Brand strategist & fractional CMO · Toronto — India — Dubai

Clients come in right about the symptom but wrong about the cause.

What's being asked and what actually needs solving are rarely the same thing. Finding the difference is the job. The interesting part is the second the brief cracks open.

Eleven case studies, below ↓
A

The evidence

Eleven briefs, cracked open.
The Right Room thumbnail
01 The Right Room
LuxDeco looked like a million bucks. It was making none. LuxDeco India · Fractional CMO
Break the Routine thumbnail
02 Break the Routine ★ Gold & Silver, Marketing Awards 2020
The mainstream agency had a script. We had a different audience. Ontario Racing · Balmoral
Discovering Canada Starts Here thumbnail ▶
03 Discovering Canada Starts Here ★ Silver & Bronze, Summit Creative Awards
Ottawa isn't a tourist destination. It's a statement of belonging. Ottawa Tourism · Balmoral
Proudly [Age] thumbnail ▶
04 Proudly [Age] ★ D&AD New Blood
Women entered their age. They left as a L'Oréal Paris advertisement. L'Oréal Paris · Clue Box UK
Inspire A Billion thumbnail ▶
05 Inspire A Billion
A campaign built in 5 days. A belief built for a billion. Kokuyo Camlin · Grey India
Happy Earth thumbnail
06 Happy Earth
A CSR campaign that planted 700,000 trees — one name at a time. Hero MotoCorp · Grey India
An Iconic Comeback thumbnail
07 An Iconic Comeback
Vespa isn't a scooter. It's an identity. Vespa · Ogilvy India
The Faux Fashion Show thumbnail ▶
08 The Faux Fashion Show
A startup that became a fashion label. Hopscotch · Grey India
Time Saved Is Time Gained thumbnail
09 Time Saved Is Time Gained
Before Covid changed habits, this strategy tried to change behaviours. Grocery Gateway · Longo's
The Good Stuff, Frozen thumbnail
10 The Good Stuff, Frozen
The product wasn't the problem. The man's self-image was. WW (Weight Watchers)
The Ultimate Den thumbnail
11 The Ultimate Den
No liquor advertising allowed. No problem. VAT 69 Whisky · India

If you want proof before the stories —

39%
revenue growth for Vespa, off a repositioning and digital ecosystem
5.1M
impressions for Ontario Racing — Chinese-Canadian audience, one season
700K
trees planted for Hero MotoCorp, personalised one name at a time
5×
awarded — D&AD, the Marketing Awards, Summit Creative
B

Point of view

All essays
Essay · Telecom · July 2026
The decision that never reached the phones.

A pricing decision, a migration nobody explained, and the gap between good strategy and what actually reaches the customer.
Essay · Luxury · June 2026
Luxury brands don't have a marketing problem. They have a language problem.

On positioning, heritage, space, and what the brief actually needs to say.
C

The person

The clients I work best with come in knowing something isn't working. They're usually right about the symptom and wrong about the cause. That gap, between what's being asked and what actually needs solving, is where the work gets interesting.

A decade of brand work across three countries. D&AD, the Marketing Awards, Summit Creative. The occasional Creative Director off his chair.

The best brief I ever wrote was the one that made the creative director lean forward. It gave them one true thing to build from.

Where I've sat
Fractional CMO · LuxDeco India2026–
Strategist · Balmoral2019–2020
Senior Strategist · Grey India2016–2018
Senior Copywriter (Strategic) · Ogilvy India2013–2015
Co-Founder · Clue Box UK2010–2013
Strategy & Planning Boot Camp · Miami Ad School Toronto2019
MA, Creative Advertising · Falmouth University2011
What I get hired for
Campaign platform & brand positioning. Cultural & behavioural insight. Brief writing & creative direction. Automotive, luxury & lifestyle categories. Integrated & digital campaign strategy. Multicultural & cross-market strategy. Resourceful thinking across budgets, timelines and teams.
D

The ask

Come with a real problem.

If your brief doesn't have an obvious answer, let's talk. A consulting engagement in the US, or a fractional or full CMO in India or Dubai.

sameer@sameermittal.co LinkedIn