How I helped a market research consultancy look as big as their ambitions
A technically brilliant consultancy was ready to grow, but their messaging kept them small. Through interviews, competitor mapping, and a structured messaging system, I helped reposition them from a niche provider to a credible strategic partner.
Overview
Main goal:
To transform the consultancy’s perceived size and capabilities from boutique to mid-sized in order to attract larger projects
Key outcomes:
Elevated the consultancy’s perception to align with medium-sized firms, increasing client confidence and referrals.
Improved messaging consistency across all touchpoints, enhancing brand clarity and differentiation.
Revamped the onboarding process and website, leading to a smoother client experience and stronger first impressions.
Background
Perception Holding Back a Growing Consultancy
About my client: Experts without a resilient growth engine
This client—a respected market intelligence consultancy—had built strong relationships and a solid reputation. They supported major international players with rigorous, detail-rich research. But they were struggling to attract the kind of strategic, high-value projects they knew they could deliver.
Externally, they still came across as boutique. Internally, they knew they were over-reliant on one promotional channel—and wanted to build a more independent, sustainable growth engine. But that required investing in assets, messaging, and clarity. The kind that wouldn't just look good but move the business forward.
My role
I was brought in to rework their messaging system and guide their positioning shift. The objective was twofold:
Elevate their perceived value—from boutique to mid-sized strategic partner
Build a message that could be applied consistently across new and existing touchpoints
Solution
Understanding the differentiators and opportunities for improvement
To address the challenges and reposition the consultancy effectively, I recommended a comprehensive approach grounded in both qualitative and quantitative research. This ensured that the strategy would be rooted in real client insights, market dynamics, and the consultancy’s unique strengths.
Key analysis steps included:
In-depth interviews with 6 key clients to get context-rich feedback about their experiences. Their answers highlighted pain points and opportunities for improvement.
Validation survey, delivering 20 responses. This data validated the trends identified in the interviews.
Competitive analysis that included a review of the positioning and messaging of key competitors to benchmark industry standards and identify opportunities for differentiation. This helped uncover gaps and areas where the consultancy could stand out.
Visual positioning map:a landscape of competitors and messaging positions, showing where the consultancy sat—and where it could credibly lead. This served as a strategic anchor for internal alignment and future brand development.
Some of the findings:
Clients reported confusion during the onboarding process, citing unclear timelines, roles, and communication.
Clients saw the consultancy as a niche, boutique firm, raising doubts about their ability to handle large-scale or multi-country projects.
Many clients struggled to articulate why they chose the consultancy over competitors.
The website did little to communicate their expertise or credibility. It lacked case studies, testimonials, and clear service descriptions, failing to inspire confidence among prospective clients.
A comparative positioning snapshot
This early-stage map helped us identify where the client stood in relation to key competitors—and where an opportunity existed to move from capability-led messaging to a more strategic, principle-driven position. Competitor names have been blurred for confidentiality.
Building the messaging system
From there, I built a Messaging Map—the backbone of their communication strategy.
This wasn’t a slogan generator. It was a structured system that aligned:
Who they were speaking to (segmented by decision-maker role)
What they needed to hear (pain points, outcomes, emotional hooks)
Where and how to reach them (channel, tone, content format)
It included:
A refined positioning statement and value proposition
An Ideal Client Profile grounded in real client needs—not demographics
Core narrative themes, proof points, and language guidance
Messaging variations for different service lines and decision-makers
Why it matters:
A messaging map is a strategic tool that turns your positioning into practical, usable language. It defines what to say, to whom, where, and how—so your message stays consistent across your website, sales materials, pitch decks, and internal communication. Instead of vague brand statements, it gives your team clear direction rooted in real customer insight: key messages, proof points, tone of voice, and audience-specific pain points. It’s not just about sounding better—it’s about aligning your communication around what truly makes you different and turning that clarity into action.
Implementation
Aligning Perception with Reality
With a clear plan in place, I guided the implementation of the branding strategy. This included improving the website, redesigning the onboarding process, and launching a targeted communication plan to reshape client perceptions.
Some of my improvements:
As part of website recommendations, we worked together on showing their expertise across industries and geographies.
Simplified navigation to ensure potential clients could quickly find relevant information.
Improve the company profile, including the biographies of key people
Introduced a structured onboarding process with clear steps, roles, and timelines to enhance the client experience.
Started a client welcome sequence for the new leads to create a professional first impression.
Final thoughts
Growth takes patience, trust, and resilience
This transformation wasn’t just about implementing a few quick fixes. Rather, it was a deliberate, thoughtful process that required patience and trust from the client.
Change of this magnitude can be challenging, especially when it involves examining fundamental perceptions and making significant shifts in messaging, branding, and internal processes.
While elements of the process could have been trimmed down, the client’s willingness to embrace a comprehensive approach paid off. Their resilience and commitment to truly fueling growth by better serving and understanding their existing client base laid the groundwork for sustainable success.
The key takeaway from this project is that sustainable growth requires patience, trust, and a commitment to the process. Quick fixes rarely deliver lasting results, but by listening to clients and addressing their needs, businesses can turn their client base into a powerful growth engine. Resilience and a long-term perspective are essential to unlocking opportunities, as is a strategic approach grounded in data and insights. When companies embrace these principles, they lay the foundation for stronger branding, improved client trust, and the ability to achieve their growth ambitions.
Your message shapes how you're seen
and what gets traction.
If you're navigating a pivotal moment and need your communication to keep pace, I’m here to help.