I work with clients in different ways and there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Sometimes a founder needs an experienced sounding board for an hour. Sometimes there is a specific business challenge that needs fresh thinking and strategic input. And sometimes I work alongside a leadership team for a longer period, helping them set direction and build the communications and marketing capability the business needs.
Whatever the brief, my role is broadly the same: to bring an independent perspective, ask the right questions and help you make informed decisions about where to focus.
First things first: chemistry matters. Take a look at the options below, then book a no-strings introductory call if you’d like to explore whether I could help.
1. Strategy Session
If you like what you hear on the complimentary introductory call, this chargeable one-hour session on Teams or Zoom gives us the opportunity to dig into a particular challenge or decision.
The aim isn’t necessarily to give you all the answers in an hour. It is to help you step back, challenge some assumptions and identify the questions you need to answer so you can make a more informed decision about what happens next.
Think of it as a small investment that could help you avoid an expensive mistake – or simply give you the clarity to move forward with confidence.
No pressure to follow through. Just sound advice and food for thought.
No two Strategy Sessions are the same, but we might use the time to:
- Take a fresh look at your positioning and whether it still reflects where the business is heading
- Work out whether you really need to hire - and, if so, what skills and level you need
- Rethink a comms investment that wasn’t quite ready
- Sense-check a proposed communications or marketing investment before you commit
- Unpack why an agency relationship or project hasn’t delivered what you expected
- Look at what you’re currently doing and decide what deserves more or less attention
- Consider how communications and marketing should support a particular business opportunity, challenge or period of change
- 60 minutes of discussion and consultation
- A short follow-up summary with some high-level recommendations
Marcie has this brilliant knack of getting straight to the feel of a business and the respect flows out of her. She makes me, as a business owner, feel really seen. In a one-hour call, she helped us take a step back and look at the business from the outside – we’re generally too busy to even take time to think. If this is what you get from a first meeting I look forward to doing more with Marcie.
I worked with Marcie for more than a year on several comms projects for IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health), one of which was of critical strategic importance. Marcie brought much needed experience, strategic thinking and capacity to it. She led us through this project with energy, clear plans and second to none implementation.
2. Project work
Sometimes there is a specific issue that warrants deeper work but doesn’t require ongoing support.
I can work with you on a discrete project to diagnose the issue, establish the right direction and help put the pieces in place.
That might include:
Positioning and proposition
Has the business outgrown the way you describe it? Are you struggling to articulate why clients should choose you? Or does your brand no longer quite fit where the business is heading?
I can help you step back, clarify your positioning and proposition, and work out what needs to change. Where this leads to a wider brand project, I can help you identify, brief and oversee the right creative partner.
Communications and marketing strategy
If activity has grown organically or become fragmented, without the systems or insight needed to understand what is working, it can be difficult to see where effort and budget are genuinely supporting business goals.
I can review the current picture, identify gaps and opportunities and help you develop a focused, practical plan: clear about priorities, resources, how progress will be measured, and what not to do as well as what to do.
Team and capability
Sometimes the issue isn’t the strategy – it’s whether you have the right people and skills to deliver it.
I can help you assess what capability the business needs, decide whether to hire or buy in expertise, define roles, support recruitment and help new or existing team members succeed.
A strategic communications challenge
Not every brief fits neatly into a box.
You may be preparing for growth, entering a new market, dealing with change, reconsidering an agency relationship or facing a reputation or stakeholder issue. I can bring an independent perspective, get under the skin of the problem and help you work out the right approach.
3. Retained strategic support
For businesses that want regular access to senior communications and marketing counsel, I can work alongside the founder and leadership team on a retained basis.
This gives you ongoing access to an experienced strategic adviser who can bring perspective, challenge and continuity as priorities evolve.
The scope varies according to the business and its priorities. I might help establish the strategy, challenge and guide decisions, oversee priority projects, advise on internal capability and external partners, or mentor the people responsible for delivery.
The emphasis is on direction and judgement rather than day-to-day execution. My aim is ultimately to leave you with greater clarity, stronger capability and the right people, plans and systems to take things forward.
The time commitment and length of engagement depend on what you are trying to achieve.
Fees are agreed according to scope, time commitment and length of engagement.
Marcie is proving invaluable in steering our next steps. We are making good progress with getting the essential building blocks in place, and her strategic focus keeps us aligned on the long-term vision. Marcie works well with people at every level and doesn’t hold back if she feels the need to challenge my thinking, but she does it respectfully. It’s an exciting time for the business and there are lots of activities coming together with the benefit of Marcie’s experience and guidance.