What can I do for you? * Brand * Marketing * Advisory *

What can I do for you? * Brand * Marketing * Advisory *

Collaborative and constructive –
I help organisations and brands grow, adapt, or change direction

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Brand Creation

A strong brand begins with clarity — about who you are, what you offer, and why it matters. I can help you build a brand with firm foundations, one that resonates with your audience and communicates your distinctiveness at every touchpoint.

  • Brand Creation

    Whether you’re launching a start-up, spinning out a new business, or repositioning an outdated or category-generic offering, a strong foundation is essential. Brand Creation typically involves some upfront research and a discovery workshop, followed by naming, brand framework, positioning, CVP, messaging, identity and go-to-market strategy. With a tight, focused team, it can be delivered in a sprint; with more stakeholders or complexity, it’s better managed through clear stage-gates.

    Project costs typically range from $10k to $50k, depending on business complexity, timing and team size. I offer a free 1-hour consultation — at your place or online — to understand what you’re trying to achieve, what you need, and what a suitable scope could look like. There are two ways we can work: I can take on the project as an external brand strategist, or I can be seconded into your team as a brand consultant to help guide the process and add value as we go.

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Brand Evolution

Staying relevant means embracing or adapting to change. With strategic rigour and creative flair, I can help you find the right direction for your business, positively shift audience perception, and stand your brand apart from your competitors.

  • Brand Evolution

    If you’ve outgrown your current brand, feel misaligned with your audience, or are facing new competitive pressures, it might be time to take your business or brand into its next phase. Whether you’re entering new markets, updating your offering, or simply struggling to find your edge, evolving your brand can help power growth — by defining who you are, the value you offer, and the way you present yourself.

    Brand Evolution typically includes audience and market research, an updated brand framework (including positioning, CVP and messaging), and a refreshed visual identity. It can be a light recalibration or a deeper rethink, depending on need or circumstance. Project costs generally range from $15k to $75k, based on scope and complexity. Whether to blow things up or just turn a few dials — that’s the hard part. That’s why I offer a free 1-hour consultation, at your place or online, to help unpack where things stand and what the right next step might be. I can lead the work end-to-end, or collaborate with your team to guide the process and keep it moving.

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Brand Alignment

The strength of your brand’s alignment comes from how well your team understands and delivers your brand’s promise. When it comes to understanding and articulating your brand's value, I help get your people on the same page.

  • Brand Alignment

    As businesses grow, adapt or diversify, things can get messy. Mergers, restructures, team expansion or leadership change often lead to brand drift — when an organisation’s purpose, vision, promise, values and proposition are no longer clearly understood or consistently expressed. Whether you’re uniting teams post-acquisition, aligning leaders around a refreshed strategy, or simply trying to bring clarity to a complex business, brand alignment creates shared understanding, unity and internal momentum.

    Every project is different, but brand alignment typically involves a brand audit, stakeholder interviews, a keen understanding of brand architecture, an updated value proposition, and refreshed messaging or identity. Project costs range from $15k to $75k, depending on complexity, team size and level of change. I offer a free 1-hour consultation — at your place or online — to help identify friction points, clarify what’s needed, and shape the best approach. I can lead the work independently, or collaborate closely with your internal teams to ensure the business, brand and people all end up on the same page.

Services

  • Interactive, insight-led sessions designed to align teams, uncover opportunities, and lay the strategic foundation for business and brand development. Tailored to specific challenges or objectives — whether launching, evolving, or repositioning a brand or business.

  • The essential strategic thinking that underpins a brand — clearly articulating purpose, vision, values, personality, and strategic pillars. Provides clarity and consistency to guide brand expression and behaviour.

  • Defines the unique space a brand occupies in the market and in the minds of its audience. Establishes what sets the brand apart, who it serves, and why it matters — informing strategy, marketing and communications.

  • Identifies and describes the people a brand seeks to engage — including customers, stakeholders and influences. Maps interrelationships, needs, behaviours and goals to shape communication that resonates and drives action. What do they think, feel and do currently – and what do we want them to think, feel and do in the future?

  • Outlines the structure, hierarchy and relationships between brands, sub-brands, products or divisions. Provides a framework to manage complexity, support growth, and ensure customer clarity across brand portfolios.

