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Uncovering New Audiences for Calvin Klein
Challenge
Calvin Klein faced significant challenges in understanding consumer behavior, preferences, and decision-making factors in the men’s underwear market. The brand sought to refine its product offerings, packaging, and in-store shopping experience to strengthen its position as a category leader. Key issues included a disconnect between fabric preferences and consumer knowledge, unclear product packaging leading to confusion among shoppers, and a need for a refined audience segmentation strategy to enhance targeting.
Solution
To address these challenges, Calvin Klein partnered with Jack Morton Worldwide to conduct an extensive Audience Profiling & Segmentation Study. This research incorporated in-depth interviews and shop-alongs conducted across three U.S. markets (Los Angeles, New York, and suburban Chicago), involving both male and female consumers. Additionally, a quantitative online survey engaged over 5,800 participants to uncover insights into product styling, packaging preferences, and shopping behavior. Calvin Klein was also compared to 30 competing brands to assess brand perception and consumer loyalty.
Key strategic implementations included simplifying packaging design by incorporating clear product descriptions, transparent windows for fabric visibility, and avoiding confusing brand messaging. The brand also enhanced product education by informing consumers about fabric types and their benefits, aligning with their tactile shopping behavior. Moreover, Calvin Klein leveraged targeted marketing segmentation by identifying consumer groups such as "Hot Dads," "Comfortable Cats," and "Excitable Explorers" for more personalized marketing strategies.
Results
The insights from the study enabled Calvin Klein to increase consumer engagement by simplifying packaging and messaging, thereby improving shopper confidence and reducing confusion at the point of sale. The brand refined its product offerings by introducing fabric-specific messaging and better aligning silhouettes and colors with consumer preferences. Furthermore, with targeted audience segmentation, Calvin Klein tailored its marketing efforts, strengthening brand loyalty and driving sales. Through this data-driven approach, Calvin Klein successfully optimized its men’s underwear category, reinforcing its reputation as a premium, stylish, and consumer-preferred brand.
case studies
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Using YouTube to Support TWDC TV Properties
Challenge
Traditional TV networks face the dual challenge of retaining their core audience while engaging a growing, digitally native viewership. The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) recognized that while its established TV shows command loyal followings, there was a significant opportunity to extend reach and relevance via digital platforms. YouTube, with its staggering scale—720,000 hours of video uploaded daily and 70 billion daily views on Shorts—presented both an opportunity and a complex challenge. TWDC needed to develop a strategy that not only captured the vast audience on YouTube but also aligned seamlessly with its traditional TV ecosystem, all while ensuring that viewer engagement behaviors were robust and sustainable .
Solution
TWDC crafted a precise, insight-driven strategy to harness YouTube’s expansive potential. Key elements of the solution included:
Data-Driven Insights: By tapping into YouTube’s massive daily metrics, TWDC analyzed content consumption patterns and audience behaviors. This helped in tailoring content that resonated with both traditional viewers and new digital audiences.
Content Integration: The strategy focused on integrating short-form content (like YouTube Shorts) with the brand’s established TV shows. This not only amplified the reach of the shows but also provided a fresh, dynamic way to present legacy content in formats that appeal to digital-first viewers.
Continuous Monitoring and Due Diligence: Recognizing that behaviors must be tracked continuously, TWDC ensured that sampling of viewer interactions and content engagement was done regularly to fine-tune the strategy. This proactive approach helped mitigate potential issues and maintain a high frequency of positive viewer behaviors .
Strategic Partnerships and Creative Execution: Collaborations with content creators and influencers on YouTube further enhanced the authenticity and reach of the campaign, reinforcing TWDC’s brand narrative across platforms.
Result
The integrated strategy delivered impressive outcomes:
Expanded Digital Footprint: TWDC successfully tapped into the massive YouTube audience, extending the reach of its TV shows and driving engagement among younger, digital-savvy viewers.
Enhanced Ecosystem Growth: The cross-platform approach not only boosted viewership on YouTube but also reinforced the broader TWDC ecosystem, creating new opportunities for content innovation and audience interaction.
