Launch Day turned into Community Moment

Role: Marketing Lead, Event & Community Lead

Channels: Community outreach, Helping Heroes events, Meta Ads, sweepstakes landing page, event page, social reels, email/SMS, and on‑site grand opening experience.

Goal: Build local trust before doors opened, drive opening‑day traffic, and convert visitors into new members.

Company
Dirty Dog’s Car Wash

Year
2025

Results:

  • Achieved the highest single‑day membership conversion in company history, with roughly 50% of grand opening visitors converting to membership.

  • Drove accelerated growth post‑launch, with the Birmingham location reaching membership counts about 30% faster than prior launches in less competitive markets.

  • Meta Ads, landing page, and sweepstakes created a tight digital‑to‑physical funnel that turned awareness into day‑of traffic, 90+ entries in roughly 72 hours and long‑term members.

A table with food and supplies at 'Dirty Dog's Car Wash' event, showing a sign with the logo, stacks of salad, and cups, with a person in uniform in the background.

Problem:

  • Entering a new market with low awareness and many competing car washes.

  • Need to make the brand feel local and community‑rooted before launch, not just another car wash in an already saturated market.

  • Aggressive membership targets tied to a single, high‑traffic grand opening weekend.

Group of people and a mascot at a car wash with bright red wash stations, a large sign that reads 'Pay Here,' and clear blue sky.

What I did

Community & Partnerships

  • Led months of pre‑launch outreach, building relationships with first responder departments, local schools, and community organizations.

  • Organized and attended multiple “Helping Heroes” events at police and fire departments, creating goodwill and familiarity ahead of opening.

  • Secured attendance from two fire departments, a local police department, and the national‑champion Spain Park cheer squad for the grand opening.

Digital Journey: Landing Page, Event Page & Meta Ads

  • Designed and built the grand opening sweepstakes landing page, clarifying the offer and capturing entries.

  • Created and managed the Meta Ads campaign promoting the event and sweepstakes, including audience targeting, creative, and budget pacing.

  • Built and maintained the event page, ensuring consistent details across channels and clear CTAs to attend and enter.

  • Designed the full customer journey—from first ad impression to sweepstakes entry to on‑site experience—so every touchpoint felt cohesive.

Talent, Vendors & On‑Site Experience

  • Planned and secured all event vendors and talent (except the food truck), including balloon artist, brand mascot, and cheer squad.

  • Owned creative direction and production for signage, decor, and branded touchpoints, coordinating execution with multiple third‑party vendors.

  • Developed a detailed run‑of‑show with staggered arrival times, roles, and contingencies so each team knew exactly where to be and when.

Content, Promotion & Follow‑Up

  • Created supporting social content and on‑site signage to promote the event, highlight community partners, and reinforce the sweepstakes.

  • Structured and managed the sweepstakes mechanics and follow‑up so entries flowed cleanly into the customer database and could be nurtured after the event.

"Kayla is the constant professional and always does her job with a smile.

She is a terrific partner who always looks out for the needs of our team and does all that she can to ensure that we meet our timelines and deadlines. I can tell that Kayla is extremely busy, however she is always responsive and provides her insights and recommendations from a Brand perspective. Kayla is a pleasure to work with and a great supporter of our team."

— Direct Quote From Anonymous Senior AT&T Leader Peer-to-Peer Feedback