Sarah Klauer is a strategist with over nine years of experience in agencies and in-house. She has an MBA in Design Strategy from California College of the Arts. Some of her areas of strength include consumer insights, advocacy, facilitation, marketing, and brand strategy. She has worked with brands such as Hickory Farms, Krispy Kreme, Signature Reserve, and Up & Up on projects including brand positioning, messaging, design research, product strategy, and packaging refreshes.

1. SARAH KLAUER
Mini Portfolio
sklauer@gmail.com 763.227.0835 @futurelucia

2. Sarah Klauer Portfolio
Hello! Welcome to my mini
portfolio.
Sarah Klauer Portfolio

3. A little about me
Sarah is a creative and strategy-oriented thinker with strengths in
consumer insights and advocacy, facilitation, marketing, and
brand strategy. With over nine years of agency and in-house
experience, Sarah is currently a strategist at Sterling Brands,
where she collaborates with a talented team to shape brands
and bring them to life. She earned her MBA in Design Strategy
from California College of the Arts.
When she’s not geeking out over cultural trends, Sarah can often
be found baking bread and playing in her garden.
Sarah Klauer Portfolio

4. Some of the brands I’ve worked with
Sarah Klauer Portfolio

5. Sarah Klauer Portfolio
Process
Sarah Klauer Portfolio

6. Design strategy is a messy process…and I
love it
Collaboration is the foundation of a successful project.
From research and brainstorming to development and design, I
believe close working relationships with internal teams and
clients are key in crafting actionable and well-executed strategy.
Sarah Klauer Portfolio

7. Consumer research yields rich insight…if
you know how to listen
• In depth interviews (IDIs)
• Focus groups
• Ethnographies
• Online discussion boards
• Video snapshots
• Street intercepts
• Quantitative research
Sarah Klauer Portfolio

8. With good preparation, work sessions move
projects forward quickly
Sarah Klauer Portfolio

9. There are a variety of tools that can help
clarify and express strategic ideas
Sarah Klauer Portfolio
Brand pyramid/wheel
Brand territories
Positioning idea unpacked
Confidential
Confidential
Confidential

10. Brand assets guide and inspire teams as
they bring the brand to life
• Creative brief
• Voice and tone
• Messaging and
communication pillars
• Product guardrails
• Brand/product naming
• Visual equity & DNA
Sarah Klauer Portfolio
Confidential
Messaging framework
Voice & tone
Naming
Creative brief
Confidential

11. Sarah Klauer Portfolio
A few projects
Sarah Klauer Portfolio

12. Hickory Farms
Refresh and reposition this heritage brand
• Positioning research (groups)
• Brand strategy framework
• Messaging pillars & directional
copywriting
• Design research (groups)
• Product architecture & guardrails
• New product pillar strategy and
positioning
Sarah Klauer Portfolio
Confidential
In a crowded landscape, how can a brand beloved for its heritage solve the problems of the
modern consumer? How should our brand architecture evolve and why?

13. Krispy Kreme
Modernize this beloved classic brand
• Brand equity research (online
discussion boards and
groups)
• Design strategy & creative
briefing
• Global design research
(online discussion boards and
groups)
• New product communication
strategy (visual & verbal)
• Copywriting
Sarah Klauer Portfolio
Confidential
How do we evolve our beloved brand, giving teams the tools they need to consistently bring the
brand to life? How does this impact our store design, packaging, copy, and new product
messaging?

14. Signature Reserve
Create a truly special private label
• Brand naming and tagline
development
• Positioning
• Messaging framework and
copywriting
• Category research and
creative briefing
• Develop brand activations
Sarah Klauer Portfolio
Confidential
Confidential
How do we clearly differentiate our new premium brand within our portfolio and within the
marketplace? How will the brand come to life through copy, packaging, and beyond?

15. Up & Up
Muti-category packaging refresh
• Category research and design
inspiration (from diapers to
OTC meds to school supplies)
• Creative briefing
• Develop tools to help teams
across the office
communicate and manage
the quick-moving multi-
category refresh
Sarah Klauer Portfolio
How will we inspire trust through category relevancy across a broad range of products? What
tools will help us consistently implement the program quickly across a large portfolio of
products? How will we guide teams to implement the brand with flexibility?

16. sklauer@gmail.com 763.227.0835 @futurelucia
Sarah Klauer Portfolio