the ground up across Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, transforming new accounts into engaged communities that drive awareness, connection, and sales. Not only did our digital presence grow a loyal audience, but it also attracted brand partnerships, media attention, wholesale opportunities, and corporate collaborations.
Instagram
+26,600 Followers
Facebook
+25,000 Followers
Tik Tok
+5,276 Followers
Featured Work
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Content Highlights
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Featured Work | Content Highlights |
+278.8K Views
+15.9K Interactions
Strategy | Filming | Editing | Copywriting
+1M Views
23K Interactions
Strategy | Filming | Editing | Copywriting
+188.8K Views
+3.2K Interactions
Strategy | Filming | Editing | Copywriting
+185K Views
+6.7K Interactions
Strategy | Filming | Editing | Copywriting
+185K Views
+12.5K Interactions
Strategy | Filming | Editing | Copywriting
+1.5M Views
+76K Interactions
Strategy | Filming | Editing | Copywriting
+39.8K Views
+3.1K Interactions
Strategy | Filming | Editing | Copywriting
+25.7K Views
+1.8K Interactions
Strategy | Filming | Editing | Copywriting
So much more than just selling products
This project was about building a brand people believe in
And we did exactly that, turning GracePlace Art into a successful small business that celebrates inclusion, builds real community, and turned it’s story into lasting customer relationships.
The same approach can be applied to creators, founders, nonprofits, artists, small businesses, and purpose-driven brands looking to grow their audience, elevate their online presence, strengthen their brand identity, and create meaningful connections through intentional marketing and content.