Creative Strategist – Semi-Branded DTC Dropshipping Brand / Meta Ads

We are looking for a performance-driven Creative Strategist to join our growing semi-branded e-commerce brand and help us significantly improve our creative output, profitability, and Meta Ads performance. We operate a semi-branded DTC e-commerce brand using a dropshipping business model. We currently sell a non-cellular trail camera designed primarily for hunters, landowners, and outdoor enthusiasts. Our main market is Quebec, Canada, with a predominantly French-speaking customer base. While our current fulfillment model is dropshipping, our goal is not to operate like a short-term generic dropshipping store. We are actively building a recognizable brand around: * Strong product positioning * Customer understanding * Advertising * Creative strategy * Customer experience * Offers * Branding * Long-term customer trust The brand is currently generating approximately $2,000/day in revenue, and our objective is to build the creative engine necessary to improve profitability and scale toward $10,000/day while maintaining strong unit economics. Because we operate with a semi-branded dropshipping model, we highly value: * Speed * Testing velocity * Resourcefulness * Adaptability * Strong marketing fundamentals * Efficient production * Data-driven decision making We are not looking for someone who simply writes scripts or copies competitors. We are looking for someone who can think like a marketer, researcher, analyst, copywriter, and Creative Strategist. # Your Mission Your main responsibility will be to increase our creative hit rate. We want to produce more winning creatives, understand why they win, systematically iterate on what works, and continuously discover new: * Marketing angles * Customer avatars * Messages * Hooks * Concepts * Formats * Visual executions Your work should follow a structured process: **Research → Insights → Hypothesis → Creative Concept → Execution → Testing → Analysis → Iteration** You will have access to video editors and graphic designers who can execute your ideas. Your responsibility is to determine: * What we should test * Why we should test it * Who we should target * What marketing hypothesis we are testing * How the concept should be executed * What resources are realistically available * How we should analyze the results * What we should test next We want someone capable of balancing ambitious marketing ideas with practical execution. # 1. Deep Customer & Market Research You will conduct an in-depth analysis of our product, niche, competitors, and customers. This includes researching: * Amazon reviews * Reddit discussions * Competitor reviews * Facebook comments * TikTok comments * Competitor ads * Meta Ad Library * Customer objections * Customer frustrations * Desired outcomes * Buying motivations * Common vocabulary used by customers * Emotional buying triggers * Rational buying triggers * Reasons customers choose competing products * Reasons customers regret previous purchases The goal is to understand the customer at a much deeper level than basic demographics. You should be able to identify different customer avatars and understand: * What they want * What they fear * What frustrates them * What they are tired of * What they have already tried * Why previous solutions disappointed them * Why they haven't purchased yet * What would convince them to purchase * What objections need to be addressed * What emotional outcome they are looking for * How they describe their problems in their own words We expect your creative ideas to come from actual customer insights rather than assumptions. # 2. Marketing Angle Development Based on your research, you will identify and develop new marketing angles. You should have a strong understanding of concepts such as: * Customer awareness levels * Market sophistication * Customer avatars * Marketing angles * Pain points * Desires * Objections * Emotional triggers * Rational buying motivations * Problem/solution positioning * Product positioning * Offer positioning * Hooks * Unique mechanisms * Direct-response marketing principles * Human psychology You should understand that different audiences require different messages depending on their level of awareness. For example, someone who doesn't yet understand their problem should not necessarily receive the same advertisement as someone actively comparing trail cameras. We expect you to develop angles based on actual customer insights rather than random brainstorming. # 3. Creative Strategy Every week, you will determine which creative concepts we should produce and test. We want a healthy balance between: * Proven concepts * Iterations of existing winners * New marketing angles * New avatars * New hooks * New formats * Trending creative styles * Controlled experimental concepts The objective is to create enough creative diversity within our Meta Ads account while still systematically building on what is already working. Creative formats may include: * UGC-style videos * AI UGC * Podcast-style ads * Direct-response videos * Mashup ads * Founder/expert-style creatives * Educational ads * Problem/solution ads * Product demonstration ads * Static image ads * Text-heavy static ads * Comparison ads * Advertorial-style creatives * VSL-style ads * Voice-over ads * Listicle-style videos * Testimonial-style concepts * Other formats you believe are worth testing We do not want someone who blindly follows trends. You should understand when to: * Use a proven framework * Iterate on an existing winner * Test a new hook * Test a new angle * Change the avatar * Change the visual execution * Introduce a completely new concept Most importantly: **Your concepts must be executable.