Word of Mouth isn’t just a creative studio – it’s a movement.
We exist to amplify the voices of brands that deserve to be heard, crafting authentic, people-first experiences that challenge the status quo and generate the most valuable marketing of all: genuine word of mouth.
VISION
People first, always.
Word of Mouth envisions a creative landscape where authentic human connection drives business success. We see a world where brands thrive not through manufactured messaging, but through genuine relationships built on trust, empathy, and strategic creativity. We believe the most powerful marketing isn't just heard — it's felt, remembered, and shared.
We orchestrate specialized creative talent to deliver cohesive, strategic brand experiences that authentically communicate our clients' unique value. Under the compassionate, visionary leadership of our founder and creative director, Sarah Mulligan Williams, we help businesses of all sizes develop meaningful relationships with their audiences that drive sustainable growth and create lasting impact.
STUDIO VALUES
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We work alongside you, prioritizing clear communication every step of the way. We trust our clients and expect them to trust us to have their best interests in mind as we develop ideas on their behalf.
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We begin by listening, seeking to understand your unique challenges and opportunities from your perspective.
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We know there's no one-size-fits-all solution in creative work. We adapt our approach to accommodate your specific needs and circumstances.
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We specialize in working with emerging and disadvantaged businesses, providing high-quality creative solutions at accessible rates through our adaptable structure.
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We maintain honest communication, accountability, and a deep commitment to your satisfaction throughout our relationship.
I believe in humanizing the creative process.
I bridge the gap between business objectives and human experience by creating environments where empathy drives strategy, trust enables transparency, and authentic connections transform into measurable results. When we honor the humanity
in our work, we create not just better outcomes,
but a better way of working.
— SARAH MULLIGAN WILLIAMS, Word of Mouth Founder and Creative Director
APPROACH
Word of Mouth blends strategic storytelling with intuitive design, ensuring every brand we touch doesn’t just look good but stands for something. Through radical collaboration, ethical creativity, and an unwavering commitment to accessibility, we redefine what creative means in an era of conscious consumers and evolving industries.
Our intentional process is guided by unwavering commitments to:
STRATEGIC FOUNDATION
Every aesthetic decision serves a deeper purpose, connecting to your business goals and audience needs.
HUMAN CONNECTION
We design for real people, creating work that resonates emotionally and functionally with those you serve.
COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP
We view our clients as active collaborators, bringing your insights and expertise into every phase of the process.
ETHICAL CREATIVITY
We create with integrity, considering the social and environmental impact of our work.
ACCESSIBLE EXCELLENCE
We believe exceptional creative work should be accessible to organizations of all sizes, delivering premium solutions that respect your resources.
PROCESS
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We begin by immersing ourselves in your world — understanding your values, challenges, audience, and aspirations. Through in-depth conversations and strategic exercises, we uncover the authentic core of your brand and establish clear objectives. This culminates in a comprehensive creative brief that serves as our strategic foundation, ensuring all subsequent creative decisions are purposeful and aligned with your goals.
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With strategic direction established, we enter a phase of expansive creative exploration. We research visual and conceptual references, identify resonant patterns, and develop mood boards that visualize potential directions. This phase is about possibility and potential — establishing a visual and conceptual language that feels authentically yours.
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Drawing from our strategic foundation and creative exploration, we develop conceptual directions that bring your brand's unique positioning to life. We present multiple creative pathways, each offering a distinct perspective on your brand's future, allowing you to select the direction that resonates most deeply with your vision.
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Once a direction is chosen, we enter a collaborative refinement process. We iterate based on feedback, fine-tune visual and verbal elements, and ensure every component works harmoniously within the larger system. This phase transforms promising concepts into polished, purposeful creative solutions.
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In the final phase, we define comprehensive guidelines that ensure your brand's integrity across all touchpoints. We deliver complete creative assets in multiple formats, along with clear standards for implementation, empowering you to maintain consistency while allowing your brand room to evolve and grow.
Network of Creative Partnerships
We believe in right-sizing our approach to your needs. Some projects — like logos, marketing collateral, book design, or simple websites — are perfectly suited for our principal creative, Sarah Mulligan Williams, working directly with you.
Other visions require assembling specialized talent — complex eCommerce platforms, large-scale video productions, or immersive 3D experiences. We'll be transparent about what your project requires to meet your quality expectations. We're pros at partnering with other teams — consider us the creative conductor making sure every instrument plays in harmony, from Accordion to Zither.
We maintain relationships with an exceptional network of creative professionals who complement our core expertise. This allows us to scale our capabilities precisely to your project's needs, ensuring flawless execution whether you need a focused individual approach or a multidisciplinary team.
Vendor Relations
Clear communication with your production partners is essential for success, but bridging the creative-technical gap can be challenging. We serve as your translator, conveying your vision to printers, manufacturers, and production teams in a language they understand.
We navigate the technical details — whether it's specifying the perfect packaging finish, coordinating with custom manufacturers, matching precise PMS colors, adapting layouts to new mechanical templates, or ensuring co-branded products meet everyone's standards.
By handling these specialized conversations, we save you from deciphering industry jargon and technical specifications. You share your vision with us, and we make sure it's executed exactly as you imagined.
FOUNDER
Sarah Mulligan Williams is a visionary creative leader who bridges the gap between strategic objectives and human experience. As the founder and creative director of Word of Mouth, she orchestrates specialized creative talent to deliver authentic brand experiences that resonate deeply with audiences.
Bringing cross-industry perspective from publishing houses, premium retail brands, consumer goods, digital production studios, and experiential campaigns, Sarah brings versatile expertise to every project. Her roles at Heart Creative, Fred Meyer Jewelers, Straub Collaborative, SagaCity Media, People Magazine, and Time Out New York have honed her ability to elevate brands through human-centered creativity.
Sarah's philosophy is clear: great creative work starts with understanding people. Her leadership is rooted in empathy, her design in collaboration, and her process in clarity. Word of Mouth was born from her conviction that the most powerful marketing isn't just heard — it's felt, remembered, and shared. The studio amplifies voices that deserve to be heard, crafting authentic experiences that challenge the status quo.
What distinguishes Sarah is her balance of visionary thinking with meticulous execution. Clients gain a strategic partner who maximizes creative budgets, delivers through empathetic execution, minimizes risk through transparent communication, and builds lasting brand value through genuine connection.
Based in Oakland with roots in Brooklyn and Portland, Sarah's creative vision extends beyond her studio work. She hosts and programs Comedy 101, a film series at Portland's historic Hollywood Theatre, and is launching a podcast exploring the creative process through conversations with fellow creatives. Her Monthly Mixtape series — compilations of music that fuels her work — reflects her identity as a life-long learner and passionate consumer of music, film, television, and books.
Sarah's work is guided by her commitment to proving that the most powerful results come not from separating humanity from process, but from integrating them fully — a philosophy that extends to every aspect of her life and creative practice.