Services / Strategy & Positioning
Get clear on who you serve and why they choose you.
Every other marketing decision depends on this one. Before you change the website or the logo, we help your leadership team define the clients you serve best and the reasons they stay.
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Many good firms sound exactly like their competitors.
Phrases like “comprehensive planning,” “personalized service” and “a fiduciary you can trust” show up on nearly every advisory website. They are all true, which is the problem, because prospects cannot use them to tell one firm from another.
Underneath that, the firm’s real story often lives in the founder’s head, and partners sometimes describe the ideal client in noticeably different ways. Until those answers are settled, the marketing has nothing specific to say.
What we do
Brand positioning
A clear statement of who the firm serves, what it does for them and why it is the right choice, built from leadership interviews, client patterns and the competitive landscape.
Messaging and firm story
The language your team uses to describe the firm, from a one-sentence answer to “what do you do?” to the longer story behind how the firm works with clients.
Ideal client definition
The two or three client groups that matter most to the firm’s growth, with what each one cares about and how they make decisions.
Competitive analysis
An honest look at how nearby and national competitors present themselves, and where your firm can stand apart.
Advisor messaging guides
Practical talking points advisors can use in prospect meetings, client reviews, presentations and introductions to referral partners.
Fractional CMO
Senior marketing leadership, without a full-time hire.
Some firms need more than a project. They need someone senior to own the marketing plan, guide the budget and keep everyone focused on what matters most. As your Fractional CMO, we hold monthly strategy sessions with leadership, set and track priorities, oversee outside vendors, and coach internal marketing hires as they grow into the role.
How it starts
Positioning work usually begins with a CLEAR workshop, because the answers have to come from leadership together. The workshop surfaces where partners already agree and where they see the firm differently, which is often the most useful part of the whole process.
Work your team can use the next day.
A positioning statement leadership has signed off on, a messaging framework with the firm’s story and key messages for each client group, advisor talking points, and a prioritized plan for bringing the new positioning to your website, content and client materials.
Proof
Merged advisory firm
Gave leadership and advisors one clear, consistent way to explain the combined firm, helping preserve client trust through a significant merger.
Growth-oriented RIA
Turned leadership’s broad ideas into a practical growth roadmap that aligns decisions, sets priorities, and ties marketing to the firm’s actual business goals.
Questions firms ask.
How long does positioning work take?
Most positioning and messaging projects take six to ten weeks, from the CLEAR workshop through the final messaging framework. Larger firms with several offices or brands may take longer.
Who from our firm should be involved?
Everyone who shapes the firm’s direction, usually the partners or leadership team, plus input from a few advisors and staff who work closely with clients. We also find it helpful to talk with a small number of long-time clients when the firm is comfortable with it.
How is Fractional CMO different from a Growth Partnership?
A Growth Partnership focuses on carrying out the marketing plan each month. Fractional CMO adds senior leadership on top, including budget ownership, strategic planning with leadership, vendor oversight and coaching for internal staff.