Xerophyte is a strategic consultancy, specializing in spiky points of view.

We help brands diagnose hidden issues, break free from category norms, and build stories that actually move people and markets.

What We Do

Spiky thinking.
Real results.

Xerophyte works with ambitious companies at inflection points, when existing positioning, messaging, or go-to-market strategy is no longer enough to drive the next phase of growth. Clients range from late-stage startups to complex global organizations, as well as agencies in need of senior strategic firepower.

Who We Are

Jared Gruner,
Founder.

For 20+ years, Jared has led brand and growth strategies at global advertising agencies and consultancies for blue-chip companies like Workday, Google, and Visa. Today, he partners directly with CMOs and leadership teams to develop brand, marketing, and communications strategies that translate into real-world impact.

Selected Highlights

Work that earned
its place in culture.

Ogilvy

Most Awarded Strategist in North America

Recognized as the top-performing strategist across Ogilvy North America two years running.

2023 · 2024

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Workday

Led brand positioning and strategy that increased new business pipeline by 50%

A rare B2B Super Bowl breakthrough that reversed a five-year decline in pipeline growth and drove 65% lift in brand consideration.

Cannes Gold · Effie Gold

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SC Johnson

Led strategy for a character-led movement pushing plastic reform.

A cinematic animated film that made plastic waste reform personal by turning a hermit crab trapped in a bottle into a character audiences rooted for.

100,000+ petition signatures · Scalable sustainability platform

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GLAAD

Led campaign strategy for "Protect This Kid"

Reclaimed the language of child protection for LGBTQ youth, sparking thousands of organic participations and reframing one of the culture war's most toxic narratives.

Organic Participation

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Clos du Bois

Led brand repositioning and creative strategy that reversed multi-year decline into double-digit growth

Transformed a fading 1970s Chardonnay into the #2 Premium Chardonnay in the US by reframing its biggest liability — age — as its greatest asset.

+16.6% YoY volume increase · Effie

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IBM

Led brand and communications strategy for an AI-driven cultural analysis that inspired a hit song

A groundbreaking use of AI to analyze cultural data, resulting in an original song that reached the iTunes Top 25.

40M+ streams · iTunes Top 25 · 5M+ video views · Cannes

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How We Work

What I do →
What you get.

Go-to-market (GTM) strategy and communications planning

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Launch with clarity. Clear plans that align audience, message, channels, and timing so teams know what to do and when.

Brand positioning and strategic platforms grounded in customer insight

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Own a distinct position. A platform that differentiates the brand and guides decisions.

Messaging systems and narrative development rooted in audience insight

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Make it stick. Cohesive messaging that holds across teams, channels, and markets — not just a tagline.

Creative strategy and brief development

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Turn strategy into ideas. Sharp briefs that unlock stronger creative and better campaign work.

Integrated marketing across B2B and B2C

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Connect brand and performance. Joined-up campaigns across channels, audiences, and teams.

Synthesizing qualitative and quantitative data into audience insight

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Turn insights into action. Data translated into decisions, not just reports.

Get in Touch

Let's make your
brand spikier.

jared@xerophyte.co