Brand Strategy that speaks human.
Hi, I'm Phillip Lauria.
I am a strategy director with 15+ years of experience building brands, working with everyone from founder-led startups to some of the largest CPG portfolios in the world.
My work sits at the intersection of insight, narrative, and design. I turn research into clear strategic direction that creative teams and leadership can actually act on.
I'm the founder of Make Thoughts Things, where I write about brand strategy, culture, and the work of building brands that actually mean something.
What I do
Research & Insight Development
Qualitative research design & moderation
Quantitative study design & partner management
Audience segmentation & persona development
Category & competitive analysis
Brand Strategy & Architecture
Brand positioning development
Brand narrative & tone of voice
Brand & portfolio architecture
Naming strategy & messaging frameworks
Creative & Concept Development
Creative brief development
Creative territory exploration
Workshop design & facilitation
Concept testing & validation
My work
Brands I’ve worked with
American Craft Council
Brooklyn Business Center
BUILT
Calbee
Canadian Club
Del Monte
Diamond Crystal
Downtown Music
Egglife
Grüns
HP
High Desert
MAC Cosmetics
Mars Petcare
Maruchan
Misfits Market
NBA 2K League
Nestlé
Neumann Kaffee Gruppe
New York Public Radio
Olyra
P&G Innovation
Poland Spring
PROMIX
Public Wise
Rally
Salt & Straw
Smarty Pants
Spacemilk
Sumitomo
Tacoma Arts Live
Target
Truvia
United Nations Development Programme
Waterboy
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Yes You Can!
Yoplait