What changes, in practice.

Situation

A family business the founder had run for more than a decade, with a loyal customer base and an online shop that worked early on and then stood still for years.

Complication

His plan was to grow online 5 times over. But the website was only 5% of sales, so even a fivefold jump wouldn't move the needle for the business as a whole. The business was organized around a channel instead of its customers: a Frankenstein customer. And the founder was still running every part of it himself.

What we did

We got the trifecta in order. Mapping the customer groups showed which ones to put front and center: a closely aligned group the brand already had but had never prioritized. Along the way, what he really wanted the brand to become came out. We also moved day-to-day operations to a partner at the same cost, so he has the time to build it.

What changed

A growth plan built around the customers who matter most, and a founder now building toward the brand he always wanted. Each step is paid for by the growth of the one before.

Our work · In progress

Situation

A founder with fifteen years in life-science commercialization, a strong network, and several product ideas, each promising on its own.

Complication

The ideas pulled in different directions and competed for the same founder's time. It was all clear in his head, but not yet clear to the investors, partners and first clients he was talking to.

What we did

We mapped the ideas onto one value chain to show how the products connect, which one starts the ball rolling, and how what is learned from each one feeds the next.

What changed

A clear brand, clear customers and one solid story to take to pilot customers and investors, with a step-by-step roadmap to carry it out. All before any launch spend.

Our work

Situation

A heritage brand with strong client books, a great assortment and a client base that was getting smaller every year.

Complication

The whole company was built to win a new, fashion-led customer: the launches, the shows, the campaigns. It was the opposite of what its existing clients wanted. The core clients drifted away, and the new ones never came, so the brand lost twice.

What we did

Among several moves, we turned to the customer the brand had overlooked: one who shared its existing clients' taste and could give the brand a future. We used what the brand already had, its client books, assortment and budget, and redesigned messaging and clienteling around their needs.

What changed

Retention among those customers rose 21% in the first year. Direct marketing sales grew 24%, and like-for-like sales in the pilot stores grew 17% while the rest stayed flat. All with no added budget.

From our founder's work

Situation

Fast growth, a large store network and a steady stream of new products.

Complication

The whole company was built to win a young, trend-led customer: most activity went into new collections and most of the ad budget went to winning them, at a high cost per new customer. The people actually buying were the opposite. They mostly bought the basics, and they kept slipping away.

What we did

We started with what the brand already had: the basics, the stores and its highest-potential customers. Every team focused on one priority group, mapped how they shop, and worked from a single shared calendar.

What changed

Within 6 months, return on ad spend doubled on targeted digital campaigns. Collection development was scaled back, which cut development costs, and the whole company worked to one commercial roadmap.

From our founder's work

Situation

A European wholesale accessories and underwear business that sold in volume but had no clear structure behind its range.

Complication

Growth was opportunistic. Wholesale partners bought shallow and the brand's presence on their floors was inconsistent. Prices and the number of styles varied by market and account, and performance was only known when the selling season closed, too late to correct.

What we did

We benchmarked the market and rebuilt the range into a clear good, better, best structure with market-based pricing. Volume was concentrated in the right partners, accounts were tiered, and the team sold complete stories instead of single items. Sell-in forecasting let them act while buyers still had budget to spend.

What changed

Accessories revenue grew 38% year on year, and gross margin rose 8 basis points. Growth became predictable instead of opportunistic.

From our founder's work