Two Friends Bring the Feeling of the Coast to Customers Across the Country

Melanie Bolin relocated from California to Kansas with her young family in 2004 — and though she soon settled into Midwestern life, she continued to miss the Pacific coast. She connected with fellow California transplant Lina Dickinson, and the two quickly bonded over their shared tastes and interests. In 2013, they launched MERSEA — a lifestyle brand that makes stylish clothing and accessories perfect for travel, as well as candles, room sprays, and diffusers whose scents evoke the coast.

Today, MERSEA reaches customers across the country — in boutiques and gift shops, and online. As demand for their products grew, Melanie and Lina increasingly shifted to e-commerce, using data-powered digital ads to reach the right audiences. The two use digital ads to reach and attract customers, and leverage tools like Google Analytics to better understand which parts of their marketing work best. “Google Analytics plays a crucial role in our marketing and advertising strategy,” says Lina. “It allows us to analyze where our visitors are coming from and how they interact with our content — helping us tailor our messaging to be as engaging and effective as possible.” 

Melanie traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for small businesses like hers on Capitol Hill. She shared concerns about how proposed data regulations could make digital tools, like data-powered advertising, less effective and more expensive — making it harder for small businesses like MERSEA to reach the right audiences online. “Lawmakers need to recognize digital tools’ role in small businesses’ success,” she says. “It’s important for small-business leaders to speak up and advocate for regulations that keep those tools affordable and accessible.”

Learn more about MERSEA at https://mersea.com/