** A brilliant concept that our creative team cannot realistically produce is not useful to us. # 4. Working Within Our Current Production Resources This is extremely important. Because we are still a growing semi-branded dropshipping brand, we currently do not have a complete proprietary B-roll library. We plan to progressively build our own B-roll library as the brand grows. For now, however, our video editors will primarily work with: * Generic B-roll * Product footage found on TikTok * YouTube videos * AliExpress product videos * Alibaba product videos * Supplier footage * Outdoor footage * Hunting footage * Stock footage when appropriate * AI-generated visual assets when appropriate * Other accessible visual resources You must therefore be capable of designing concepts around the production resources that are actually available. We do not want every creative brief to require: * Custom actors * Expensive productions * Highly specific locations * Complex product demonstrations * Specific shots we don't have * Footage that is practically impossible for our editor to find Instead, you should be capable of creating **simple but effective concepts**. The strength of the creative should often come from: * The marketing angle * The hook * The script * The structure * The message * The pacing * The editing * The psychology behind the concept Rather than depending entirely on complicated production. Before proposing a concept, you should always ask yourself: **"Can our editor realistically execute this creative with the resources currently available?"** If the answer is no, you should adapt. For example, you should be capable of: * Replacing a specific shot with generic B-roll * Finding similar footage on TikTok * Finding footage on YouTube * Finding product footage on AliExpress or Alibaba * Providing visual references * Rewriting part of the script * Using text to communicate something visually * Using graphics or screenshots * Using voice-over * Using AI-generated assets when relevant * Simplifying the execution without weakening the marketing angle We value resourcefulness. You should not allow limited production resources to become an excuse for producing fewer creatives. A strong Creative Strategist should be capable of developing effective advertising concepts even with limited B-roll. As the brand grows, we plan to progressively create our own library of: * Original product footage * Product demonstrations * Hunting footage * Outdoor footage * UGC * Customer content * Professional B-roll * Different environments * Different scenarios * Different customer avatars This will allow us to execute increasingly sophisticated concepts over time. Until then, your responsibility is to maximize the resources already available to us while maintaining a high creative testing velocity. # 5. Copywriting & Scriptwriting Strong copywriting skills are essential. You will write: * Video scripts * Hooks * Headlines * Static ad copy * Image text * Creative structures * CTAs * Voice-over scripts You should be able to take a customer insight or marketing angle and transform it into a compelling advertisement. Your scripts should not simply sound good. They must be written with execution in mind. If we don't have highly specific product footage, the script should still be visually executable using: * Accessible B-roll * Editing * Graphics * Voice-over * Text * AI assets * Other available resources Your scripts must also be clear enough for our editors and designers to execute without requiring constant clarification. # 6. Creative Briefs You will create detailed creative briefs for our video editors and graphic designers. Your briefs should clearly explain: * The marketing angle * Target customer/avatar * Customer awareness level * Main hypothesis * Hook * Script * Visual concept * Desired pacing * B-roll requirements * Where relevant B-roll could potentially be sourced * Alternative visuals if ideal footage cannot be found * On-screen text * References/inspiration * CTA * Variations to produce Our creative team should be able to open your brief and immediately understand exactly what needs to be created. We don't want briefs that simply say: *"Use hunting B-roll here."