Ever heard of a firm getting fired because they made their clients too much money?
I haven't either.
Below are just some of the outcomes I have delivered for my teams, clients, and brands.
4
continents
7
countries
35+
110+
categories
brands
$1B
of impact
Note: For those brands listed below that don't have linked/published case studies yet, please ask me about them. I'm more than happy to share.
Click to read the case story
Category:
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Consumer Packaged Goods - Sweet Baked Products
Mission:
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Steal market share from Hostess on their home turf.​
Putting in the work:
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Led research to identify category / consumer insights; unearthed key competitive advantages, as well as positioning and messaging opportunities.
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Uncovered and leveraged the underlying consumer paradox ('Being the adults we have to be - vs - being the kids we really want to be!'), driving powerful upstream connections to the Little Debbie brand.
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Led the development of omnichannel strategies - including advertising, shopper marketing, promotion, social media, and digital engagement.
Impact:
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Boosted national sales +7% (about +$73 million), especially among moderate users and highly coveted Millennial moms.
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Lifted already superb Little Debbie brand awareness by +13.5%.
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Grew ad recall as much as +375%.
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Garnered more than 355% return-on-marketing-spend.
Key partners:
Click to read two case stories
Category:
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Beverage - Spirits
Mission:
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Create a new, defensible, and durable direction for the Maker's Mark brand.​
Putting in the work:
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Devised nationwide immersive "Bar Nights" approach to research, revealing significant practical/emotional connection opportunities - ultimately redesigning the way the client approached research across several brands.
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Discovered the vital emotional framework (Occasions, Relationships, and Conversations) that placed the Maker's Mark brand at the center of consumers' category motivations.
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Developed and supervised brand strategy, planning, and implementation for emerging market launches / re-launches using a unique and durable "Going local"​ strategy (an emerging markets strategy that continues to be employed and effective - nationally and internationally - 20+ years later).
Impact:
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Surpassed 67% of 3-year goals within the first six months.
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Improved case depletion by +29%.
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Grew Ambassador memberships by +89%.
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Attained 72% ad recall.
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Increased brand recall by +41%.
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Pioneered one of the first successful digital CRM programs in the spirits category.
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Garnered a 2002-2003 North American Effie Award for superior marketplace performance.
Key partners:
Category:
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Pharma / Life Sciences (Brand / Patient / HCP / KOL)
Mission:
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Develop and implement 'launch-and-follow-on' marketing efforts for BOTOX medical.​​
Putting in the work:
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Conducted pervasive multi-market international research to identify key insights - needs states, messaging, and media strategies.​​
Impact:
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Led research and brand planning efforts for the...
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Global launch ("Guilt-Free") of BOTOX for chronic migraine (CM)
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North American launch ("Dignity") of BOTOX for overactive bladder (OAB)
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Key partner:
Click to read the case story
Category:
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Automotive - Truck/SUV
Mission:
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Increase demand for / purchases of the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck.​​​
Putting in the work:
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Unearthed key data points that revealed that Honda's tepid sales were the result of mis-targeting (flawed marketing math).
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Devised innovative and cost-effective nationwide research among Honda Ridgeline buyers to identify and leverage the true equities and advantages of the Ridgeline for a new target audience.
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Revamped targeting and messaging strategies (advertising, media, interactive).​
Impact:
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Drove a +27% increase in Honda Ridgeline purchases in just 12 months.
Category:
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Consumer Finance - Private Label Credit Card (B2B)
Mission:
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Breathe new life, usage, and loyalty into GE's private label credit card programs.​​
Putting in the work:
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Led a highly successful national team in the creation and implementation of North American CRM / Customer Development programs for GE Money / Care Credit - the $6B+ consumer and patient financial services division of global conglomerate General Electric.
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Repurposed a commercial survey platform for VOC capture and then leveraged those insights to guide inside sales team success.
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Devised and implemented a groundbreaking new marketing model ("Dynamic Segmentation") that revolutionized GE's approach to CRM / demand generation.
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Regularly conducted immersive interviews with retail merchants / HCPs to understand marketplace dynamics, as well as barriers to and opportunities for improving performance.
