Sharp Matter
Sophie Gaffré · Strategy, Brand & Transformation

Big ambitionsdeservesharp thinking.

For brands, teams and ideas with big ambitions – but in need of sharper direction, stronger story and real momentum to make it land.

Or just say hi — hello@sharp-matter.com

Selected brand experience

Trusted across
global
brands.

  • Diageo
  • Tanqueray
  • Gordon's
  • Captain Morgan
  • Unilever
  • L'Oréal
  • Nike
  • Esprit
  • Body&Fit
  • Media.Monks
  • Danone
  • Kantar Consulting
Sophie Gaffré — senior brand, marketing and innovation leader
About

Hi, I'm Sophie.Senior brand, marketing, innovation and transformation leader with 15+ years experience building sharper businesses and brands across various industries.

Via SHARP MATTER, I help leadership teams turn unclear strategic, brand, portfolio or growth challenges into sharper direction — and then help embed that direction across teams, markets and ways of working.

My edge in transformation is communications. A brand and marketing background means I know how to build narratives people understand, believe in and act on — so strategy moves from deck to execution.

What I do

Six ways I work.

Brand, marketing, innovation and strategy support for founders, CMOs, teams and agencies who need clearer direction, stronger ideas and sharper decisions. Select a card to read more.

New · Beta offer

SharpTake.

One challenge. One day. One clear way forward.

The angle

Before you build the answer, make sure you're asking the right question.

Sometimes the issue isn't that you need a bigger process. It's that you need a sharper question.

Sharp Take is a same-day strategic pressure test for leaders, founders and teams who are too close to the work and need a fresh, senior external point of view.

Bring me…

  • № 01

    a positioning nobody can quite explain.

  • № 02

    a creative strategy that feels flat, generic or off-brand.

  • № 03

    an innovation idea everyone likes, but nobody has really challenged.

  • № 04

    a project with momentum, but no real brand credibility.

  • № 05

    a portfolio with too many options and not enough focus.

  • № 06

    a pitch, deck or narrative that needs a stronger spine.

  • № 07

    a team going round in circles.

How it works

A day. Not a deck factory.

Tight. Focused. Built around the one decision you actually need to move on.

  1. 01

    Pitch me the challenge

    A focused 30-minute morning session to unpack the problem, context, tension and decision.

  2. 02

    I find the real question

    I review the inputs, challenge the thinking, separate signal from noise and identify what's really going on.

  3. 03

    I pitch back the way forward

    By end of day: a short strategic take — diagnosis, recommendation, next moves and watch-outs.

What you walk away with

A sharper take.

  • 01The real issue, clearly framed
  • 02The question you should actually be asking
  • 03A senior external point of view
  • 04A recommended direction
  • 05Key choices and trade-offs
  • 06Immediate next moves
  • 07Watch-outs and what not to do

"You pitch me the challenge in the morning. I pitch back the way forward by the end of the day."

By the end of the day, you get a sharp written take: the real issue, the question to answer, my recommendation, key trade-offs, immediate next moves and watch-outs.

Send me your challenge→See the full Sharp Take page →Ask for a beta slot →

Best when the challenge is specific and the key context can be shared upfront. Not for full strategy development — for one decision, one challenge or one piece of thinking that needs pressure-testing.

Selected impact

Some of the work I'm proud of.

Fifteen years of work, distilled into the moments that mattered most.

№ 01

Global brand transformation

Helped Esprit and Body&Fit rethink who they are, where they play and who they can reach next — shaping brand reinventions, marketing roadmaps and new growth opportunities across industries.

№ 02

Innovation & portfolio strategy

Helped Tanqueray, Gordon's and Captain Morgan sharpen what to scale, simplify, launch or leave behind — turning big innovation ambitions into clearer portfolio choices and stronger growth opportunities.

№ 03

Portfolio, category & go-to-market strategy

Helped Danone, Diageo and Unilever make sense of complex category, portfolio and market challenges — then turn the thinking into practical go-to-market plans teams could actually use.

№ 04

Senior stakeholder & agency leadership

Trusted across leadership teams, cross-functional organisations and agency partners where clarity, judgement and momentum matter most.

Interim & maternity cover

Need senior support without the long onboarding curve?

I step into brand, marketing and innovation leadership roles during maternity cover, transition, transformation or growth moments — bringing clarity, momentum and calm decision-making quickly.

№ 01

Maternity cover

Hold the role, protect momentum and hand it back in better shape.

№ 02

Interim leadership

Step in fast during transition, transformation or growth moments.

№ 03

Fractional strategic support

Senior brand, marketing or innovation leadership — without a full-time hire.

Trusted by

What people say when I'm not in the room.

The best work is usually collaborative. Fortunately, the nice people I've worked with tend to say kind things about it afterwards.

See more recommendations on LinkedIn
Leadership & impact
She raises the bar — and somehow everyone around her rises with it.

From day one, Sophie stood out as a self-starter with a clear passion for marketing and a strong commitment to work that connects with the consumer. What makes her truly exceptional is her leadership and the impact she has on those around her. She has a rare ability to elevate a team — bringing energy, curiosity, and a drive that inspires everyone to move from good to great.

Lina Martinez · DiageoGlobal Senior Brand Manager, Tanqueray
Global to local
Committed, clear-eyed and smart.

Sophie helped level up a European marketing team that needed more progressive thinking and adaptability. She approached that task with a positive energy I appreciated from a global marketing perspective — implementing complex, cross-country, cross-channel plans with an eye to how they'd thrive in local cultural markets.

James DenmanBrand Marketing & Strategy Leader, Fashion & Luxury
Rigour & excellence
Clear direction and rigorous structure on every project — short-term or larger scope.

Our exchanges and working sessions were always driven by a pursuit of excellence. The sessions were intense and challenging, as Sophie enjoys pushing her teams to question and refine every proposal. An incredibly enriching collaboration that played a key role in the success of campaigns and events across Southern Europe.

Alexandra Morel-DromerSenior Marketing & PR Manager
Integrated & strategic
A true integrated marketer — Swiss army knife: agile, surgical, with the ability to flex.

From the moment I interviewed her, I knew Sophie was what the team in Europe needed — a focused, strong leader with a diverse breadth of deep marketing experience. Highly strategic, data driven, with a passion for storytelling. Relentless in her pursuit of results and delivering the best work. Anyone should be thrilled to have Sophie on their team.

Stephanie Rivera LevyStrategic Marketing Leader · ex-Esprit, Gap, Old Navy
Contact

Tell me what's messy.

Whether you need sharper positioning, innovation focus, strategic support or interim leadership — I'd love to hear what you're working on.

Email opens your mail app — no forms, no firewall.

Email Sophie