What I Do

The consultancy works in a number of areas all of which are designed to improve business performance, in modern parlance to improve ROI. This can take several forms and certainly never involves a one size fits all philosophy or a prescriptive approach. An introduction to many of these subjects can be found in the links to presentations on my downloads page.

The overarching philosophy behind the activity is that “Great Brands make Great Companies”. Thus how is this being achieved?

At the macro level I am a firm believer in cluster development to stimulate strong Companies. Thus I have helped Regional Development Agencies drive forward cluster work and have also helped local Development Agencies address more local issues. At the firm level I have helped Companies look at new sectors where they lack detailed category knowledge, helped develop international strategy, and reviewed growth strategies. At the brand level it is important to ensure cut through from above the line to below the line activity. Consumers do not operate in the silo like way that Companies believe. It is important to bring into play advanced E-CRM together with an understanding of how brand engrams evolve. This is an ongoing crusade!

With smaller Companies I have worked hard to ensure that owner managers stick to what they know best – “the knitting” – whilst pursuing growth plans or succession planning. I have assisted numerous SMEs over the past ten years. This has led to the development of a management tool which looks at the mental toughness as a key indicator in management performance.

Exposure to a number of new SMEs which has increased the database of experience, is now leading to the development of a programme designed to help owner/managers overcome some of the hurdles facing their business development.

A very interesting project on behalf of an RDA in personal care has led to an increasing involvement in Open Innovation and preparing Companies to approach UK and international opportunities. This role has taken on something of the function of a technology broker, linking innovation to opportunities and often creating a dialogue with the outstanding technical capabilities of the University sector. Material will be out on the website reflecting this additional activity profile.