Selected Work
The examples below represent a selection of engagements spanning more than three decades, during pivotal moments of growth, transformation and market shift. In each case, senior leadership teams sought strategic clarity, alignment and direction amid complexity.
The work focused on helping organizations sharpen decision-making, define what mattered most and move forward with confidence. These engagements were collaborative by nature and executed as part of larger leadership and cross-functional teams.
Details are intentionally presented at a high level to respect client discretion. The emphasis is on the nature of the challenge and the strategic contribution rather than the mechanics of execution. Additional detail can be shared through conversation, as appropriate.
Panera Bread
Category Definition During National Expansion
As Panera scaled nationally, leadership faced ambiguity around how the brand fit within existing restaurant categories, creating friction in growth decisions. Strategic work supported leadership in clarifying positioning and aligning internal understanding around what made the business distinct. This clarity enabled more confident expansion decisions and helped establish what later became recognized as the fast casual category.
Cosmic Crisp
Launching a New Consumer Brand in a Commodity Category
Cosmic Crisp entered a crowded produce category dominated by commodity thinking and entrenched competitors. The work helped the brand team to establish a differentiated consumer position that connected innovation to lifestyle relevance and retail opportunity. The launch became one of the most successful new apple introductions in recent history.
The Campbell’s Company
Reframing a Legacy Brand for Cultural Relevance
Changing food culture and consumer expectations created pressure on Campbell’s to modernize without eroding trust or identity. This work helped leadership in reassessing the brand’s role within contemporary food culture and clarifying where evolution was essential versus unnecessary. This helped guide clearer portfolio and brand decisions during a period of transformation.
Verlasso Salmon
Establishing Credibility & New Category in a Skeptical Marketplace
Verlasso introduced a new approach to salmon production in an industry shaped by mistrust around sustainability and quality. This three-year engagement gave the executive team a distinct, clear narrative and positioning to build credibility and forge relationships with chefs, retailers and consumers. This work helped transform perception and establish Verlasso as a new category-defining brand in responsible aquaculture.
McDonald’s
Relevance & Growth With a New Generation
As dining habits evolved and expectations shifted, McDonald’s faced declining relevance with Millennial consumers despite unmatched brand awareness. Strategic work provided executives with insights to identify a growth lever that aligned evolving consumer behavior with operational possibility. The resulting shift contributed to measurable same-store sales gains and became a defining moment in the brand’s modern evolution.
Seattle’s Best Coffee
Translating Regional Coffee Culture into National Relevance
Before specialty coffee entered the mainstream, Seattle’s Best was shaping a more nuanced approach rooted in sourcing, roasting and tasting rituals. This strategic work translated regional coffee culture into a national narrative consumers could understand, adopt and crave. This work helped lay the emotional and cultural groundwork for what would become the modern American coffee movement.
"Chadwick Boyd became an integral part of our team. Through his and his team’s unique expertise, we have been able to create more than a launch for a new apple, we have created an entire lifestyle brand that allows us to connect with families and shoppers in ways beyond the produce department. Together, we created a new model for how produce brings value and meaning to everyday people’s lives."
Kathryn Grandy, Chief Marketing Officer, Cosmic Crisp