Data-Backed Success: Continuous monitoring allowed TWDC to adjust tactics in real time, ensuring that the engagement levels remained high and that content delivery was always aligned with audience preferences.
This case study demonstrates how TWDC leveraged YouTube’s unique capabilities to transform a traditional media strategy into a vibrant, digitally integrated approach—one that is both agile and deeply rooted in real insights.
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LegalZoom Brand Positioning
Challenge
LegalZoom enjoyed high awareness and trust as the leading online legal service, yet it faced a key challenge: customers did not see online legal solutions as universally relevant or capable of handling every legal need. Instead, perceptions were split—DIY solutions were viewed as impersonal and limited in expertise, while in-person attorneys offered the personalization and specialized support necessary for high-stakes matters. Despite its leadership status, many consumers were unaware of LegalZoom’s attorney access and dedicated customer support. This disconnect left LegalZoom without a clear, “owned” category, limiting its ability to capture territory in both high- and low-stakes legal challenges.
Solution
To address these challenges, LegalZoom convened a comprehensive Territory Definition Workshop with cross-functional teams. The workshop’s approach was rooted in deep qualitative research that explored customer experiences across legal service categories. Participants examined key customer needs—Expertise, Ease, Cost/Value, Transparency, and Personalization—along with the differences in mindset between high-stakes and low-stakes scenarios.
Key elements of the solution included:
Insight-Driven Discovery: Through virtual triads and customer interviews, the team uncovered that while customers appreciated LegalZoom’s recognized brand, they were unclear about its full capabilities—especially regarding on-demand attorney support and personalized service.
Collaborative Ideation: Interactive sessions and creative exercises helped the team reframe LegalZoom’s positioning. By mapping customer journeys and identifying where online solutions fall short, the group pinpointed opportunities to leverage LegalZoom’s strengths, such as its leadership status, one-stop-shop approach, and the integration of human support with digital tools.
Refined Messaging and Testing: The workshop laid the groundwork for a repositioned brand narrative. This narrative aimed to showcase LegalZoom as a trusted partner capable of handling both routine and complex legal needs by combining robust attorney access with user-friendly digital innovation.
Result
The workshop culminated in a refined brand positioning framework that clearly delineates how LegalZoom can overcome industry misperceptions. Key outcomes include:
Enhanced Relevance: LegalZoom’s new narrative emphasizes its ability to serve both low-stakes, routine tasks and high-stakes, complex legal challenges—reassuring customers that they don’t have to choose between affordability and expertise.
Strategic Alignment: Cross-functional alignment across creative, marketing, and strategic teams has established a unified vision, setting the stage for quantitative testing and future go-to-market campaigns.
Path Forward: With a clear territory and creative stimuli defined, LegalZoom is now poised to test these refined messages in the market, ultimately driving increased customer trust, loyalty, and market share by bridging the gap between digital convenience and personalized legal support.
This strategic repositioning is expected to transform LegalZoom from a broadly recognized online legal service into the trusted, comprehensive partner for all legal needs.
Driving Market Leadership with Content
Challenge
Smartsheet needed to do more than just lead in the Collaborative Work Management (CWM) space—we had to become the definitive benchmark. The task was to design a strategy that resonated with both our existing customers and new prospects, clearly showcasing that our flagship Project and Portfolio Management (PPM) solution was the industry standard. The key challenge lay in scaling this engagement while positioning Smartsheet as a trusted partner rather than just another SaaS provider. We had to cut through market saturation and shift perceptions, proving that our approach not only delivered value but also fostered long-term success for our clients.
Solution
Working closely with the Product Marketing team, we crafted a unifying strategic narrative centered around the concept of "Maturity." This concept became the foundation for the creation of the Maturity Assessment Tool—a dynamic platform designed to gauge an organization’s PPM maturity. The tool, built around an 18-question survey, provided organizations with actionable insights into their current operational status and illuminated the path toward growth using Smartsheet’s capabilities.
Our FY’24 integrated campaign was structured around three main pillars:
Customer Education: We developed a suite of educational content that explained the importance of PPM maturity and demonstrated how our solution could support their evolution.
