4 Types of Brand Strategy Consulting: Which is Best for You?

Executive Summary: Navigating the market to find a brand strategy consulting firm that is a good fit for your brand can be tricky. That makes finding the firm that brings the relevant expertise even more important. Firms that offer brand strategy consulting can be classified into four different types: large management consultancies, brand design and branding agencies, hybrids, and boutique experts. Each type has a different center of gravity and delivery model that the savvy client will want to consider in choosing a brand strategy consulting firm. Examples of each type of firm are provided as a starting set for consideration.  

How to Choose the Right Firm for Your Unique Brand

Your brand strategy means so much for your company, employees and customers. When done right, it encompasses:

• Your company’s personality and reason for existence
• Motivation for employees to do a great job the right way
• The basis for sales and marketing goals and execution
• Why your customers are loyal to your company and products

Here’s how to choose the right brand strategy consulting firm for your brand, with specific firms you can investigate and test for the “right fit.”

Brand Strategy Consulting: “Generalist Strategy Consulting Firms”

There are several large generalist consulting firms with practice areas across several disciplines. Within these generalist firms, several claim a focus on brand strategy consulting, including:

1. L.E.K. Consulting identifies Brand Strategy as a practice area, under the general capability of Marketing and Sales.  As a strategy firm, L.E.K., considers the “appropriate architecture” for the brand and will help “position, develop and invest in your brands to differentiate and drive growth.” An analytical perspective is highlighted, while “recognizing the brand’s emotional elements.”  Several of the case examples highlight brand portfolio and channel strategy, likely areas of strength.
2. Bain & Company stands out as the MBB firm with the greatest commitment to brand strategy.  Bain claims over 800 brand strategy assignments with a focus on math and analytics. Specific offerings include: “Customer Insights and Segmentation, Elements of Value” and the “Winning on Purpose” book (an update on Net Promoter Score).  While Bain’s homepage , does not promote brand strategy as a core consulting service, it’s evident that Bain brings considerable expertise and commitment to the topic and ranks number one on organic search for brand strategy consulting.   
3. 3. Neither of the other two large generalist MBB firms  focus heavily on demonstrating their expertise in brand strategy consulting.  McKinsey & Company offers “Branding” as a capability underneath “Marketing and Sales,” with Brandmatics and Customer Insights as featured capabilities. Of the three, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has the least brand strategy emphasis, as its featured capabilities include Customer Insights, which has a reference to “Enhancing brand positioning,” while its “Marketing and Sales” capability lacks reference to brand strategy.  

When Should You Choose a Generalist Firm?

On the plus side, L.E.K., Bain and McKinseyhave a broad business perspective and credibility for their analytics. 

On the downside, while there can be exceptions, typically the consulting team from these generalist firms will be made up of less experienced consultants, who may or may not spend the majority of their time focusing on brand strategy and who may or may not have relevant experience with brands.

Brand Strategy Consulting: “The Brand and Design Agency”

These brand strategy consulting firms deliver on redesigning the brand’s mark or logo with heavy emphasis on the design aspects of branding.

1. Known for “Simple is Smart,” Siegel and Gale tags itself as the “Global Brand Strategy Consulting and Design Agency.”One of Siegel and Gale’s five “focus areas” is “Rebrand,” showcasing case studies such as the US Army, CVS, and Micron. The other focus areas are the Healthcare, Financial Services and Technology industries, along with M&A/Spin-off.  Owned by the Omnicom Group since 2003, Siegel and Gale’s expertise was summarized as: “Over the decades and in all of its projects – from designing the iconic NBA logo to simplifying the US tax form 1040EZ to current design strategies for corporations, non-profit organisations and government institutions – the agency has remained true to its motto. The designers are still today convinced that “brands that embrace simplicity build deeper relationships with their customers and employees – and thus achieve better results.”
2. Landor Group, part of WPP,  is another global leader in branding and design.  Along with case studies, their website highlights their audio branding capabilities.Lippincott is a leading brand consultancy with an emphasis on branding that includes: brand platform, architecture and portfolio strategy, logo and identity systems, brand naming and brand voice. Like Siegel and Gale, Lippincott was also recognized on Gartner’s list of best brand strategy agencies for 2025.

When Should You Choose a Brand and Design Agency?

There are a number of sources that promise long lists of brand design agencies, including Gartner, Clutch and InfluencerMarketingHub. On the plus side, these firms will likely deliver compelling brand designs. 

On the downside, the question is how much of your branding effort should be focused on design, and whether the strategy choices are thoroughly considered.

Brand Strategy Consulting: “The Hybrid Agency and Consulting”

1. A firm that was historically well-known for brand strategy consulting is Prophet.  Today, Prophet positions itself as an uncommon growth strategy firm that offers both “Growth Solutions” and “Marketing Solutions.”  Specific brand strategy capabilities under Marketing Solutions are: “Build, Launch and Grow Brands, Brand Marketing and Campaigns and Demand Marketing.”.  Prophet’s “Brand Building” services specifies a number of choices: Brand Purpose, Positioning and Moves, Brand Portfolio Strategy, Brand and Product Architecture, Brand Launch & Activation, Verbal Branding, Naming and Messaging,Visual Identity and Design,and Brand Valuation and Measurement.Starting from its heritage in brand strategy, today’s Prophet offers branding, marketing, design and analytics.

When Should You Choose a Hybrid Agency?

On the plus side, Prophet’s growth and expansion means that today it is known for the rebranding of UBS, T-Mobile’s “Uncarrier” strategy and positioning.  

As with design firms, the client needs to consider how much of the attention will be put on strategy, who is working on the assignment, and their experience level.

Brand Strategy Consulting: “Boutique Brand Strategy Consultancies”

1. Equibrand Consulting – Started by a former colleague at The Cambridge Group, Equibrand offers brand strategy and marketing consulting. With “brand” literally in its company name, it’s evident that brand strategy is a deep capability for Equibrand. Its brand strategy consulting services include brand positioning, brand architecture, brand extension, brand naming, brand research and brand strategy and activation. 
2. Insight to Action – Our own firm.  We’re typically selected when brand strategy is an important part of growth strategy. For instance, in 2020, Insight to Action was selected by a California consumer products company that wanted help with defining its customer target through consumer segmentation, developing a brand architecture for its company trademark and consumer facing brand, and a brand strategy that defined the brand’s pillars for new product expansion, as well as the expansion categories. 

When Should You Choose a Boutique Firm?

On the plus side, these brand strategy consulting firms bring expert teams to focus on your brand. More of your budget will be spent on strategy and making sure there is a clear creative brief to drive execution. 

On the down side, they will be spending less time on design than the design and brand agencies and less time on general strategy than the generalist consulting firms.

Hopefully, this framework of different types of firms will help you think through the type of firm that’s going to be the most helpful for your brand strategy work. This summary chart below provides a handy way to look over the information and quickly compare.

Comparison Chart of Brand Strategy Consulting Firms

Additional case examples of Insight to Action’s work in brand strategy consulting can be found at the brand strategy resources page. For regular insights from our experts, subscribe to our newsletter.