FAQs

A strategic brand consultant helps businesses define their positioning, understand their customers and connect brand strategy with wider commercial objectives.

At True Story, this extends beyond developing a brand strategy. We work with founders and leadership teams to strengthen customer propositions, guide brand implementation and provide experienced senior leadership when businesses need additional expertise.

We work with founders, CEOs and leadership teams in businesses navigating growth, change or transition.

Our experience spans established brands, growing independent businesses and purpose-led businesses, particularly within the lifestyle, interiors, beauty and consumer sectors.

We typically work with businesses that recognise the commercial importance of brand and want experienced support to strengthen their positioning, make informed decisions or prepare for their next stage of growth.

True Story offers four core services:

• Brand Strategy & Positioning: Defining a clear, differentiated brand position and strategic foundations.

• Customer & Proposition Strategy: Connecting customer understanding, brand positioning and product strategy to strengthen the commercial offer.

• Brand Implementation & Activation: Translating brand strategy into action through experienced leadership, creative direction and oversight of the rollout.

• Strategic Brand Leadership: Providing senior brand expertise, fractional leadership and strategic guidance to support business growth and change.

Each engagement is tailored to the needs and priorities of the business.

A brand review can be valuable when the business has evolved but its positioning, proposition or communications haven't fully reflected that change.

You may be entering new markets, reaching different customers, expanding your product offer or finding that the brand no longer communicates what makes your business distinctive.

A review doesn't necessarily mean a rebrand. Often, it's about understanding what's working, identifying gaps and deciding what needs to change.

Yes. A strong brand needs to be supported by a relevant and compelling customer proposition.

Our Customer & Proposition Strategy service examines how customer understanding, brand positioning and product strategy work together. This can include customer research and segmentation, competitor benchmarking, proposition development and product range reviews.

The objective is to create a more coherent commercial offer that meets customer needs and supports the strategic direction of the brand.

Yes. Developing the strategy is one part of the process; ensuring it is carried through into the business is equally important.

We provide strategic oversight and leadership throughout brand implementation, including rollout planning, project management, creative direction, agency coordination and internal team support.

We work alongside existing teams and specialist partners to establish priorities, guide delivery and ensure the original strategic thinking is reflected in the finished work.

True Story is an independent strategic consultancy, providing senior expertise across brand strategy, commercial positioning and brand leadership.

Unlike a traditional creative or marketing agency, our primary role is to help businesses make the right strategic decisions and guide how those decisions are put into practice.

Clients work directly with Melissa, drawing on more than 20 years of experience in senior brand and marketing leadership. Where creative or specialist delivery is required, we can work with your existing partners or help bring the right expertise together.

Fractional brand leadership gives businesses access to experienced senior brand expertise without appointing a full-time director.

It can be particularly valuable during periods of growth, transition or significant change, when a business needs strategic direction, stronger alignment across teams or experienced oversight of brand and marketing priorities.

True Story provides flexible fractional leadership and ongoing advisory support, working alongside founders and senior teams to connect brand decisions with wider business objectives.

We have extensive experience working with purpose-led brands and businesses committed to responsible practices, sustainability and ethical business.

This includes helping businesses define their purpose, values, sustainability and impact positioning, ensuring these commitments are meaningful, credible and reflected in their wider brand strategy.

However, we don't work exclusively with purpose-led businesses. We bring the same considered, commercially grounded approach to brands across different sectors and stages of development.

The timescale and investment depend on the nature, complexity and scope of the work.

A focused brand review or positioning project will require a different level of support from a full brand strategy, implementation programme or ongoing fractional leadership engagement.

We don't offer fixed packages, preferring to develop a clear scope around the needs of each business. Indicative costs and timings are discussed early, with a defined proposal agreed before work begins.

Every engagement begins with a conversation to understand your business, the challenges you're facing and what you're looking to achieve.

From there, we can explore the most appropriate level of support, whether that's a focused strategic project, guidance through a brand rollout or ongoing senior leadership.

Get in touch to start a conversation.