Impact:
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Delivered a two-year overall growth rate of +158%, netting more than $142 million in program expansion.
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Drove same-store-sales increase as high as +71% within the first twelve months of operation.
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Achieved targeted portfolio growth of +45%, despite a Q4 2007 retail market collapse (saw the bust coming and pivoted early).
Key partners:
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Too many to name...
Click to read the case story
Category:
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Tour & Travel - State Tourism
Mission:
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Fix the Minnesota Office of Tourism's struggling marketing campaign.​​
Putting in the work:
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Conducted qualitative and quantitative research (feeder market and in-market) to identify significant problems and opportunities for MOT marketing.
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Unearthed and leveraged (A) powerful brand equities, (B) emotional liberation sought by the consumer, and (C) unique elements of the the Minnesota Experience ("Reconnect, Replenish, Rediscover").
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Devised re-branding and marketing efforts to connect with and drive demand among FIT audiences.
Impact:
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Converted Minnesota Tourism inquiries from a -25% loss to a +40% gain (a +260% rebound) in just 11 months.
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Drove Minnesota to become the #2 growth market for US tourism that year (TIAA).
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ESTO named this effort the #1 tourism campaign in North America for that year.
Key partners:
Click to read the case story
Category:
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Financial Services (B2B/B2C)
Mission:
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Drive new customer acquisition...fast!​​
Putting in the work:
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Conducted research (quant, qual, stat analysis) across key Regions' markets, unearthing significant barrier to trial (lack of relevance), as well as potential solutions.
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Supervised the complete overhaul of the Regions planning process, collaborating with five agencies across 20 diverse business units, targeting a wide array of audiences and segments.
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Identified and leveraged that, in the post-meltdown era, customers - from middle class households to wealthy investors to small business - were all works in progress, delivering a powerful new direction ('Moving you forward'), creating new and relevant value for the brand.
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Transformed Regions’ approach to consumer marketing and value prop at brand-, segment-, and business-unit levels. ​
Impact:
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Grew acquisition by +64%, delivering Regions Bank over one million new customers.
Key partners:
Category: ​
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Apparel - Footwear and Accessories (International)
Mission: ​
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Deliver the vital intel needed for Red Wing to expand strategic marketing into overseas markets.​​
Putting in the work:
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Pioneered comprehensive cross-cultural brand/marketing research and emerging market planning in Japan, Central Europe, and the UK.
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Completed a series of immersive market visits to apparel retail centers in Tokyo, Frankfurt, Munich, and London, collecting key intelligence on products, brands, and the retail environment (Red Wing and competitors).
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Delivered comprehensive mapping: Placement, pricing, floor planning, new product development, social engagement, digital marketing, co-op marketing, merchandising, promotions and advertising.
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Identified and mapped cultural effects (e.g., Keiretsu, the Harajuku Movement, and others), as well as their impact on retail practices, such as distribution, pricing, placement, and licensing.
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Created a portable 'build-n-brief war room' - both on location and at Red Wing Headquarters - to fully engage, educate, and empower brand, marketing, sales, advertising, and PR teams.
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Uncovered and brought to life ironclad emotional connections with the Red Wing brand, including consumer self-perception (The Red Wing Man), personal iconography (James Dean, Steve McQueen, Kimu Taku, Til Schweiger, etc.), and brand neighborhood (Levis, Harley-Davidson, 4x4s, etc.).
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Forged strong partnerships with Red Wing’s organic teams (international marketing, brand management, sales, licensing, etc.), as well as with external in-country partners, distributors, and licensees (Midori, Postskriptum, M&G, Mirza, Nihon Keizai, etc.)​
Impact:
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Delivered Red Wing's first-ever global brand/marketing architecture, leading to successful launches of Red Wing Japan, Ltd., Red Wing Germany, GmbH, and Red Wing UK.
Key partners:
Category:
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Healthcare - Hospital
Mission:
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Increase patient demand for CHS hospital emergency rooms in targeted service areas.​​
Putting in the work:
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Conducted aggressive nationwide research to understand patient behavior and decision-making.
