Senior Capstone Project
McGee Toyota of Hanover • Fall 2025
My Capstone Project focused on improving digital marketing communication strategies for McGee Toyota of Hanover. I collaborated with the dealership's Head of Marketing, Keith Pinto, to evaluate their current social media approach, assess internal communication workflows, and design creative materials to strengthen customer engagement.
28%
Engagement Increase
35%
Follower Growth
6x
Weekly Post Frequency
A comprehensive approach to modernizing McGee Toyota's digital presence
Conduct a comprehensive audit of McGee Toyota's social media platforms, website traffic, and customer engagement metrics across all digital channels.
Propose strategies for consistent branding across platforms, ensuring unified voice, visual identity, and messaging that resonates with target audiences.
Assist in content creation for promotional campaigns, including video production, graphic design, and copywriting for social media posts and advertisements.
Evaluate internal communication between marketing and sales teams, identifying bottlenecks and recommending tools to streamline collaboration.
McGee Toyota of Hanover is a family-owned dealership serving the greater Boston area for over 30 years. With a reputation for exceptional customer service and community involvement, the dealership has built a loyal customer base through word-of-mouth and traditional marketing channels.
In recent years, the automotive industry has shifted dramatically toward digital-first customer experiences. While McGee Toyota maintained an active social media presence, they recognized the need for a more strategic, data-driven approach to engage modern car buyers who research extensively online before visiting a dealership.
The Challenge: The dealership needed to modernize their digital marketing strategy while maintaining the personal, community-focused brand identity that made them successful. This required balancing professional marketing tactics with authentic storytelling that resonated with local customers.
Strategic solutions backed by research and measurable results
A detailed analysis of McGee Toyota's digital and social media presence
I conducted a 4-week comprehensive audit examining McGee Toyota's Facebook, Instagram, Google My Business, and website analytics. This involved analyzing post performance, audience demographics, engagement patterns, and competitor benchmarking.
30-day content calendar with themed posting schedule
Based on audit findings, I created a comprehensive social media strategy featuring recurring content themes designed to build audience anticipation and engagement. The strategy balanced promotional content with community-building posts at a 70/30 ratio.
Educational content about vehicle maintenance, features, and best practices
Example: "Winter Tire Safety Tips" • "How to Maximize Your Hybrid's Fuel Efficiency"
Humanize the brand by featuring team members and their stories
Example: "Meet Tom, our Service Manager with 15 years of automotive expertise"
Showcase dealership's local involvement and sponsorships
Example: "Proud sponsor of Hanover Little League" • "Food drive results"
Limited-time offers and seasonal specials to drive dealership traffic
Example: "This weekend only: $500 off select models" • "Free oil change with test drive"
28%
Engagement Increase
6
Posts per Week
35%
Follower Growth
Translating academic theory into real business impact
"This project gave me the opportunity to translate academic communication theory into real business practice. I learned how data analytics, visual branding, and interpersonal communication all work together to shape an organization's public image."
When I started this capstone project in September 2025, I had classroom knowledge of marketing principles but limited real-world application experience. Working alongside Keith Pinto, McGee Toyota's Head of Marketing, I quickly realized that effective marketing isn't just about creative ideas—it's about data-driven decision making, consistent execution, and cross-functional collaboration.
The biggest challenge wasn't conducting the audit or creating content—it was learning to balance creativity with practicality. Some of my initial social media concepts were too ambitious for the dealership's resources, while others didn't align with their brand identity. Through feedback and iteration, I learned to design strategies that were both innovative and implementable.
My proudest achievement was seeing measurable results from my recommendations. When engagement increased by 28% after implementing the content calendar, it validated my research and strategic thinking. Even more rewarding was hearing from the sales team that customers were mentioning social media posts when visiting the dealership.
Working with McGee Toyota's marketing team not only strengthened my technical skills in video editing, social media management, and analytics—it also reaffirmed my passion for creative marketing and brand storytelling. I learned that successful marketing requires understanding your audience deeply, maintaining brand consistency across touchpoints, and continuously measuring and optimizing performance.
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