Grant Race

Ongoing strategic marketing engagement with Knit McIntosh, a premium direct-to-consumer retailer specialising in luxury knitting yarns, haberdashery and crafting products.

Working directly with the founder, I provide strategic marketing leadership to support the continued growth of this ambitious challenger brand. My role spans commercial marketing strategy, digital performance, customer acquisition, retention and long-term brand development, helping ensure that marketing investment is aligned with the company’s growth objectives.

During the engagement, the business has achieved sustained double-digit year-on-year growth while continuing to strengthen its position within the premium crafting market. Current priorities include leading the strategic redevelopment and launch of a new Shopify website, alongside the optimisation of the wider digital ecosystem to improve customer experience and lifetime value.

This includes developing an integrated growth strategy across Shopify, Klaviyo, email marketing, social media and other digital channels, ensuring each contributes effectively to acquisition, conversion, retention and customer loyalty. The focus is on building scalable marketing capability that supports continued commercial growth while preserving the distinctive premium positioning of the Knit McIntosh brand.

Strategic Marketing Consultant / Fractional CMO – Athena Pty (Froothie & Optimum)

Completed a 12-month strategic marketing engagement with Athena Pty, supporting both its direct-to-consumer brand, Froothie, and premium small domestic appliance brand, Optimum.

Working alongside the leadership team, I helped define the strategic marketing roadmap for European expansion, identifying opportunities to scale Froothie’s successful direct-to-consumer model beyond its established market into a broader multi-country European presence. This included evaluating market priorities, digital customer acquisition, brand positioning and the commercial considerations required to support sustainable international growth.

In parallel, I led the strategic redevelopment of the Optimum brand website, transforming it into a modern platform that better reflected the brand’s premium positioning while providing a stronger foundation for future growth. The project encompassed brand messaging, user experience, website architecture and digital marketing strategy to improve both customer engagement and commercial performance.

The assignment combined strategic marketing leadership with hands-on execution across brand development, e-commerce, digital marketing and international go-to-market planning. Working with cross-functional stakeholders, I ensured marketing initiatives aligned with the company’s wider commercial objectives, creating scalable foundations for continued European expansion.

As a Fractional Marketing Director / CMO, I am able to provide a cost effective and structured outsourced solution for SME's and start-ups looking to enhance their marketing performance. Services include :-

- brand planning, helping define positioning and USP's

- marketing plan creation and execution

- customer insight and definition of customer personas

- creation of impactful digital marketing strategies

- digital sales channel optimisation

- marketing communications planning and execution

- acquisition strategies

- got-to-market planning/execution

- trade marketing

- market/competitor analysis

- product management

- team mentoring, I can help give structure, define processes and provide team development support In addition I am fully versed in all aspects of end-to-end product development within the consumer durables sector and am able to offer support all along the product development journey from concept inception through industrial design, Far East vendor selection, branding and go to market launch strategy. I work with a host of experienced freelancers and industry specific experts, offering fast and cost effective end-to-end marketing and product development solutions. If you are in need of senior level marketing expertise to help your business achieve and even surpass its goals I'd love to hear from you. Do you have a marketing team that needs mentoring, an urgent project that needs attention, or just a fresh pair of eyes to help define and execute your marketing plans? These are just a few of the things I can help you with. Get in touch to find out how I could help your business. I always take a pragmatic approach to solving business challenges and delivering win-win solutions.