Sales Enablement: By equipping our sales teams with deep, data-driven insights from the assessment tool, we empowered them to tailor conversations and value propositions to each prospect’s unique situation.
Market Positioning: We leveraged the tool to reinforce Smartsheet’s reputation as a thought leader and strategic partner, aligning our narrative with the operational challenges and opportunities faced by our target audience.
To ensure a seamless rollout, I established clear Expected Measurable Outcomes (EMOs) and coordinated with external communications, creative, and content teams. This cross-functional collaboration helped us define an effective content flow and distribution strategy across paid, owned, and earned media channels. Even with some uncertainty about market reaction, our data-driven approach allowed us to continuously optimize the campaign for maximum impact.
Results
The Maturity Assessment Tool exceeded our expectations from the outset. In its first month, it attracted over 2,000 page visits, with an 80% conversion rate into the 15-minute assessment. Notably, of those who began the assessment, 93% completed and submitted the survey—a testament to its compelling design and relevance.
As our media campaigns and promotional efforts ramped up, the engagement metrics only improved. By November 2023, the tool had garnered 44,000 visitors, maintained a 75% conversion rate, and achieved a 94% completion rate. Beyond these impressive numbers, the assessment data became a key asset for Smartsheet. It enabled our sales teams to deliver personalized insights, deepening customer relationships and driving actionable outcomes. Impressively, 70% of outreach calls based on assessment results led to an increase in annual recurring revenue (ARR), directly tying the initiative to measurable business growth.
Building an Integrated Marketing Function at Smartsheet
Challenge
Smartsheet’s marketing and communications efforts were fragmented across multiple silos, leading to inconsistent messaging and inefficiencies. The lengthy review processes delayed go-to-market execution, preventing the company from capitalizing on industry opportunities. As a result, despite being the creator and leader in the Collaborative Work Management (CWM) space, Smartsheet was falling behind more agile competitors.
Solution
To address these challenges, I was brought in to help the newly organized marketing team develop a strong foundation for integrated marketing. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I introduced Forrester’s Integrated Marketing framework, which provided a proven methodology for structuring a unified, evergreen campaign strategy. This approach aligned brand marketing with demand generation, ensuring consistency across the entire funnel and improving execution efficiency.
Results
As a new function within Smartsheet, the integrated marketing approach was first deployed for one of the company’s three solution categories—Project and Portfolio Management (PPM). After just one full quarter in market (Q3 FY’24), the impact was clear: bookings exceeded targets by 10%, and the flagship content initiative, the PPM Maturity Assessment Tool, generated over 150% of the expected pipeline.
Impact
By establishing a scalable, integrated marketing structure, Smartsheet improved alignment across teams, increased speed to market, and enhanced its ability to engage customers effectively. This foundation now serves as a blueprint for broader implementation across the company’s full solution portfolio.
Transforming Intel’s Employee Engagement Through Audience Insights
Challenge
With Pat Gelsinger’s return as CEO, Intel placed a renewed focus on talent and internal engagement. However, as Intel’s Agency of Record (AOR), we identified a critical gap—the company’s understanding of its employee audience was outdated and incomplete. Without a clear picture of its diverse workforce, Intel’s talent and employee marketing team struggled to optimize internal communication and advocacy efforts.
Solution
To address this, I developed a global quantitative study to gain deep insights into Intel’s workforce. By analyzing the data, I identified five distinct employee personas and created global site snapshots, providing a comprehensive framework for internal communications. These personas captured key behavioral, demographic, and engagement trends, ensuring that messaging could be tailored effectively across Intel’s global workforce.
Results
The research findings and employee personas were presented to Intel’s communications, marketing, and executive leadership teams, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback. These insights enabled communication teams to refine their strategies, ensuring that messaging was delivered in the right format, at the right time, and through the most effective channels. Additionally, the findings provided a deeper understanding of regional preferences, allowing leadership to better connect with employees across different markets.
Impact
By equipping Intel with a data-driven approach to employee engagement, this initiative transformed how the company communicates internally. The personas and insights now serve as a foundation for more strategic, personalized, and effective internal communications across Intel’s global organization.