Aug 22, 2021
Michael & SmashBrand helps brand managers confidently put
products on the shelf that sell. Combining branding and design
expertise with consumer insights at multiple points throughout our
process, we create brands that win customers, not just awards.
An idea company, SmashBrand designs packaging with strategy, style
and substance, integrating statistically validated consumer testing
into the design process. Product managers and CMOs come to us for
product innovation, packaging design, brand strategy, branding and
consumer testing. Our data-first process creates consistent results
for clients using real insights from actual consumers.
I lead strategy and research, working with clients like Kraft
Heinz, Duracell, 7-Eleven, and PayPal to determine through
analytical rigor and testing how to best optimize the art and
message on the physical product. Our unique process of iterative
testing integrated into our design process reduces a ton of risk
and allows brands to make the bold moves necessary to win in the
market.
My two decades of engineering, entrepreneurism, and business
ownership led to a very unique viewpoint and reinforced a
problem-solving approach to everything we do. After earning a
bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, I launched and grew
several globally distributed multi-million-dollar CPG brands. In
2007, I went back to school and unexpectedly gravitated towards
consumer psychology, which gave me the insight to discern my
consumer product experience through the broader lens of consumer
research and marketing and build market-winning brand
strategies.
Packaging must connect deeply with consumers and still convey the
strategic vision of the brand. I’ve honed an ability to see ideas
through the eyes of the consumer and anticipate how they’re going
to react to the product or its message. I piece together seemingly
unrelated pieces—it’s the place where real innovation and
opportunity collide. https://www.smashbrand.com/