01 / UNDERSTAND
Consumer insights & research
Understand what matters to people, what shapes their decisions, and where needs may be going unmet. I bring a thoughtful approach to qualitative research and the interpretation of insights.
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Independent insights & strategy consultancy
A clearer understanding.
A path forward.
I help businesses better understand their customers, uncover new opportunities, and make thoughtful decisions about what comes next. Bringing together experience in consumer research, brand strategy, and innovation, I turn insights into ideas and strategies that move businesses forward.
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CURIOSITY → CLARITY → MOMENTUM
Understanding people is where the path forward begins.
Research, strategy, and a fresh perspectiveHow I can help
Understand the challenge. Find the way forward.
I work with teams at different stages of a challenge—from understanding the people they serve to clarifying a brand’s direction or exploring what might come next. The work begins with the right questions and builds toward a clear way forward.
02 / DEFINE
Brand & business strategy
Bring consumer understanding and business context together to clarify positioning, audiences, and opportunities for growth. The result is a direction teams can understand and use.
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03 / CREATE
Innovation & new opportunities
Identify meaningful opportunities and develop ideas grounded in real needs—from early exploration and jobs-to-be-done to concept development and refinement.
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The way I work
From the right questions to a clear direction.
My approach is grounded in curiosity and collaboration. I start by understanding the challenge, explore what the research can tell us, and bring the pieces together into a direction that feels both thoughtful and practical.
01
Start with the real challenge
Take time to understand the business context, the decisions ahead, and the questions that really need answering.
02
Connect the dots
Look across findings and perspectives to identify patterns, tensions, and the implications that matter most.
03
Make insight actionable
Turn what we learn into a focused point of view and recommendations that can inform the next decision.
The work, in practice
Different challenges. A thoughtful way forward.
Over the years, I've worked across brand strategy, consumer research, and innovation. Here are a few examples of the kinds of questions I've helped teams navigate.
Brand strategy
How can we better connect with the people we want to reach?
Developing audience personas, customer journeys, strategic briefs, and brand platforms informed by consumer understanding.
Innovation
Where is there an opportunity to create something new?
Exploring unmet needs and jobs-to-be-done, then translating what we learn into innovation opportunities and product concepts.
Research strategy
What do we really need to learn to make the next decision?
Framing business questions and designing tailored qualitative and quantitative research approaches across brand, creative, innovation, and audience challenges.
Lauren HawesFounder, The Path Forward
Meet Lauren
Hi, I’m Lauren.
I’ve spent more than 20 years working with brands, asking questions about people, and trying to understand what drives their choices. I’ve always been drawn to the part of the work where a new perspective can change everything.
I spent much of my career in creative and brand strategy at Arc/Leo Burnett, then moved into consumer research and innovation consulting at Kantar and Catalyx. Today, I bring those experiences together in my independent work. It’s given me a real appreciation for both the depth of good research and the creativity it takes to put it to use.
What I enjoy most is working through a challenge with people. I like thoughtful conversations, asking the question that gets us looking at things differently, and the moment when everything starts to come together. I want clients to feel they have a true partner in the process.
Lauren Hawes Founder, The Path Forward
Let’s find the path forward.
If you’re exploring a new opportunity or working through a business challenge, I’d welcome a conversation.