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Proposed and led a highly effective re-segmentation of CHS's entire 60-market hospital network.
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Devised, launched, and supervised strategic rollout of a highly-targeted campaign, leveraging equities from the hit television drama "ER."​
Impact:
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Achieved and sustained per-capita ER demand +32% above NHCRA goals.
Key partners:
Click to read the case story
Category:
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Environmental Science - Termite Pest Control (B2B / B2C)
Mission:
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Rescue Bayer's declining PREMISE brand termite killer.​​
Putting in the work:
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Conducted comprehensive quantitative and qualitative B2C/B2B research across the 'termite belt.'
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Led a revolutionary B2B / B2C brand and marketing reconstruction ("Sequential Credibility").
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Devised new direction / articulation of Bayer's unique value proposition (Science. Business. Leadership.).
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Redesigned insights-driven business strategies at all levels (R&D, manufacturer, influencers / KOLs, sales, distributors, and pest control operators).
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Identified a powerful yet hidden underlying emotional driver, leveraging a little known consumer story ("Zack's Mom") to position Bayer as a "more comfortable decision" for safety-conscious customers.​
Impact:
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Transformed BES from -13% losses into +50% growth in just 18 months.
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Boosted sales as much as +30% in the first 30 days of the campaign.
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Grew brand awareness +73%.
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Achieved 71% advertising recall.
Key partners:
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Cynthia Clanton, Steve Albertini, Dean Huff, Greg Wetzel, Steve Burt, Pete Farno, Kent Hathaway, Jody Rowland, Travis Hawton, Laurie Christen, Ann Strong
Category:
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Durable Goods - Gas BBQ Grills
Mission:
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Increase purchases of Char-Broil's TRU Infrared grills against subdued demand.​​​
Putting in the work:
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Conceived and deployed nationwide 'backyard cookout' research effort, uncovering powerful decision-making insights about product preference, demand schedules, gender roles, menu planning, and the evolution of the griller.
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Clearly identified knowledge and perceptual gaps about IR grill technology that were preventing shopper consideration and purchase ("Folks won't buy what they don't understand").
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Implemented a cost-efficient, digitally based “engagement pathway" shopper education strategy.​​
Impact:
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Drove an +11% increase in channel purchases.
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Significantly increased consumer understanding of, acceptance of, and desire for infrared technology by amplifying Char-Broil's digital dialogue with shoppers:
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+24% more engagements (Original Users)
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+28% more frequent engagement (Total Sessions)
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+44% longer engagement (Average Duration)
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+46% deeper engagement (Overall Page Views)
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Key partners:
Category:
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North American Apparel - Footwear
Mission:
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Reverse Vasque's declining sales.​​
Putting in the work:
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Identified that Vasque's pursuit of fashion consumers (A) pushed the Vasque into 'also ran' territory by undermining the brand's core equities and (B) undermined economic performance by pushing the brand toward a low-volume audience.
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Conducted immersive research, identified key insights, and developed the strategic plan that re-established fallen brand equity among the "outdoor adventure" audience.
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Led a redux for Vasque, once again embracing the brand's "hardcore adventure roots" - "in the heart, lungs, and spine" of the explorer, where "the air is thin, the load is heavy, and the risk is great!"​
Impact:
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Delivered multi-channel initiatives that grew purchases +28% in just 12 months.
Key partners:
Category:
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Retail - Lottery
Mission:
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Drive MSL's large jackpot and instant games purchases.​​
Putting in the work:
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Developed and implemented Powerball re-positioning (“It’s always big!”) - boosting pre-$100 million jackpot sales to record highs (leading North America in per capita Powerball activity).
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Coupled this with innovate symbiotic marketing efforts for instant (scratch) games, designed to increase engagement, boost value, and drive demand - especially among non-traditional players. ​
Impact:
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Achieved the first $6 million instant games month in the MSL’s 14-year history.
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Delivered record overall sales of $408 million (resulting in $108 million in contribution to state environmental protection programs).
