Developing a new line of microbiome-powered products to reinvent the Feminine Care category.

The Challenge
One of the world’s largest feminine care brands realized the future of the category is ripe for disruption and wanted to redefine the category maintain their leadership position. They needed to create a brand and products that could serve women throughout their monthly cycle—not just the few days each month when they need tampons, pads, or cups.

The Approach
As part of a series of lean growth sprints to design the business model, pitch, and develop a minimum viable product I lead an embedded team—combining R&D, brand, and strategy—to create a brand and product focused on holistic feminine wellness. Using a mixture of existing insights for unmet needs and primary research, I directed the creation of the value proposition, brand positioning, and collaborated on product strategy. This included multiple co-creation sessions and focus groups with consumers to test and vet product line-up and the integration of digital experiences

The Outcome
Consumer-vetted digital experience for a microbiome powered diagnostic and minimum viable product line-up of wipes, cleansers, liners, and serums to help maintain a healthy biome.

Product Development, Lean Growth Coaching, Consumer Research, Brand Creation, PA Consulting for a global consumer goods company

A new line of microbiome-powered connected products to reinvent Baby Care.

The Challenge
One of the world’s largest baby care brands realized the future of the category is ripe for disruption and wanted to redefine the category to maintain their leadership position. They had a vision for the nursery of the future and a wealth of microbiome research to support the development of a line of products enabling truly holistic care, and needed to quickly validate what consumers are interested in and what the digital app experience would be.

The Approach
As part of a series of lean growth sprints to design the business model, pitch, and develop a minimum viable product I led an embedded team—combining R&D, brand, and strategy—to create a brand and product to quickly validate our critical assumptions around products, benefits, and digital experiences. Using a mixture of existing insights for unmet needs and primary research, I directed the creation of the value proposition, brand positioning, and how each product was connected in a digital app. This included multiple co-creation sessions and focus groups with consumers to test and vet product line-up and the integration of digital experiences.

The Outcome
Consumer-vetted digital experience for a microbiome-powered diagnostic and minimum viable product line-up of creams, wipes, and a smart wipes dispenser.

Product Development, Lean Growth Coaching, Consumer Research, Brand Creation, PA Consulting for a global consumer goods company

Building a personalized nutrition brand from the ground up, bringing it to market in less than 12 months.

The Challenge
A global consumer health company was facing low-to-negative growth forecasts for several of their major core brands. They wanted to establish major sources of revenue growth and recognized the need to quickly build, test, and scale new business models. They had identified strategic areas of focus—including creating personalized vitamins and supplements regimens that can be shipped directly to consumers.

The Approach
I joined the team after initial concept validation to direct the branding and digital touchpoints. I used a combination of agile and lean-startup to test and learn as we refined the brand and packaging, and created a cohesive digital experience. Digital touchpoints spanned social media marketing to a recommendations survey, user profile and subscription management, cart and checkout flow, and email marketing. I oversaw and directed the in-market tests to refine the digital experience, value proposition, and acquisition strategy.

The Outcome
Consumer-validated value proposition & brand for a personalized supplements business capable of $200mn+ annual revenue.

Lean Growth, Brand Creation, Product Design, PA Consulting for a global consumer health company.

The Context
USGreentech had a plan to release new product offerings, but needed a brand refresh to position themselves for success. On one side of the business, landscape design, they we’re known as “The Envirofill Guys” and the business was self sufficient, while on the other side of the business, athletic field design, they were seen as expert innovators and wanted to grow their product offerings.

The Goal
They needed a more robust marketing kit with a new website and sales tools to support growth on the sports side without confusing or distracting from the landscape side of the business—where they were going to only offer one product.

The Solution
The website was split into two facing. One for sports and the other for landscape, with marketing that targeted those two specific segments. On the sports side, a strong brand system was created to support the growth of new products and showcase their benefits. To drive leads and reinforce their market position as impartial experts, a turf system recommender tool was created.

Design Direction, Spicefire
for The Motz Corporation

The Context
Corsa Lusso had a great name, Italian for “racing luxury,” and great idea—blending their passion for exceptional cars with their passion for exquisite coffee. They just needed a brand and a little help bringing their story to life.

The Challenge
Corsa Lusso needed to present itself as a premium luxury brand, but still have the license and flexibility to have a little fun. The strategy became to have luxury inspired style, but a more casual tone of voice and expression on social media and on apparel. Blending the casual attitude of car lovers hanging out and talking shop with the premium expectations of fine coffee and exotic cars.

