Domaine Santé is a California-based small business producing grape nectar, a natural, low-glycemic sweetener made from wine grapes, designed as a healthier alternative to refined sugar. The brand positions itself at the intersection of health and culinary application, selling primarily through farmers markets and its e-commerce website.
As a marketing, communications and publication extern, I was brought in not simply to create content, but to evaluate how the brand was communicating across platforms. I identified where strategy, messaging, and audience alignment could work together more effectively. My work spanned digital analytics, integrated marketing communications planning, brand messaging, and content development.
Projects & Contributions
I began by conducting a comprehensive Google Analytics audit, analyzing how users were finding the site, what content they engaged with, and where gaps existed between the brand's message and audience experience. Those findings informed a full IMC strategy which included audience segmentation, messaging alignment, and a phased roadmap for content and channel integration. I also developed copy materials and a digital cookbook strategy designed to increase product usage and brand engagement long-term.
My greatest strength throughout this externship was connecting research to strategy, using data and audience insights to shape communication decisions rather than simply producing content. That skill was tested early when a Google Analytics audit revealed a 90% bounce rate, which pushed me to think beyond individual content pieces and consider the full user journey. Working with a small business meant every recommendation carried real weight, and that accountability made me more precise and intentional in my approach. Presenting findings and defending strategy directly to a founder also gave me hands-on experience navigating a client relationship in a way that meaningfully expanded my professional network. More than anything, this externship connected the frameworks I've been studying - audience segmentation, channel strategy, and messaging alignment - to real work, deepening both my skills and my understanding of where I want to take my career.
Proficiency
Google Analytics
Data Interpretation & Analysis
Canva
Presentation & Mockup Development
Hootsuite
Content Creation, Scheduling
Skills
Integrated Marketing Communications
Digital Audience Analysis
Brand Messaging & Copywriting
Strategic Communication
— WORK COMPLETED
Four deliverables.
Research led. Strategy driven.
Each project was developed in direct response to a gap identified during Phase 1 of the IMC audit, connecting research to strategy and execution.
IMC Planning
Audience Segmentation
Copywriting
A full integrated marketing communications plan was built around the brands primary audience segments: health-conscious consumers searching for cleaner ingredients, and culinary enthusiasts looking for a premium cooking ingredient. Three strategic ideas addressed the brand's most critical gaps across its website, bounce behavior, and organic search visibility. The full strategy was presented directly to the founder in May 2026, including a phased roadmap from March through July.
IMC Campaign Strategy
PHASE 2 · MESSAGING
Canva Design
Food Photography
Recipe Development
Editorial Layout
The cookbook was designed to do two things: give people a reason to use the product and teach them how. The recipes were developed from scratch, photos shot and selected, and the editorial layout was designed to match the quality of the strategy behind it. The cookbook includes a brand introduction page, four original recipes built around the brand's three nectar varietals, a kitchen tool substitution chart, and a sweetener swap guide. From concept to content to design.
Digital Cookbook
PHASE 3 · CONTENT
Content Strategy
Copywriting
Platform Strategy
Asocial framework built for a beginner with no marketing experience. The guide includes evergreen caption frameworks, a visual direction and photo guide, platform-specific posting instructions for both Instagram and Facebook, and a seasonal cookbook update guide. The goal was a system the owner could pick up and run with independently and consistently.
Social Media Content System
PHASE 3 · CONTENT
Google Analytics
Consumer Surveys
Strategic Insight
The goal was to understand how users were actually experiencing the brand: how they were finding the site, what they engaged with, and where they dropped off. What emerged was a 90% bounce rate and a 17.6% engagement rate, proving that people were discovering Domaine Santé but leaving before they understood what it was. That gap between awareness and purchase became the foundation for the business' integrated marketing strategy.
Website Audit Report
PHASE 1 · FOUNDATION
— PORTFOLIO
Work
Samples
INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK - RECIPE POSTS
A selection of visual and strategic deliverables produced during the internship. Each was designed to drive engagement and educate the audience on how to cook with Domaine Santé grape nectar.
Three recipe posts designed for Instagram & Facebook (1080×1080px), built in Canva using a hero + 3-step collage format optimized for saves and shares.
A digital cookbook, designed in Canva and published via Heyzine. Typography and color system built to match the brand's warm, editorial identity.
Key slides from the Website Audit Report (March 2026) and IMC Campaign Strategy (May 2026), both presented directly to the Domaine Santé founder.
DIGITAL COOKBOOK — COOKING WITH GRAPE NECTAR
STRATEGIC RESEARCH — AUDIT & IMC CAMPAIGN
— INTERNSHIP OUTCOME
Designed To
Malia Henry
Outlast the Internship
At the close of the internship, Domaine Santé received a complete content and strategy system ready for immediate implementation. Domaine Sante offered a larger position, developing email campaigns with an expanded marketing budget.
"This externship connected the frameworks I've been studying within my Master's program. From audience segmentation to channel strategy, and messaging alignment, I had the ability apply course concepts to real audiences"
The cookbook is publicly accessible on Heyzine with a seasonally refreshable structure. A quarterly update guide ensures the content stays current without rebuilding from scratch.
Digital Cookbook: Live
Evergreen captions, a visual direction guide, step-by-step platform instructions, and a Sunday batch scheduling method designed so the owner can post consistently without outside help.
Social System: Plug and Play
A phased strategy through July 2026 outlining mixology and chef partnerships, a farmers market storytelling series, and channel integration recommendations to connect social, search, and the website into a unified experience.
IMC ROadmap: Ongoing
Marketing, Communications & Publication Intern
Domaine Santé · Spring 2026
SANTÉ