  • A brand’s key persuasive argument — a concise, compelling statement that communicates the value it delivers. Supported by three key pillars:

    Differentiation — The distinct qualities that set the brand apart

    Value — The tangible and measurable benefits delivered to the customer

    Relevancy — The key drivers behind why customers choose the brand

  • Defines what makes an organisation a meaningful and rewarding place to work. A strong EVP attracts, engages and retains the right people by aligning internal culture with external brand. Supported by three pillars:

    Differentiation — The distinct qualities that set the organisation apart

    Value — The tangible and emotional benefits offered to employees

    Relevancy — The key drivers behind why employees choose to stay

  • Born from the CVP or EVP and the brand positioning, messaging is essential for marketing and campaign activity and brings a brand to life. It defines the key statements used to engage an audience across touchpoints, combining rational and emotional elements.

  • Establishes the distinct voice of a brand — not just what it says, but how it says it. Includes voice (the outward expression of brand personality) and tone (how that voice adapts for different audiences and contexts). Provides practical guidelines for consistent, authentic communication across all channels.

  • Strategic, purposeful and engaging writing for all formats — from headlines and websites to campaigns and collateral. Delivers clarity, consistency and persuasion while reflecting the brand’s distinct voice.

  • Defines how a brand goes to market — identifying the most effective channels, tactics and timings to connect with the right audiences. Covers the four key levers of marketing:

    Product — What is being offered

    Price — What it costs and how it’s positioned

    Place — Where and how it’s sold or delivered

    Promotion — How it’s communicated and marketed

    A plan to build awareness, drive engagement and support business goals through well-informed, strategic decision-making.

  • Developing a new name for an existing brand or building a brand from scratch — the name plays a critical role. It must align with the business offering, be distinctive, memorable and ownable, and work across key channels. Considerations include trademark availability, domain and social handle viability, linguistic nuance, and long-term relevance. A strong name lays the foundation for brand recognition and growth.

  • Insight and evaluation to inform effective brand decisions.

    Research — the foundation of effective brand strategy, includes stakeholder interviews, customer research, competitor reviews, and market or category analysis — uncovering the truths, tensions and opportunities that shape strategy.

    Brand Audit — a comprehensive review of a brand’s current state, assessing visual identity, messaging, perception and experience across key channels to identify strengths, gaps and opportunities for improvement.

  • The structural foundation of a digital experience — organising content and navigation to make information easy to find, understand and act on. Designed for usability, clarity and alignment with business objectives.

  • (Brand + Marketing) Senior strategic support when it’s needed most — from rebrands and repositioning to scaling, alignment or change. I offer an experienced, external perspective to help shape decisions, sense-check direction, and provide clarity across brand and marketing.

Brand and Marketing Strategy Jim Ritchie

I help businesses find what matters — and then bring their distinctness to life through sticky strategy, standout identity, compelling propositions, and valuable advisory. From unlocking potential and aligning teams to building lasting connections with audiences, my services are designed to move your brand forward with clarity and purpose.

I generally work on a project basis, with a pre-agreed scope and set of deliverables. For smaller jobs or shorter engagements, I’m happy to provide a quote based on my competitive day rate.

  • “Brilliantly Unexpected highlight our region’s distinct essence and personality. At every step, the team has stayed true to the vision, ensuring our brand is as distinctive and compelling as the people and places it represents.”

    John Pandazopoulos — Chair @ Tourism Midwest

  • "Jim did a fantastic job of helping us understand what we stand for, and the true value we offer our customers. It positions us perfectly for the next stage of our business development."

    Bryce Cameron — EGM Sales & Marketing @ Natrio Asia Pacific

  • “I am sincerely appreciative of all the time, energy and passion that has gotten us here. The creative talents and passion of Jim and his team are amazing."

    Cate Sayers — Founder & Director @ The Inclusion Foundation

  • "Jim's client-first approach is a breath of fresh air. Not just creating the right work – but access to his experience and expertise as and when you need it."

    Kevin Ramsdale — Chief Marketing Officer @ Judo Bank

  • “It’s been great working with Jim and the team over the last 12 months to create the ABGF brand. Creative, flexible, straight-talking – and great fun to work with.”

    Anthony Healy — CEO & Managing Partner @ Australian Business Growth Fund

  • "Jim offered insightful and innovative ideas to the job at hand. We thoroughly enjoyed the collaborative experience and look forward to working with him again."

    Kimberley Glenny — Marketing & Brand Consultant @ Emma & Toms

  • "Could not recommend Jim more highly – the depth of knowledge, experience and creative talent combined with genuine collaboration has been highly valued in my CMO capacity."

    Kate Keenan — CMO @ Sayers & Judo Bank

  • "Jim was responsive, curious, creative and a pleasure to work with. He delivered an outstanding piece of work that met our brief and I'm sure will stand the test of time."

    Verity Martino — Head of Marketing & Communications @ Arq Group

  • Fantastic brand strategy experience; great insights; a pleasure to work with.

    Emma Welsh — Co-Founder & CEO @ Emma & Toms