117. Managing Full Funnel E-commerce with Nicholas Hernandez

In today’s episode of Mastering eCommerce Marketing, host Eitan Koter welcomes Nicholas Hernandez, the Director of E-commerce at Felina, a well-established brand in women's intimates and basics. Felina has been around for over 40 years, and Nicholas shares how the company has recently shifted from being primarily wholesale to expanding into the direct-to-consumer space.

During the episode, Nicholas talks about his approach to managing the entire customer journey — from top-of-funnel activities like organic and paid marketing, to customer retention strategies at the bottom of the funnel. He also discusses how Felina is expanding its product line into athleisure and loungewear, offering a new way to engage both their loyal and new customers.

A key takeaway from the episode is how Nicholas and his team are navigating the challenges of transitioning a legacy brand to the digital space while staying agile. He shares some practical strategies for balancing wholesale and e-commerce, and the importance of understanding your customer, whether online or in-store. There’s also an interesting look at how Nicholas applies his startup experience to keep the team lean, adaptive, and focused on testing new ideas.

It’s a conversation packed with real-world strategies and thoughtful approaches to scaling e-commerce. So, let’s get into it with Nicholas Hernandez.

Website: https://www.vimmi.net (https://www.vimmi.net/)
Email us: info@vimmi.net
Podcast website: https://vimmi.net/mastering-ecommerce-marketing/
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LinkedIn Eitan Koter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eitankoter/
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Guest: Nicholas Hernandez, Director of Ecommerce at Felina
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasfhernandez/
Felina: https://www.felina.com/

Takeaways:
• Nicolas Hernandez manages the entire customer funnel at Felina, from top-of-funnel marketing to bottom-of-funnel retention efforts.
• Felina, a company with a 35-year history in wholesale, has recently transitioned to selling online and is building a tech stack and funnel as if it were a direct-to-consumer company.
• The best marketing is the kind that feels like a story or narrative that customers are genuinely excited to engage with.
• Tapping into brand affinity and creating a genuine connection with customers can be a powerful differentiator in a crowded market.
• Understanding the customer journey and developing messaging that resonates with customers at each stage of the funnel is crucial for successful marketing campaigns. Understand the customer and create a cohesive brand experience
• Analyze and optimize various touchpoints in the customer journey
• Listen to extreme customer feedback and leverage brand advocates
• Be open to experimentation and don't rely on historical success
• Passion for classic cars and background in the entertainment industry

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Overview of Felina
03:04 Balancing Innovation with a Legacy Organization
06:10 Transitioning from Wholesale to Direct-to-Consumer
09:01 The Power of Storytelling in Marketing
11:48 Creating Genuine Connections with Customers
16:41 Developing Messaging for Each Stage of the Funnel
20:45 Analyzing Performance and Reworking Strategies
23:38 Optimizing the Funnel and Customer Touchpoints
27:11 Listening to Extreme Customer Feedback
29:24 Being Open to Experimentation
32:51 Agile Mindset and Startup Experience
35:22 Passion for Classic Cars and Entertainment Industry Background