Vitali Shykhau
Verified Expert in Marketing
Marketing Expert
Berlin, Germany
Toptal member since July 30, 2024
Vitali has 10+ years of experience shaping omnichannel brand experiences and digital marketing strategies for B2B and B2C clients in full-service advertising agencies. Over the past five years, he transitioned to the startup environment, where he has taken ownership of multiple areas of the customer lifecycle, including acquisition, retention, loyalty, and reactivation. Vitali recently specialized in subscription models, churn management, and data-driven personalization.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- Churn Management
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- Email Marketing
- Lifecycle Marketing
- Loyalty Marketing
- Marketing Automation
- Nurture & Retention Campaigns
- Reactivation Strategy
Work Experience
Customer Lifecycle Specialist
Geologie
- Created an ongoing customer journey funnel to spot early signs of concerns and offer personalized solutions, retaining up to 60% of at-risk customers and converting them into repeat buyers.
- Developed a cross-channel customer funnel with email, SMS, and proactive service outreach, boosting new subscribers' second orders by 15% and reducing cancellations by 11% in the first month.
- Owned the full revamp of the loyalty program, which resulted in a five-fold increase in participation, 20% higher monthly revenue, and double repeat purchases within the first month.
- Devised and implemented a passive churn recovery strategy to win back subscription customers lost to failed payments, recovering 50% more payments beyond automated dunning efforts.
- Tested tailored promotional strategies and iterated on content, messaging, and timing across email, SMS, and push notifications, helping the company maintain a conversion rate for new leads of over 10%.
- Established a KPI measurement framework and streamlined workflows, integrating marketing automation with customer service, resulting in a six-fold improvement in retention rates for customers seeking affordable subscription options.
Digital Strategist
ALTAVIA
- Developed a comprehensive social strategy to enhance Uber's reputation and build emotional connections with the Italian market, integrating long-term planning with a mix of evergreen storytelling and targeted promotional content.
- Created the UX and content architecture for Lamborghini's Apple TV app, blending video content with interactive elements to engage brand enthusiasts and integrate the experience with the brand's smartphone app, website, and dealerships.
- Nurtured international fan communities for Piaggio Group brands Moto Guzzi and Aprilia using omnichannel strategies, including digital content and event activations.
- Revamped the content strategy for the iconic Italian design brand Foscarini in line with the new brand messaging strategy and key brand differentiators and values for B2C and B2B.
- Built a strategy and an immersive experience for Italy's most technologically advanced wine museum, repositioning the Mondo del Vino brand as an ambassador of wine culture and education.
Interactive Director
Havas Worldwide
- Led digital strategies for Peugeot in Italy, covering paid and owned channels. I created campaigns and evergreen strategies for new products and services, ensuring unified brand messaging and consistent creativity for effective market penetration.
- Created interactive experiences in Telecom flagship stores to highlight new services and offers. I developed UI/UX for multitouch screens and managed creative production and technical implementation.
- Developed strategies and led the art direction and user experience design for Politecnico Milano's fundraising initiatives, optimizing the donation funnel across multiple devices.
Digital Art Director
Shanghai.Berlin
- Designed user-friendly interfaces and intuitive user experiences for websites and digital applications.
- Created compelling visual designs for various marketing campaigns, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines and campaign objectives.
- Built interactive prototypes for websites to demonstrate functionality and design concepts to stakeholders.
- Drove innovation within the digital team and encouraged the exploration of new ideas and technologies.
Project History
New Subscriber Onboarding Flow
Boosted new subscribers' next orders by 15% and reduced cancellations by 11% in the trial period.
I kept customers engaged from day one by helping them overcome adoption barriers and developing habits through education and interaction. I created a seamless cross-channel customer journey with email, SMS, and proactive customer service outreach.
Proactive At-risk Customer Retention
Retained up to 60% of at-risk customers and converted them into repeat buyers. Two years later, over 30% remain active subscribers.
This project involved identifying early signs of customer concerns and providing personalized solutions. I checked in with customers through automated emails, driving them to an interactive form to submit their concerns. I integrated with the customer service platform so that each submission would convert into a customer service ticket and be handled in accordance with the developed guidelines.
Loyalty Program Overhaul
Increased the participation rate five-fold, achieved a 20% increase in monthly revenue, and doubled repeat purchases within just one month.
I improved the program’s visibility across all touchpoints and customer segments. In addition, I optimized usability by ensuring a smoother user experience, offering tangible benefits for customers, and aligning rewards and discounts with business goals.
Education
Magister Degree in Communication Design
Academy for Fine Arts and Design (HBK Saar) - Saarbrücken, Germany
Skills
Core
Marketing Automation, Email Marketing, A/B Testing, SMS Marketing, Omnichannel Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Channel Strategy, Content Strategy, Creative Advertising, Interactive Advertising, Customer Segmentation, Drip Marketing, Customer Success, Email Campaigns, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategy, Branding, Copywriting
Platforms & Tools
Klaviyo, ReCharge, Google Analytics, Asana, Google Workspace, HubSpot
Business Models
Integrated Marketing Communications Planning
Other
Customer Retention, Nurture & Retention Campaigns, Churn Management, Loyalty Marketing, Drip Campaigns, Audience Segmentation, Lifecycle Marketing, Reactivation Strategy, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Shopify, Customer Acquisition, Cohort Analysis, Push Notifications, Competition Research, Competitive Analysis, Brand Building, Digital Strategy, Creative Briefs, Customer Journey, User Flows, Integrated Campaigns, Digital Branding, UX Design, Project Management, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Customer Insights, Data Analysis, Loyalty Programs, User Experience Design, UX Research, Surveying, Communication Strategy, Brand Positioning, UI Design, Visual Design, Visual Storytelling, Digital Media, Creativity, Churn Analysis, Visual Communication, Art Direction
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