Key partners:
Click to read the case story
Category:
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Environmental Science - Exterior Fire Ant Control (B2B / B2C)
Mission:
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Re-launch TopChoice amid severe homeowner distrust.​​
Putting in the work:
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Conducted comprehensive research efforts in 'the fire ant belt' that uncovered an innate distrust of brands.
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Disruptively dropped the brand as the lead story and instead opted to "Sell the science as the sizzle" - transforming consumer disbelief into record demand.​
Impact: ​
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Drove a +47% increase in unit sales.
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Boosted distributor orders by +55%.
Key partners:
Category:
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Automotive - Motorcycle
Mission:
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Increase membership in Honda Motorcycle's CRM / Loyalty program (HRCA).​​
Putting in the work:
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Pioneered a new research-based / insights-driven CRM approach for Honda Motorcycles.
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Identified low-budget/no-budget research opportunities that ultimately revealed the off-road customer as an underserved public - a hidden opportunity for Honda loyalty, marketing, and dealer programs.
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Conducted nationwide qualitative research with ATV / Off-road riders revealing brand opportunities and unmet needs.
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Created an innovative new online map-based community for ATV / Off-road riders that not only fostered incremental engagement, but also boosted hours-ridden, thus boosting demand for parts, increasing service needs, and accelerating trade-in and re-purchase rates.​
Impact:
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Grew paid subscriptions +300% within the first year.
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Increased program-sourced dealer parts and service sales by +15%.
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Accelerated program-sourced ATV repurchase rates by +5%.
Key partners:
Category:
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Healthcare - Commercial Clinic
Mission:
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Reverse consumer apathy and drive consumer demand for Heart Imaging's paid heart scans.​​
Putting in the work:
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Identified the psychological foundation of consumer message resistance (The Adonis Complex)
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Armed only with intuition, light secondary research, and US Census data - identified a key messaging opportunity that not only could be effective, but would expand the relevant audience by +400%.
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Boosted demand with a highly disruptive and powerful campaign ("It's your father") that uniquely reframed family medical history as an emotional experience.​
Impact:
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Grew overall revenue +450% over the four-month run of the campaign.
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Boosted qualified call volume +400% within the first two weeks of the campaign.
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Increased booked appointments by +325% within the first four weeks.
Key partners:
Category:
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Beverage - Spirits (Retail / Shopper Marketing)
Mission:
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Drive consumer purchases for a suite of Brown Forman spirits brands.​​
Putting in the work:
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Leveraged 'Dynamic Segmentation' (product prioritization, zip code, distribution, product selection, geo-fencing, etc.) to devise and launch a radically new digital shopper marketing program.
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Aligned with key NFL games to create hyper-relevant targeting and measurement.
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Created the "Living Room Tailgate" theme to optimize demand and sales volume.​
Impact:
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Increased unit sales growth as much as +34%, amassing an estimated $800k+ in incremental brand purchases for the promotional period.
Key partners:
Category:
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Tour & Travel - Hotel / Casino / Resort
Mission:
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Increase FIT consumer demand for Venetian, Las Vegas.​​
Putting in the work:
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Defeated three national agencies to win the Venetian Resort / Hotel / Casino's national marketing and communications assignment.
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Supervised all strategic and tactical initiatives,: Feeder market and in-market TV, radio, print, display, interactive marketing, cross-property marketing, CRM, professional sales, etc. ​
Impact:
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Achieved 98% occupancy, along with the highest ADR in the history of Las Vegas.
Key partners:
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Bill Weidner, Tim Quillin, Jeff Hershey, Glenn Larsen
Category:
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Beverage - Spirits
Mission:
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Reposition/Re-launch a stalled Shakers Vodka.​​
Putting in the work:
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Within a very crowded, noisy, and fractured category - identified and leveraged unique, differentiated, and value-boosting 'collectibility' positioning for the Shakers brand.
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Designed and deployed multi-faceted insights-driven brand positioning and marketing strategy to launch Shakers Vodka.​
Impact:
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Propelled Shakers to become the best selling vodka in the Midwest in less than 120 days, while also securing 8+ share points in the highly competitive northeastern corridor.