MARKETING CONSULTING

When marketing isn’t delivering, the problem isn’t always the marketing. The strategy may not be clear, the business may have outgrown its marketing capability, or there may be no senior marketing leadership to connect business goals, customers, people and execution.

I work with established businesses to understand what’s really getting in the way, bringing experienced strategic thinking to complex problems and helping put the right direction, leadership and capability in place.

EXPERIENCED MARKETING THINKING FOR THE BIGGER QUESTIONS

Marketing consulting can be valuable when the business knows it needs marketing to perform better, but isn’t quite sure what needs to change.

Perhaps the strategy isn’t clear, the team lacks capability, marketing activity isn’t connected to business priorities, or there’s no senior marketing perspective to bring it all together.

I bring an experienced, independent perspective to diagnose what’s happening, identify the gaps and determine what the business needs next — from strategic direction and planning through to capability, leadership and execution.

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Solve the bigger problems

Get clarity on the strategic issues holding marketing back and determine what needs to change.

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Turn strategy into action

Translate business priorities into practical marketing direction, plans and decisions the team can actually execute.

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Build what’s needed next

Strengthen marketing leadership and capability so the business can move forward with greater confidence and independence.

READY FOR A NEW PERSPECTIVE?

LET'S TALK

HOW THE WORK TAKES SHAPE

Marketing consulting needs to be shaped around the business. An engagement might be a focused strategic session to work through a specific issue, a defined consulting engagement to diagnose a problem and establish a clear path forward, or ongoing support that provides experienced marketing thinking and direction as the business evolves.

STAGE 1

Initial Consultation

Before we begin, we need to understand the business, where it’s heading and what’s happening now. This initial conversation is an opportunity to explore your goals, challenges and priorities, and establish where marketing can make the greatest difference.

STAGE 2

Discovery

Discovery is about understanding what’s really happening across the business and its marketing. I look at the existing strategy, activity, processes, data and capability, while drawing on conversations with key people to understand what the numbers alone can’t tell us.

This helps identify the strengths, gaps, opportunities and underlying issues that need to be addressed — creating a clear picture of where things stand before recommendations are made.

STAGE 3

Recommendations

Once the key issues and opportunities are clear, I develop practical recommendations for what needs to change. This may involve refining direction, addressing gaps, prioritising opportunities or identifying new ways to improve marketing performance.

The recommendations provide a clear basis for deciding what to do, why it matters and where to focus first.

STAGE 4

Action Plan

With the priorities agreed, we turn recommendations into a practical plan for action. This sets out what needs to happen, when, and with the right people, resources and investment in place.

Depending on the engagement, this might include a marketing plan, project brief, roadmap or other practical tools to guide implementation. Key people are brought into the process early so there is clarity, alignment and ownership before the work begins.

STAGE 5

Implementation

With the plan in place, I can work alongside your team or external partners to turn recommendations into action. Depending on what’s needed, this may involve providing direction, managing projects, supporting your team or helping build the skills and confidence to execute effectively.

The aim is to keep the work moving, solve issues as they arise and ensure the strategy translates into meaningful progress.

STAGE 6

Evaluate & Evolve

We review what has changed, what is working and where there is still room to improve. Looking at results, impact and what we’ve learned helps determine what should be adjusted, strengthened or prioritised next.

The process doesn’t necessarily end here. Evaluation creates a feedback loop that helps the business continue to improve its marketing over time.

WHO IS MARKETING CONSULTING FOR?

Marketing consulting is for established businesses that know marketing needs to work harder, but aren’t always clear on what needs to change.

You may have a marketing team, an agency or people doing the work, but need more experienced thinking to connect the dots, challenge assumptions and determine what should happen next.

Sometimes the challenge is strategic. Sometimes it’s practical. You may be dealing with competing priorities, an evolving business, gaps in expertise or marketing activity that isn’t delivering the results you expect. An independent perspective can help make sense of what’s happening and identify where to focus.

Marketing has become disconnected from the business

Activity is happening, but it isn’t clearly connected to business priorities.

The business has outgrown its marketing approach

What worked previously is no longer delivering what you need.

You need an experienced perspective

There are decisions to make, but not enough senior marketing experience at the table.

Your team needs direction or support

You have capable people, but need additional expertise to help them move forward.

You rely on agencies or external specialists

Someone needs to provide direction, coordinate expertise and align marketing with business priorities.

You’re preparing for what’s next

Growth, change or a new stage of the business requires marketing to evolve with it.

