Grimstad Strategic
Communications

Zurich, Switzerland

February 2020 - Present

Consultant with CEDES

December 2022 - December 2023

• Repositioned the brand as its offerings shifted and outgrew its previous positioning and tagline.

• Conducted internal stakeholder and customer interviews, conducted a thorough audit of competitors’ messaging, led a brand purpose workshop with ten leaders from the company, refined their brand purpose, and presented a new positioning for the brand, including a new brand mission and brand values.

Consultant with RSP Sales and Target

March 2022

• Conducted market research, producing a comprehensive report of consumer insights, a competitive audit and analysis, product trends, and a deep dive into social media trends to inform the development of a new line of journals at Target. Identified opportunities for a new product line to compete with other big box retailers and boutique offerings.

Freelance Brand Strategist with Carmichael Lynch 

August 2021 - September 2021

• Repositioned the existing Conoco campaign work for a younger audience for 2021. For a Creative team that generally does not respond well to a “conventional” one-page brief, I used observations about Gen Z and a visual inspired by the Pink Floyd prism to illustrate various ways the previous creative idea could be revamped, looking through the lens of the younger audience.

• Authored an extensive deck outlining cultural trends for Subaru, bringing the team up to date on essential themes for the brand. Captured the new state of the American family following COVID-19 and as Millennials become parents, the nation’s fatigue with safety concerns and consumer interest in “longevity” as a selling point.

• I coded the client's audience segmentation into MRI Simmons for agency use for the Conoco, 76, and Phillips 66 brands, respectively. I explained coding logic and a short description of the targets for Creative and Media.

Brand Strategy Consultant with Irena Kurkova, Abstract & Figure Painter 

August 2021 - January 2022

• Worked with this abstract artist & athlete to develop her personal and professional brand, specifically online and on Instagram. I explained the value of and set clear and achievable goals to grow her Instagram following, increase engagement and generate more leads/sales. Crafted key messages and guidelines for creating content for social and a framework for storytelling so she can tell her story as she manages her account solo in the future.

• I also created content guidelines for her second Instagram account, which she has for a separate business venture related to her athletic pursuits. I made an Instagram Reel that told how she found her love of Swimrun competitions. The account had fewer than 200 followers and was only two weeks old when the reel was posted. Within a week, it had 19.2k views, and a month later, it climbed to 37.3k views.

Brand Strategy Consultant

Gåva Swimwear, Zurich. Switzerland 

Consulted with a new luxury swimwear brand in the early stages of development. 

• Conducted market research and a competitive audit to estimate the market opportunity and white space for a new product. Calculated the Market size for women’s luxury swimwear in the US, using US Census and other available data.

• Collaborated with the founder to articulate the brand’s purpose and positioning statement as a category challenger.

• Presented the founder with relevant cultural trends and influences such as body positivity and neutrality, the evolving state of female confidence, and sustainability in a fast-fashion world.

• Wrote and implemented a consumer survey to gauge women’s attitudes towards apparel, swimwear and collect feedback on preliminary designs. This confirmed some assumptions and contradicted others from the product development phase. The findings lead to a rethinking of the product and the brand. The project is currently on hold.

Contributing author with Creative Supply

May 2020 - August 2020

Wrote articles addressing their company’s core offerings. 

• “Do what you say and say what you do, a guide for brand messaging”

• “Mid-size organisation branding - The essential online guide to create a winning brand”

Self Employed

Zurich, Switzerland

August 2019 - July 2020

Independent Fitness Instructor

Taught group Barre classes at Body Love Fitness in Zurich from August 2019 to March 2020.

At the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, I began creating online classes, publishing pre-recorded Barre and Pilates classes. I also taught live Zoom classes with All Out.

Voy Talent

Zurich, Switzerland
May 2019 - November 2019

Director of Strategic Communications

Responsible for the development and implementation of branding, social media management, and content for this young, international talent recruitment start-up. Collaborated with the founders to create a clear and actionable brand mission, personality and tone. Also created well-defined look & feel guidelines that were cohesive with existing brand work, but also further developed the brand.

Also responsible for B2B communications. Designed pitch materials for a core business offering, using compelling data, visuals, and stories to create an engaging presentation for how companies can better “Attract, Hire & Keep” in-demand employees. 

Carmichael Lynch

Minneapolis, MN, USA
December 2016 - June 2018

Brand Planner

Lead and contributing Planner responsible for strategic leadership on some of the agency’s largest clients and new business pitches. Created actionable strategies, kept the inter-department team up on market trends and changes, and researched and created personas of target audiences.

Conducted quantitative and qualitative research, including in-depth as well as quick-turn research for all clients as well as new business pitches. Conducted interviews that generated meaningful insights and helped tell consumer stories.

Frequently collaborated with other disciplines to create cross-functional processes. Led cross-department brand workshops and brainstorms.

Clients: Arla, Castello, Phillips 66, 76, Conoco, Sherwin Williams, Truvia

Colle McVoy

Minneapolis, MN, USA
January 2016 - November 2016

Strategist

Day to day strategic lead for Forage Genetics International, a fast-growing subsidiary of WinField, as well as several WinField brands and projects. I conducted in-depth stakeholder interviews to develop a brand architecture, positioning statement, and brand promise. 

Contributing Strategist on WinField account following their merger with United Suppliers. Led brainstorms with cross-departmental teams, identified competitive trends, collaborated in brand positioning and other integral strategic elements.

Clients: Winfield, Forage Genetics International, Explore Minnesota Tourism

Martin Williams

Minneapolis, MN, USA
August 2013 - January 2016

Strategic Planner

Established a consistent, smarter approach by integrating consumer insights and strategic thinking in partnership with the creative department.

As an Engagement Analyst, developed target audiences, budgeted, designed and executed paid social campaigns on Twitter &  Facebook. 

Clients: Syngenta, Marvin Windows, Raymond James, Wolverine Boots, Proto Labs, Kubota