Contract to services companies to plan and execute commercial strategy - leveraging the latest tech and AI (All DM's confidential).

Commercial strategy focuses on inflating company earnings valuation via a combination of product, marketing, sales, and distribution initiatives - a mix of core business strategy and functional execution. 

Senior executives often lack access to independent (conflict-free) advice to help optimize the ~7%+ of gross rev they allocate to S&M (or 'growth') each year. This high-risk expenditure often comes with low independent oversight and governance. 

Instead of spending more, changing platforms or vendors, often quicker gains can be had by...

- adding proper strategy into BAU operations 
- better measurement systems
- enhancing internal capability
- direct incentive structures

Engagements typically start with advisory, audits, reviews, workshops, or simple execution oversight. Then custom project work where needed. Once the earnings engine is humming, I then move back into an advisory role.

I've helped hundreds of firms in over 50 sectors, across 4 continents over 17 years.  Professional services, to product, e-com, B2B, B2C and SaaS. From women's luxury apparel, to industrial manufacturing, fine art, plastic surgery, fintech, proptech, education, real estate and more. 

I suit private businesses ($10-200m ARR), PE and forward-thinking corporate brands. Usually reporting directly to the owner, board, C-suite or department heads.

Titles vary from, strategy consultant to fractional CMO, CRO to CGO, CCO, advisor, NED etc. 

In between engagements I work on AI tech of my own. 

You might see me occasionally speak at conferences like WMF or SXSW. Or stumble across articles I've written, heard me on podcasts, seen one of my viral memes on Twitter or completed one of my courses. If you have - cheers!

I also produce a podcast/show called Champagne Strategy which explores all the areas I encounter professionally, featuring world-class practitioners from all around the world. 

DM me to discuss consulting/advisory work, fractional roles and speaking opportunities.

If budgets are tight - follow the link in my bio for pro-bono resources which include:
- the Champagne Strategy podcast
- Hybrency YouTube channel
- A Dose of John *LinkedIn) & Hybrency (Substack) newsletters
- Twitter/X memes
- Brandingmag article series
- Vexpower brand tracking course

TL:DR I enjoy solving difficult business problems for those in need, because everyone wins

John James

Creative Strategy, Comms Strategy, Digital Strategy, IA, UX, CX

Geometry Global

Digital strategy, planning and concept development for Geometry’s main client BAT, from brief to implementation.
Full cycle from lead acquisition through offline promotion, display/native, content marketing and social to ongoing CRM/permission marketing via e-mail, social, websites (both unbranded and age restricted).
Optimisation of ongoing activities and long term strategy development included performance reports for past activities, trends & innovation white papers, audience insights, category and ex category benchmark reports.

Multi-channel strategy development for Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge based on extensive evaluation of the existing activities (performance reports, quant./qual. research, workshops and interviews with regional sales managers and distribution partners). Scope covered B2B channel marketing (to/with/through partner), online and offline CRM, AtL and BtL advertising strategy.

Senior UX Strategist

deepblue networks AG

CRM: Strategy, concept development and implementation eBay, Otto, Unilever (Knorr, Dove), Tchibo, Swatch, Burger King, Xing, Reemstma
Performance campaigns: Multi-channel strategy and concept development for Vodafone, Xing,
Hannoversche Direkt.
Brand and product campaigns: Digital strategy and concept development for Vodafone, Honda, Cewe, Eon, Saturn, Gerolsteiner, Mtv

Biggest Achievements:
- Winning the 130M€ Vodafone account as part of the core pitch team for Scholz & Friends and launching the brand on social media as part of a multi-channel campaign.
- Acquiring 50K leads within 3 months for the newly launched car insurance Hannoversche Direkt

Biggest fail: Acquiring 50K leads for Hannoversche Direkt. Is there such a thing as too many leads? Feel free to mail me for insights on business models, lead acquisition strategies and end-to-end-conversion funnels ;-)

Senior Creative / UX Strategist / Copywriter

UX Strategist / Copywriter

reinhards. integrated branding

Brand development, campaign development and execution AtL and BtL for San Lucar and dm Drogeriemärkte.

Copywriter

NMF. Advertising

Mainly content marketing for Fujitsu Siemens Computers and Adobe: B2B content strategy, magazine development, setting up a team of freelance writers and internal designers for ongoing production, editorial planning and coordination with client, internal production.
Some classical advertising for Adobe.

When Adobe launched Indesign, they forced Young & Rubicam to roll out our national German campaign globally.

Copywriter / Art Director

Universal Music Group

Editor-in-chief, responsible for the launch of classicsandjazz.de, Universal’s German content marketing and ecommerce platform for classical music and jazz. Building from scratch, the development included content strategy, CMS specification (proprietary CMS for better ecommerce integration), building the editorial team with 3 internal editors / producers and some 10 freelance writers. Up and running, classicsandjazz.de published ca. 100 CD reviews and 10 features monthly, plus video interviews and concert live streams.

Highlight: Buckingham Palace ordered a one-off copy from our Archive on Demand service as a royal present for a Finnish state visit (Karajan conducting Sibelius).

Editor in chief

Curious mind, prolific thinker who likes challenging problems and elegant solutions. Since I get bored easily, I read a lot and like to learn new things. After 20+ years in media and advertising I realised that I’m too funny for a creative and too dull for an account guy.
So I finally resorted to strategy.

taplio

The Battle

John James

Aris-Konstantinos Stamatis

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