Jess
Roush
Creative Strategist
I'm Jess Roush, a UGC creator turned creative strategist with a background that's a little unconventional, and I think that's exactly the point.
Before I started making content, I spent years in outside sales, where I learned that the difference between a yes and a no usually comes down to one thing: knowing what emotionally moves someone to act, not just what they need, but what they believe they need.
I carried that into content creation, and it changed how I approach everything. I don't just make videos, I think about who's watching, what they're feeling, and what would make them stop, trust, and act.
I'm currently completing Motion's Creative Strategy Certification, where I'm sharpening the strategic frameworks to match the instincts I've built on the ground as a creator.
I'm based in the Pacific Northwest and work with DTC brands and agencies who want a strategic partner that understands both sides of the creative process.
jess@jessroushcreative.com
Strategic Projects
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Strategic Projects 〰️
Huel: Finding the Untapped Buyer
Brand Audit + Creative Strategy
Brand: Huel
Category: Meal replacement/Nutrition
Tools: Motion App, Runneth AI, Meta Ad Library
Tools: Motion App, Runneth AI, Meta Ad Library
The Brief
Huel is the category leader in nutritionally complete meal replacement, with $335M in revenue, 584 active paid social creatives, and a pending $1.1B acquisition by Danone. At this scale, the strategic question isn't "how do we get more visibility", it's "who are we not talking to, and what would it take to reach them?"
This project used a three-part research framework to find out.
1.
The untapped persona
The self-deprioritizing millennial woman is nowhere in Huel's creative. Her micro-moments are the most emotionally resonant in the category.
2.
The motherhood moment
"I feed everyone but myself" has zero creative representation across all four competitors. The highest-resonance trigger has never been made into an ad.
3.
Cost-per-meal proof
This audience mentally audits every purchase. An explicit cost comparison gives her the permission structure she needs to buy. No competitor is running it.
4.
Body congruence over diet culture
"Your gym game is dialed. Your nutrition should be too" speaks to her effort without triggering diet-culture resistance.
5.
Peer proof over expert proof
She trusts women who look like her reporting specific, verifiable outcomes over nutritional credentials or influencer codes. The category is built on expert proof. The whitespace is peer proof.
The recommendation
POV / Day-in-the-life video
The format no competitor will see coming.
The scene: her kitchen after the kids leave. The gym bag she packed but the lunch she forgot. The fridge she stares into at 1:45pm knowing she has four minutes before the next thing.
"You already take care of everyone. Here's the 60-second version of taking care of you."
Not aspirational. Not preachy. Just the wry, self-aware recognition that she responds to because every other brand is talking to people who want to be healthier. The whitespace is the woman who already knows exactly what she needs, and has just made herself last on the list.
The Takeaway
Huel doesn't have a reach problem. It has a recognition problem. The highest-value customer in this category is already looking for a solution, she just hasn't seen an ad that proves Huel understands her life. That's the opportunity.