Capabilities statement
Built from
the ground up
Organizations rarely struggle because they lack ideas. They struggle because strategy, communications and execution drift apart.
Distillators brings them together. We help agencies, prime contractors and mission-driven organizations align stakeholders around one implementation strategy, communicate consistently across departments and public audiences, and turn research into tools that teams and partners can put to work.
Core competencies
Problems we solve
Coalesce stakeholders around implementation
- Stakeholder engagement and facilitation
- Strategic planning and stakeholder alignment
- Market, audience and behavioral research
- Human-centered design
- Change management and implementation playbooks
Communicate across complex organizations
- Brand strategy and positioning
- Audience and messaging strategy
- Strategic and integrated communications
- Executive, change and crisis communications
- Public information, health and advocacy communications
Turn strategy into public-facing experiences
- Naming and brand architecture
- Visual and verbal identity
- Brand standards and design systems
- Public-information and awareness campaigns
- Content, digital experiences and websites
Differentiators
How we keep the work connected
Align the organization—not just the identity
We develop strategic foundations as working systems. They give agencies, departments, contractors and community partners shared priorities for communications, stakeholder engagement, decision-making and implementation.
Keep strategy and execution together
Strategy and creative development happen within one integrated workstream. Researchers, strategists, writers and designers work from the same evidence, goals and decision criteria—from initial planning through implementation.
Senior experts from start to finish
Distillators delivers senior-level strategy and implementation without the layers, overhead or handoffs common to larger consulting firms. Senior practitioners lead and execute every engagement through a lean, multidisciplinary team assembled around the project.
Turn research into shared direction
Our proprietary BrandWorld process translates research and organizational goals into a shared framework for decision-making and creative development. It gives agencies, partners and community stakeholders common language, evaluation criteria and practical guidance for developing, reviewing and applying ideas.
Selected experience
Work that shows how we operate
Translated scientific government data into teen-focused messaging and digital and social experiences designed to make complex public-health information culturally relevant and clear.
Built the Good Food Cities (Good Good) community-led platform and shared implementation playbook used to coordinate nonprofit organizations, private-sector partners—including Amazon Access, Instacart and Novo Nordisk—and government agencies.
Developed the strategy, identity, messaging and digital platform for a national Hidradenitis Suppurativa advocacy organization. The relationship is current, with an engagement value of $1.5 million.
Developed the brand and communications foundation for a Detroit youth leadership and workforce-development organization supported by multi-year State of Michigan funding.
Selected experience
Work across sectors
| Client | Category | Remit | Competencies | Engagement type | Delivered by | Dates | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HS Connect | Non-profit / Wellness | Transform a grassroots advocacy group for Hidradenitis Suppurativa into a nationally recognized entity attracting pharma funding |
| Direct contractor | Distillators corporate experience | Jan 2024 – Current | $1.5 million |
| IDOC | Healthcare | Turn a collective purchasing organization into a significant advocacy group for the nation’s 25,000 independent optometrists. |
| Direct contractor | Distillators corporate experience | Mar 2025 – Apr 2026 | $119k |
| Andre Iguodala Enterprises | Sports / Media / Consumer | Build and operate the enterprise supporting an NBA champion and investor, spanning venture investments, media, consumer products and strategic partnerships. |
| Principal experience | Patience Ramsey, lead | 2015 – 2024 | Confidential |
| Partnership for a Healthier America: Good Food Cities | Non-profit / Food, wellness, community development | Build a community-led playbook for integrating disparate organizations, partner brands and government agencies. Launch in Chicago, Denver and Indianapolis. |
| Direct contractor | Distillators corporate experience | Feb 2024 – Aug 2024 | $200k |
| Partnership for a Healthier America: Rootswell | Non-profit / Food, farming, community development | Build a food ecosystem in which Black folks thrive. Create a brand that can rally everyone. Develop an activation platform. |
| Direct contractor | Distillators corporate experience | Jan 2023 – Oct 2023 | $217k |
| Zyrtec | Healthcare | Bolster a brand to push it to category leader. Efforts included new brand positioning, brand campaign and new packaging. |
| Principal experience | Jane Goodman, strategy Benjamin Bailey, design Ryan McKone, comms planning | Feb 2020 – May 2022 | Confidential |
| Tylenol | Healthcare | Rethink the category leader to contend with major changes (CBD) disrupting the industry. |
| Principal experience | Jane Goodman, strategy Benjamin Bailey, design Ryan McKone, comms planning | Dec 2019 – Oct 2021 | Confidential |
| Cinemark | Entertainment | Rebrand a dusty national theatre chain into an experiential entertainment powerhouse. |
| Principal experience | Jane Goodman, strategy Benjamin Bailey, design | Nov 2019 – Apr 2020 | Confidential |
| Food & Drug Administration | Healthcare | Translate scientific governmental data into culturally relevant and emotionally impactful teen messaging via digital and social media content & experiences. |
| Principal experience | Ryan McKone, comms planning | Jan 2015 – Jan 2017 | Confidential |
| Jagermeister | Spirits | Future-proof a spirits behemoth so it could be perceived in a premium context across the globe. |
| Principal experience | Benjamin Bailey, design | Sep 2014 – Oct 2016 | Confidential |
| Chobani | Food | Recalibrate a much-loved brand on the brink using a focused portfolio architecture, new packaging, advertising and digital marketing. |
| Principal experience | Benjamin Bailey, design | Jun 2014 – Oct 2016 | Confidential |
| Budweiser: Made in America festival | Beer / Entertainment | Create and launch a national cultural platform in partnership with JAY-Z, Roc Nation, Live Nation and Showtime. Build an operating model spanning live events, media, sponsors and cross-sector stakeholders. |
| Principal experience | Patience Ramsey, executive producer | 2012 – 2014 | Confidential |
HS Connect
Non-profit / Wellness
Transform a grassroots advocacy group for Hidradenitis Suppurativa into a nationally recognized entity attracting pharma funding
IDOC
Healthcare
Turn a collective purchasing organization into a significant advocacy group for the nation’s 25,000 independent optometrists.
Andre Iguodala Enterprises
Sports / Media / Consumer
Build and operate the enterprise supporting an NBA champion and investor.
PHA: Good Food Cities
Non-profit / Food, wellness
Build a community-led playbook for integrating disparate organizations, partner brands and government agencies.
PHA: Rootswell
Non-profit / Food, farming
Build a food ecosystem in which Black folks thrive. Create a brand that can rally everyone.
Zyrtec
Healthcare
Bolster a brand to push it to category leader.
Tylenol
Healthcare
Rethink the category leader to contend with major changes (CBD) disrupting the industry.
Cinemark
Entertainment
Rebrand a dusty national theatre chain into an experiential entertainment powerhouse.
Food & Drug Administration
Healthcare
Translate scientific governmental data into culturally relevant teen messaging via digital and social media.
Jagermeister
Spirits
Future-proof a spirits behemoth so it could be perceived in a premium context across the globe.
Chobani
Food
Recalibrate a much-loved brand on the brink using a focused portfolio architecture, new packaging and digital marketing.
Budweiser: Made in America
Beer / Entertainment
Create and launch a national cultural platform in partnership with JAY-Z, Roc Nation, Live Nation and Showtime.
Relevant to government
Built for the complexity of public-sector work
- Translate complex research and technical information into clear public-facing communications
- Align agencies, contractors, nonprofit partners and community stakeholders around shared direction
- Develop messaging systems and implementation frameworks teams can apply across departments and channels
- Provide senior-led strategy, creative development and implementation through one accountable team
Contracting
NAICS Codes
PSC Codes
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