WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

CRACKING THE NUT

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Our marketing team is understaffed and left with

dwindling budgets.

It’s hard to come up with new product ideas that

are relevant and sustaining.

We need new and exciting ways to connect with and

engage our audience.

We don’t have the time and resources to translate

and implement the research we already have.

We know who are target is, but reaching them is getting

harder and harder.

We don’t know what role social media plays in the bigger picture of

our brand.

Got a nut to crack?

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In today’s market, creating and driving strong brands in the traditional way is

becoming more and more difficult.

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Faced with a continuously changing playing field, brands must find a way to connect more deeply with people.

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From brand strategy development to product innovation ideation, Big Squirrel can help successfully create meaningful connections with people in an ever-changing world.

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Our approach is simple: we live at the intersection of people, culture and brands.

We study PEOPLE

We explore CULTURE

We examine BRANDS

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Document life 24/7 Go beyond the one-hour interview

We believe in collaborative research that helps us truly understand how people are living.

Give people a way to share their stories Foster community + connection (human interaction)

Live and breathe with people in their own environments The “Death of the Focus Group”

Experience culture first-hand Participation, not just observation

Our Methodologies Photo

Journals

Social Media Exploration

Cultural Immersion

Personal Interviews

Mobile Insights

Virtual Communities

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• Be with people where it matters most: where they live, work, shop and play.

• See what really motivates someone: how they make decisions and how they really want to live with your category, your brand and offering.

• Explore people’s genuine perceptions and attitudes and what factors create the desired brand experience.

• Brainstorm new product ideas, product extensions or innovation opportunities.

• Delve deeply into all the motivating “why” factors behind thoughts + behaviors.

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• innovate product offering + brand experience

• gain market clarity

• understand the audience

• break through the clutter

• observe + analyze global and local trends

• articulate a brand vision

• investigate pertinent stories, topics, or issues

• connect consumer insights with creative output

• determine a unique point of difference for your brand

• synthesis existing research into a meaningful point of view

To help you...

Clarity

Focus

Harmony

What do you get?

We start by asking questions. Who is your customer? What moves this person? Why do they act the way they do? We distill research into digestible pieces that are most critical to your brand.

We articulate a roadmap. From a brand toolkit to product ideation, we help you define opportunities and ways to move your brand into your desired future and what it will take to get you there.

We activate ideas. We partner with you to manage the implementation of the ideas, ensuring a streamlined and seamless process from insight to execution.

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Why work with us?

Zero Fat. Flexible. Scalable. Nimble. The team is sized and hand-picked to suit your every need.

Down the Rabbit Hole Approach. We do all the work, not a hired third party. We live and breathe with your consumers, observing, interacting and learning how they think, feel and act first hand.

Opposable Thumbs. We provide you with new tools to conduct research and get closer to people in their environments.

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Brands we’ve worked with...

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What our clients have to say...

I’ve partnered with Linda and Big Squirrel on several projects, mostly in-store shopper research. She develops a wonderful rapport with consumers to get at those deep seater under the surface motivations behind shopping drivers and behaviors. Linda is highly strategic and easily converts shopper speak into actionable insights. This team is truly delightful to work with and always goes above and beyond to exceed my expectations.

Vickie Byrd Senior Manager Marketing Research, Hanesbrands

“

I wanted to write formally on behalf of behalf of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales who has asked me to let you know how grateful he is for all the work you have carried out and how much he is looking forward to seeing where the next steps take us. . . all of your combined efforts have meant that we have manage to take a vital quantum leap forward with confidence.

Leslie Ferrar The Treasurer to TRH Prince of Wales & The Duchess of Cornwall

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Bringing in Big Squirrel was the best thing we ever did. They completely understood what we needed and delivered flawlessly against an ambitious schedule. Every meeting with them was warm, professional, collegial, and insightful. We basically handed them our future and hoped they would lead us in the right direction. Nothing could have prepared me for how delighted we would be in the results!

Rebecca Brooks Co-Founder, Partner, Alter Agents

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Working with Linda and her team to develop the Qubo network was a fabulous experience. It’s rare to find people who are as creative, insightful and as connected to the core audience as we found this team to be. With a strategic and intelligent approach to research, plus wonderful insights into the psyche and developmental stages of early childhood, they managed to develop a truly unique proposition to introduce the world of possibilities to young children. Ours was not an easy task as the strategy had to work for both English and Hispanic audiences - but we managed to find a visual vocabulary that worked successfully for everyone.

Dolores Keating-Mallen VP Creative Director, Corus Entertainment

“Big Squirrel brings an amazing level of insight to the creative process. Working with them helps us to produce a higher caliber of creative that allows us to win pitches and awards for our work because of the clarity and focus they bring to a project. We love that they aren’t about “testing” creative, but help us bolster the work we do and make it more meaningful. They are a great strategic partner who never lets us down.

Mick Ebeling Executive Producer, The Ebeling Group

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The Squirrels

STRATEGIC SHERPA

Linda Jeo Zerba @lindajeo

Linda is a graduate of Princeton University and founder of Big Squirrel. Her specialty is consumer insight and brand strategy development. Through a focus on unearthing core human truths that inspire brands to create stronger and better connections with people, she has a track record for redefining organizations within highly competitive markets to clearly establish the role of the brand in shaping innovation and new market trends.

Most recently her works includes articulating a retail strategy for Hanesbrands stores, creating a brand vision for KinderCare, analyzing the implications of technology on consumer behavior for Samsung, defining a brand architecture for Gilt Groupe, redefining the retail experience for Columbia Sportswear, revitalizing the iconic Rockettes brand, and modernizing Johnson & Johnson’s Baby brand globally.

Trained as an architect, Linda has over 18 years of experience and has mastered the art of defining the voice of the consumer and being able to speak to the core of their belief systems. Her greatest strength lies in her commitment to brand focus, and her methodology of crafting compelling brand stories.Linda is a cross-fitter, scuba diver and a novice tap dancer.

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STRATEGY + CULTURAL INTELL + DESIGN

Kathryn Spitzberg @kspitzberg

Kathryn has an insatiable appetite for identifying cultural insights that shape consumer behavior and attitudes. A hybrid thinker with a diverse background, Kathryn understands the essential connection between design, strategy, and culture. By combining keen observation with creative insight, her passion lies in helping brands navigate cultural currents and behavioral shifts in order to truly connect.

Kathryn has worked with a diverse range of clients including Unilever, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, and Nestle where she developed and launched new products and created compelling visual languages in both mass and niche markets. As a print and packaging designer, Kathryn worked for several global branding agencies including Pentagram, Pearlfisher, Sterling Brands and Blue Marlin Brand Design. Pursuing her interest in consumer behavior, she joined the innovation team at Clark McDowall as an independent strategist, translating consumer insights into new product positionings for Pepsi and Samsung. Her enthusiasm for discovery drives an obsession with the intersection between business, design, entertainment, art and technology, and their impact on popular culture, brands, and behavior.

Kathryn holds a Masters in Branding from The School of Visual Arts in New York City, a graduate degree in Graphic Design from the Portfolio Center, and a BA in French from Tulane University with a minor in Business.

She ’ s a sur fe r , an asp i r ing yog i , and former photojournalist.

The Squirrels

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Questions? Got a Nut to Crack?

Contact us: thenutcracker@bigsquirrel.com

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CRACKING THE NUT

Big Squirrel 610 SW Hume Street Suite 200 Portland, OR 97219 www.bigsquirrel.com 503.245.7905

Linda Jeo Zerba linda@bigsquirrel.com

Kathryn Spitzberg kathryn@bigsquirrel.com