* We want enough direction for the editor to understand: * What the viewer should see * Why they should see it * What emotion or idea the visual should reinforce * What alternative can be used if the ideal footage cannot be found At the same time, briefs should remain efficient. We don't need unnecessary complexity. The goal is to make production faster, not slower. # 7. Meta Ads Performance Analysis You will analyze the performance of the creatives we launch on Facebook and Instagram. You should be comfortable analyzing creative performance and identifying patterns across metrics such as: * Hook performance * CTR * CPC * CPM * Conversion rate * CPA * ROAS * Spend * Revenue * Creative fatigue * Video retention metrics However, we don't want someone who simply looks at a dashboard and says: *"This creative had a good ROAS."* We want someone who asks: **Why did it work?** Was it: * The hook? * The marketing angle? * The avatar? * The visual? * The offer? * The format? * The message? * The level of awareness? * The first three seconds? * The script? * The execution? * The pacing? You should then turn these observations into new hypotheses and creative tests. # 8. Scientific Testing & Iteration We want someone who approaches creative strategy with a scientific mindset. Every creative should ideally answer a question. For example: **"Does emphasizing simplicity outperform emphasizing image quality?"** **"Does a hunter-focused avatar outperform a landowner-focused avatar?"** **"Does fear of missing wildlife activity outperform the desire for better scouting information?"** **"Does a problem-focused hook outperform a product-focused hook?"** **"Does a raw UGC-style execution outperform a polished execution?"** When a creative works, your job is not finished. You should determine what element may have caused the performance and create intelligent iterations around it. When something fails, we want to learn from it rather than simply discard it. We expect you to document those learnings and use them to improve future tests. The goal is not to randomly launch creatives until something works. The goal is to continuously increase our probability of finding winners. # Weekly Workflow You will be expected to provide a clear weekly creative calendar. We want to know: * What is being researched * What customer insights were discovered * What concepts are being created * What angles are being tested * What scripts are being written * What creatives are being produced * What creatives are being launched * What previous creatives are being analyzed * What iterations will be created next Your calendar should also take into account the realistic production capacity of our editors and designers. We don't want a calendar filled with concepts that cannot actually be produced that week. You should be highly organized and capable of respecting deadlines without requiring constant follow-up. We value speed. Our business model allows us to move quickly, and we want our creative process to take advantage of this. We want someone who can move fast without sacrificing the quality of their thinking. # Weekly Reporting You will also provide a clear weekly report explaining: * What we tested * Why we tested it * What worked * What didn't work * What we learned * Interesting customer insights discovered * Emerging patterns * New hypotheses * Which winning creatives should be iterated * Which angles should be explored further * What you recommend testing next We want decisions to be based on evidence rather than personal opinions. Your reports should progressively help us build an internal knowledge base of: **What works, what doesn't work, and why.** # The Person We're Looking For You should have a strong understanding of: * Direct-response marketing * Creative strategy * Customer psychology * Awareness stages * Market sophistication * Marketing angles * Customer avatars * Hooks * Copywriting * Scriptwriting * Meta Ads creatives * E-commerce * DTC marketing * Dropshipping * UGC advertising * Static advertising * VSL structures * Problem/solution frameworks * Creative testing * Creative iteration * Customer research * Competitor research * Performance analysis You should also be: * Analytical * Curious * Resourceful * Fast * Reliable * Organized * Consistent * Self-directed * Comfortable taking responsibility * Able to meet deadlines * Able to explain the reasoning behind your decisions * Comfortable adapting ideas to production constraints Experience working as a Creative Strategist for an e-commerce/DTC brand is a major advantage. Experience working with semi-branded or dropshipping brands is also highly valuable because you should understand the importance of: * Speed * Creative volume * Rapid testing * Efficient production * Resourcefulness * Fast iteration Experience with physical products is also highly valuable. Speaking French is a strong advantage because our primary customer base is French-speaking. # Our Working Culture We encourage constructive criticism. We don't want someone who simply agrees with everything we say. If you believe an idea is bad, explain why. If you believe there is a better opportunity, show us. If the data contradicts one of our assumptions, tell us. If you believe our production limitations are preventing an important test, explain what footage or assets we should eventually create. We want someone who is comfortable taking ownership of the creative strategy and who has enough freedom to explore new ideas while remaining accountable for their decisions. We care about: * Results * Learning * Speed * Responsibility * Organization * Constructive criticism * Continuous improvement # Compensation The position starts at: **$200 USD/week for approximately 20 hours per week.