Challenge: An agency partner was preparing a proposal for a global brand introducing a new product into a highly competitive U.S. market. Before launch, the client needed clarity around how the product should be positioned, which visual and verbal cues would resonate, and how the new offering could strengthen rather than dilute the broader portfolio.

Approach: I led the development of the proposal from initial framing through final submission, shaping both the strategic narrative and the qualitative approach it articulated. My focus was to ensure the submission felt cohesive, differentiated, and directly aligned with the client’s business objectives.

My priorities included:

• Translating high-level business objectives into focused research questions tied directly to positioning and product development decisions

• Synthesizing prior secondary research the agency had conducted within the food and beverage category and integrating those insights into the proposal narrative

• Incorporating existing learnings around generational cohorts and evolving consumer preferences to strengthen strategic framing

• Developing creative exercises for focus groups, including structured concept exploration, packaging evaluation, and perceptual mapping activities, that were later implemented following the project win

• Structuring discussion flows to uncover underlying motivations and emotional drivers rather than surface-level reactions

Impact: The proposal was selected in a competitive review process and moved forward, with the research framework serving as the foundation for qualitative fieldwork and strategic refinement.

 The client specifically cited the creative focus group exercises outlined in the proposal as a deciding factor, recognizing that the structured activities would drive deeper insight and more differentiated learning. Those exercises were implemented during fieldwork and helped clarify how the product should signal approachability, premium cues, and generational relevance within a crowded category.