The Solution
The result was a brand representing the luxury every car guy could aspire to have in his life, positioned to have a sense of inclusion that so everyone feels welcome to join the next road trip or cars and coffee meet-up.

The Results
Corsa Lusso was launched to great fanfare, partnering with several renowned cars & coffee clubs and paving the way for other car inspired coffee brands, and being recognized in European Car Magazine and Super Street Magazine

Brand Creation and Strategy
for Corsa Lusso Coffee, LLC

Context
A multi-billion dollar line of comprehensive oral care products, lagging sales, un-clear brand architecture. The target customer is purpose driven and motivated to improve their health—likely an early adopter for tech they believe can have a positive impact on their health and productivity.

Problem
Crest Pro-Health had new products in the works, but needed a new product architecture to showcase the coming innovation and re-energize the category.

Solution
Create an architecture and strategy to give the brand the freedom to push into more innovative and ground-breaking oral health technology that could halo across the rest of the category. Identify a path forward that made space for a mark and product that would become as iconic as Nike or Gatorade.

Learnings
Correctly identifying and drawing upon brand values that resonate with shoppers is key to successful product innovation. Seeing and solving a shopper’s unmet need isn't enough. They have to alo perceive your brand as being able to do the job for them.

Results
Two Package Decoration patents were approved to protect the design from copy-cats; final product innovations became the model for subsequent innovations for sister brands.

Concept & Design, Landor Associates
for Proctor & Gamble

What started as a desire to see more culture and lifestyle focused content in cycling magazines (and less race summaries and gadget reviews) has become a personal mission to stir passion in the hearts of cyclists and motor-sport enthusiasts around the world.

The initial concept of a culture magazine exploring the reasons and passions that drive the common enthusiast now includes posters celebrating the great races in pro cycling and Formula 1 racing with plans to begin offering apparel soon. 

If you're a fan, pick something up from my shop, Hors Catégorie.

Personal Project

Building a brand and product from the ground up, bringing it to market in less than 12 months.

The Challenge
A global consumer health company was facing low-to-negative growth forecasts for several of their major core brands. They wanted to find major sources of revenue growth and build the capability to repeatedly create new growth outside their core. They had a strategic assessment of potential new growth areas—including functional foods and beverages to improve mental performance throughout the day—and they recognized the need to quickly build, test, and scale new business models.

The Approach
As part of an embedded team of scientists and marketers I used a combination of agile and lean-startup to develop a brand and product from the ground up in a category where the client had little experience. I directed a team of three to develop the value proposition, refine the brand system, and develop and execute digital and packaging communication strategy.

The Outcome
Consumer validated value proposition & brand for a mental energy drink projected to be capable of $200mn in 5 years.

Lean Growth, Brand Creation, Product Development, PA Consulting for a global consumer health company.

Amplifying skincare with beauty devices capable of providing professional level results at home.

The Challenge
A major beauty care company wanted to find a way to use devices to amplify the benefit of their active ingredients to create a transformative wow. They needed to identify opportunities areas and then develop consumer validated concepts that combine a device and skin care products that can democratize professional treatments for in-home use. amplifies the.

The Approach
I directed a team of scientists and industrial designers for an eight-week exploration involving landscaping existing solutions, define opportunity and thematic areas, workshops to brainstorm concepts, and then create and test concepts with consumers and subject matter experts.

The Outcome
The team generated a long-list of 15 concepts, which were narrowed to three that were prioritized and recommended for further development based on criteria assessing the market, potential development time, and transformative benefits delivered to consumers.

Ideation, Consumer Research, Innovation & Product Strategy, PA Consulting for a global consumer goods company

The Goal
Ashworth suffered from a familiar problem—aging and relevance. The brand was once seen as a pinnacle of fashion on the golf course and wanted to re-tailor the fashionable gentlemen of yesterday for the hipper and fitter players of today.

The Solution
The old golfman was headed the wrong direction, both literally and figuratively. He looked slow and old, like he just had a good walk spoiled.

Instead of straining under the weight of his clubs, he should be marching proudly and politely to his tap-in for victory in the member-guest tourney. The logotype too should look fit and effortless, with just the right touch of class to pay homage to the centuries of men before him who have won and failed by the swing of the club or the grace of a good bounce.

Design, Landor Associates
for TaylorMade-Adidas