** We are looking for a long-term collaboration. We believe compensation should evolve with the value and results someone brings to the company. If you demonstrate that you can consistently: * Improve our creative process * Increase our creative hit rate * Discover winning angles * Generate useful customer insights * Improve the quality of our creative testing * Contribute to the profitability and growth of the brand We will be more than happy to renegotiate the contract upward. We believe compensation should reflect performance and responsibility. As the business grows, we want the people responsible for helping us grow to benefit as well. # How to Apply Please do NOT send us a generic application. We are especially interested in understanding how you think. Please answer the following questions in your application. ## 1. What experience do you have as a Creative Strategist? Have you previously worked with: * DTC brands? * E-commerce brands? * Dropshipping brands? * Semi-branded stores? * Physical products? If yes, explain what you were responsible for. ## 2. Walk us through exactly how you would structure your week if you joined our team. From Monday to Friday: * What would you research? * What would you analyze? * What would you create? * What would you test? * What would you report? We want to understand your actual workflow. ## 3. Explain your customer research process. How would you discover new customer avatars and marketing angles using sources such as: * Amazon * Reddit * Competitor reviews * Facebook comments * TikTok comments * Competitor ads * Meta Ad Library How do you transform raw customer comments into advertising ideas? ## 4. What is your mindset regarding Meta/Facebook creatives? In your opinion, how should an e-commerce brand operate its creative testing system to maximize its probability of consistently finding winning creatives? We are particularly interested in understanding how you think about: * Creative volume * Testing velocity * Creative diversity * Iteration * New concepts * Winners * Losers * Creative fatigue * Learning from data * Scaling winning ideas ## 5. How would you work with limited B-roll? Imagine you have written a strong script, but we do not have custom footage for several scenes. Our editors currently have to rely primarily on: * Generic B-roll * YouTube * TikTok * AliExpress * Alibaba * Supplier footage * Stock footage * AI-generated assets How would you adapt your concept, script, and creative brief so that the advertisement remains strong but is still easy and fast for our editor to execute? We want to understand whether you can create strong ideas within real production constraints. ## 6. Imagine we currently have one winning creative. How would you decide whether to: * Change the hook * Change the angle * Change the avatar * Change the format * Change the visual * Change the script * Create a completely new concept Explain your reasoning. ## 7. How do you differentiate between: * A marketing angle * A hook * A creative concept * An execution Please explain each in your own words. ## 8. How do you analyze creative performance? What metrics and signals do you analyze to determine why a creative worked or failed? How do you turn those observations into the next creative tests? ## 9. Please provide examples of previous work. If possible, share: * Creative briefs * Video scripts * Static ad concepts * Marketing research * Creative strategies * Creative testing documents * Weekly creative calendars If possible, also share examples of creatives you helped develop and the results they generated. # IMPORTANT – Attention Check We want people who pay attention to details. At the VERY BEGINNING of your application, before introducing yourself, write the answer to the following question: **17 × 8 + 23 = ?** Applications that do not begin with the correct answer may not be considered. We are looking for someone who wants to build a real creative testing system with us — not simply produce a few scripts every week. Our objective is to continuously improve our understanding of the customer, increase our creative winner hit rate, improve profitability, and build the creative engine necessary to scale this semi-branded DTC business from approximately **$2,000/day toward $10,000/day.**