New York, New York, United States
Hi, I’m Sam! An award-winning brand strategist with 15 years of experience shaping culture-first campaigns. I've held roles at YouTube, BuzzFeed and Vox Media. Today, I work independently as a consultant. Recent projects include Barbie, Prime Video, Aperol, Meta and more. I help agencies win pitches — and brands win audiences — by translating consumer behavior and internet culture into creative springboards that turn campaigns into cultural conversations. My philosophy is simple: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀. If my strategy can't tickle your Creative Director’s brainstem, it doesn’t make the brief. No use presenting a dead end. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁. Without a solid strategic narrative, you’re left stuttering when a brand asks "Why?" 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗳𝗳. Agencies don't need academic reports; they need a rock-solid foundation that makes the creative work undeniable. I speak plainly to ignite ideas. If you’re an agency or brand looking to: • Assemble a pitch or RFP that sparks thoughtful, effective creative • Gain a deeper understanding of what moves a culture or fandom • Train your team to think more strategically Book an intro call or send me a DM 🤘 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: 🗺️ 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 — I dive into social and cultural conversations to uncover how people think, feel, and behave around a topic. The result is a strategic territory your team can build against with confidence. 💡𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 — Need to accelerate ideation? I translate research and insights into creative platforms that help teams get to stronger ideas faster. ⚡𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗣𝗥 — Already have the creative but struggling to tell the strategic story? I retrofit strategy to existing concepts, helping agencies turn great ideas into pitches that feel undeniable. 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 — 🔧 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘁 — A bad brief slows agencies down, creates unnecessary creative rounds, and delays great work. I'll help you build briefs that inspire stronger ideas, create alignment faster, and set projects up for success. 🚀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁-𝘁𝗼-𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — Sitting on a mountain of research? I'll translate surveys, audience research, and customer insights into strategic recommendations that shape products, campaigns, messaging, and innovation. email: [email protected] website: www.samfriedman.me
🌶️ Helping brands figure out what resonates - and how to build on it. Brands: Stanley 1913, Squishmallows, Aperol, Secret, Heinz, Mike's Hard, Match Group, Barbie Agencies: Giant Spoon, Crispin, GUT, Quality Meats, Humanaut, MKG, Grey, Party Land
💛 TikTok Strategy for fortune 500 brands. STRATEGY DIRECTOR: Led social-first campaigns for Dove, various Unilever brands, and new biz dev. CULTURE & TRENDS: Managed "Culture Squad," the in-house insights engine powered by smart people and smart tools. Advising on application of various platforms - social, web3, metaverse, emerging digital. Forecasting future habits & trends.
🪩 Creative Marketing for EATER, NY Magazine, Vox, The Verge, Vulture & more. GTM STRATEGY: Crafted the B2B portfolio story that served as the foundation for the company's go-to-market strategy all year long. INDUSTRY EVENTS: Brought the brand portfolio to life throughout industry events including CES, CannesLions, AdWeek, NewFronts. C-SUITE PARTNERSHIP: Collaborated with Ad Sales Leadership to tackle business challenges and develop ways to resonate to the marketplace. PARTNERS & VENDORS: Developed and managed relationships with strategic industry partners and vendors as well as internal and external clients. SALES ENABLEMENT TOOLS: Served as the leader overseeing marketing materials including pitch decks, sell sheets, talking points, sizzles, video scripting, case studies, FAQs, and internal sales meeting content.
🌈 Brand Storytelling for POPSUGAR, Thrillist, NowThis, The Dodo & more. PORTFOLIO POSITIONING: Established the company's B2B marketplace strategy and positioning, which became a touchstone for all marketing and communication for the year. CREATIVE CLIENT ENGAGEMENT: Managed all creative solutions to surprise and delight clients, including giveaways, pitch theater, sizzles, entertainment. CULTURE, RELEVANCE & TRENDS: Developed and executed numerous culture & insights reports, spanning newsletters, white papers, infographics, thought leadership articles. INDUSTRY EVENTS: Organized all industry events for the company, including Cannes Lion, SXSW, CES, AdWeek, PCPC (Personal Care Products Council) and more. C-SUITE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: Managed relationships and planning for conferences, fireside chats, thought leadership articles, panels, presentations and more.
🚀 Product & Content Marketing across WarnerMedia brands + platforms (TV, digital, mobile, social). PRODUCT MARKETING: Marketed social commerce and advanced targeting technologies. BRANDING: Naming, identity work and strategy.