The challenge: When I came in, Klein's average consumer age was 55+ and market perception was that the brand was "for old people". The company had product quality and heritage but no cultural relevance with the audience it needed to grow into, it lacked presence and authenticity.
The strategy: I applied System 1 brand strategy to shift perception at the emotional and sensory level, before any consumer would consciously evaluate the brand's product or value proposition. Rather than trying to argue Klein's into relevance with a younger audience, I rebuilt the brand's visual, verbal, and content system to feel contemporary at first glance, so younger consumers self-selected in without being told the brand was "for them" as well as expanding awareness of Klein's diverse menu.
The work:
- Full brand repositioning and essence redefinition
- Visual identity refresh
- Behaviorally segmented content strategy targeting the 35–44 audience
- Campaign development across social and paid channels
- Ongoing measurement and creative iteration
- Developing strategic partnerships tied to seasonal campaigns
- My role: strategy lead, creative direction, content creation and founder-level client management.
Outcome:
- Average consumer age shifted from 55+ to 35–44
- From 4 to 7 locations
- Grew the following count on Meta social media from 16K to 28K in 24 months
- Established a defined, ownable brand essence for the first time
- Executed brand partnerships including OffTheMenu × Nickelodeon (Millennial & Gen Z reach) and Nutrecorner (nutritional positioning), extending the brand's cultural surface area without diluting its core.
- Led the brand strategy for Klein's Reforma, a flagship new location, which performed strongly enough to greenlight three additional openings in the following 18 months, nearly doubling the footprint from 4 to 7 locations.
- Partnered directly with the CEO to elevate Google Profile ratings and address recurring areas of opportunity.