Not Just Advice

MELISSA HOW

I bring clearer direction, experienced perspective and turn decisions into action.

Marketing consulting isn’t about handing over a report and leaving you to work out what happens next.

Depending on the engagement, I can work alongside your team to provide direction, challenge thinking, support decision-making and help turn recommendations into action. I can also work with your existing agencies and external specialists where their expertise is needed.

The level of involvement is shaped around what the business needs — from an independent perspective on a specific issue through to ongoing support to keep things moving.

I’ve been working in marketing since 2003, across strategy, digital, technology, customer experience and marketing leadership. Over that time, I’ve learned that the right answer isn’t always more marketing — sometimes it’s a different perspective on the business and what needs to happen next.

A passionate and committed digital marketing specialist, Melissa delivers. An integral partner in our team, Melissa plays a vital role as a navigator and guide in helping Ansell develop and implement an effective online program. Melissa’s strategic insights and practical contributions have generated genuine business value.

Mitchell Mackey

Marketing Director, Asia Pac

Melissa has impeccable attention to detail. Her comprehensive knowledge and experience in developing Sales and Business Development strategies is exceptional, and her commitment to clients is faultless. She always leads by example.

Linda Franchi

Business Development Manager

Melissa is far more than my Marketing Consultant. I look to her as my mentor and guiding star for marketing, digital, online and strategy. Melissa is a true professional and expert in her field, but what sets her apart is her personal approach, relationship management and work ethics.

Katie Hokin

Marketing Manager

Melissa is an incredible teacher, first and foremost. I knew I had a problem with the concision and articulation of my core message, and Mel not only helped me articulate this with clarity, but more importantly gently and graciously guided me to some powerful realisations about getting it out there.

I was drowning in fluff, but Mel’s precise and insightful approach helped me find words that measured my value, as well as positioned me exactly with the people I wanted to work with.

I am eternally grateful and she will be my go-to for strategy – for life!

Kath Clarke

Personal Brand Strategist

The business concept had evolved into a major undertaking, and we had started to lose direction and confidence in our startup. Melissa quickly got us back on track, challenging our preconceptions about investors and how to secure funding. Despite the pressures of our ‘day jobs’, Melissa made us accountable for meeting deadlines and coached us through the development and delivery of a compelling investor pitch.

Tim Dowle

Founder & CEO

Melissa’s marketing expertise has had a significant impact on our business. Through her guidance, we strengthened our brand presence, improved our sales processes, and achieved strong growth in our commercial sales while ensuring everything customer-facing reflected our brand consistently.

Her attention to detail, strategic thinking, and commitment to quality have made her an invaluable partner in helping us grow and differentiate our business in a competitive market.

Kane Hinchcliffe

Commercial Growth Manager

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LET’S FIND OUT WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE

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QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE

What does marketing consulting actually involve?

Marketing consulting can involve diagnosing problems, providing strategic direction, developing recommendations and plans, supporting implementation and helping businesses build the capability to execute effectively. The work depends on what the business actually needs.

When does a business need marketing consulting?

You don't need to have a defined marketing problem before engaging a consultant. Sometimes the need is clear; sometimes you know marketing isn't working as well as it should but can't identify why. An experienced external perspective can help establish what is really happening and what needs to change.

Do you work with existing marketing teams?

Yes. Consulting doesn't necessarily replace an internal team. I can work alongside existing marketing teams to provide strategic direction, fill gaps in experience or capability, support decision-making and help the team move forward with greater confidence.

Do you work with businesses that don't have an internal marketing team?

Yes. Depending on the situation, I can provide strategic marketing support directly or help establish the structure, resources and external expertise the business needs.

Is marketing consulting a one-off engagement or ongoing?

Either. Some businesses need help with a specific challenge or strategic piece of work, while others benefit from ongoing consulting and an experienced external perspective. The scope can be shaped around what the business needs.

Do you implement the recommendations?

Implementation depends on the engagement. I can work alongside your team or external partners to help action recommendations, provide direction, manage projects, oversee execution, or support capability development.

How do you start a consulting engagement?

We start with a conversation about your business, where you're heading and what's happening with marketing now. From there, I can determine whether consulting is appropriate and what kind of engagement would be most useful.

How is marketing consulting different from using a marketing agency?

Agencies typically provide specialist services and execution. Marketing consulting starts with the business problem and looks across strategy, marketing, people, capability and execution to determine what is actually needed. In some cases, that may mean handing the strategy over to an agency, working with an existing agency or bringing in specialist partners.