01
How to structure a brand strategy
A brand strategy is structured in four layers: context and category, cultural tension, brand platform and expression system.
Free digital resource · Brand Strategy
Career guide: Brand Strategy
Stop producing pieces and start building brands.
Format
Guide + checklist + roadmap
Plan duration
12 months in 4 phases
Price
Free · no sign-up
02
How to sell strategy, not just execution
Selling strategy means selling clarity: deliver short documents, reasoned decisions and an application map, not a 90-page PDF.
03
Fees by project type
Fees are set by impact and scope: diagnosis phase, platform phase and activation phase, each with its own price.
04
A 12-month roadmap
Months 1-3: one complete strategy case. Months 4-6: your own documented methodology. Months 7-9: first strategic proposals. Months 10-12: a brand retainer.
Diagnosis
What the international market values
Relative weight of each skill in selection processes and in your rate.
Judgement and brand system92/100
The first thing filtered in a portfolio
Case narrative84/100
Problem · decision · result
Production and detail70/100
Taken for granted from senior level
Negotiation and scope65/100
Where margin gets lost
Roadmap
Your 12-month plan, phase by phase
Phase 1 · Months 1-3
25% of the planOne complete strategy case
- Audit what you already have and discard 70% of it
- Define the professional profile you're aiming for
- Block out 5 fixed hours a week for your own work
Deliverable: A written diagnosis and work plan
Phase 2 · Months 4-6
50% of the planYour own documented methodology
- Build the centrepiece of your new positioning
- Document your method step by step
- Get feedback from two professionals above your level
Deliverable: One complete, publishable, defensible case
Phase 3 · Months 7-9
75% of the planFirst strategic proposals
- Go to market: contacts, processes or proposals
- Prepare a 3-minute presentation of your work
- Track responses and adjust the message every two weeks
Deliverable: Portfolio and pitch validated outside your circle
Phase 4 · Months 10-12
100% of the planA brand retainer
- Raise your rate or level of responsibility
- Select projects aligned with your specialism
- Set a professional goal for the next 12 months
Deliverable: A new position or a newly negotiated rate
Progression
Where you start and where you end up
30%TodayYou execute briefs with your own judgement
52%Month 4Your method is visible and repeatable
76%Month 8You compete in international processes
100%Month 12You lead, choose your clients and charge for value
Checklist
Tick off what you have already sorted
Portfolio and evidence
- Three projects told as cases: problem, decision, result
- One piece that demonstrates your judgement, not just your technique
- A measurable or verifiable result in every case
- All material in English, ready for international review
Positioning
- One sentence explaining who you serve and with what judgement
- A professional profile updated with that same sentence
- A 3-minute presentation recorded and reviewed
- Clarity on why Brand Strategy and nothing else
International market
- A list of 20 target studios, brands or teams
- Five real contacts started this month
- A rate or salary band defined per project and per month
- Availability and working hours agreed in writing
Training and next step
- A training gap identified in a single sentence
- A realistic weekly calendar compatible with your job
- An instalment payment plan reviewed
- A profile assessment completed to validate the programme
Actions for this week
- Choose three projects and rewrite them as cases with a decision and a result.
- Define in one sentence who you serve best and with what judgement.
- Prepare a standard proposal with scope, phases and a price per project.