eBay Case Study

Brand Strategy | Messaging Architecture | Brand Programming | Naming | Loyalty Program

Overview

eBay is one of the most recognized brands in ecommerce — but recognition wasn't enough. By 2020 the brand had lost relevance with younger audiences and was ceding category share to focused competitors in sneakers, watches, and motors. The engagement spanned three interconnected brand strategy challenges: repositioning eBay as a destination for enthusiast culture, launching a premium loyalty program, and unifying seller communications across a complex global organization.

The Approach

Reconnecting Gen Z and Millennial collectors and enthusiasts with the brand in fresh, authentic ways required a multi-pronged strategy.

The first push was developing vertical market brand strategies for Motors, Sneakers, Watches, Handbags, and Collectibles — each grounded in audience insight, competitive analysis, and a clear positioning within the category, all vetted through quantitative testing.

The second was a full brand programming approach to social: standing up four new handles across multiple platforms and building creator and influencer partnerships around cultural credibility rather than follower count. Creative strategy was validated through qualitative and quantitative research with a third-party firm before campaigns launched.

The third was the brand strategy, naming, and launch of eBay Top Star, a premium loyalty program for sneaker enthusiasts. I conducted primary research to define the value proposition, developed the naming strategy, and oversaw the rollout through expression, testing, and stakeholder alignment across business units, product development, McKinsey, and senior leadership.

The fourth was unifying eBay's seller-facing communications for a stronger, more consistent brand presence with this critical audience. Marketing and communications had proliferated across teams and channels without a common strategic foundation. I led the development of the Seller Messaging Playbook — conducting stakeholder interviews across ten global teams, synthesizing brand health data, and building a unified framework connecting eBay's positioning and promise to practical execution guidance across every seller touchpoint.

Outcome