For consultants, designers, and digital partners slowed by an unclear client brief
An unclear client brief slows your workflow and increases revisions, making it harder to deliver efficiently and protect your margin.
I equip your client with the strategic foundation that makes your work faster, clearer, and more profitable to deliver.
Ask me to call or reach out to collaborate.
★★★★★
Brand strategy = financial strategy • 30+ years’ strategic practice • Wellington, NZ • Supporting service providers who need strategic clarity for delivery.
A complete strategic blueprint for your client. ✔
Faster approvals with fewer revisions. ✔
Clear direction that protects your margins. ✔
Benefits of bringing in an upstream brand strategist
Three gains that let you deliver with speed, clarity, and control.
Recover billable time
I remove the upstream strategy work that sits behind every unclear client brief, so you can spend your time on the service you are actually paid to deliver.
Protect your project margins
A clear brand strategy and stable client brief reduce revisions and rework, so your scope stays contained and commercially sound.
Lower stress and delivery risk
With a documented strategic blueprint for your client, decisions stop bouncing back to you and you can lead implementation with calm authority.
Explore how the Brand Strategy Workshop gives your client the clarity you need to begin with confidence.
Proof that strategic clarity fixes an unclear client brief
Results that remove the unclear client brief from your workflow.
These testimonials demonstrate the level of clarity your client receives before they return to you for delivery.
★★★★★
“Flying Lizard delivered exactly to our briefs, often under tight time constraints. They were quick to understand our sector and produced highly effective work from scratch as well as improving legacy material. Extremely knowledgeable, easy to work with, and consistently reliable.”
Rae Steel, Product Manager, Mainland Poultry Ltd.
★★★★★
“Flying Lizard delivered consistently within a complex organisation and always on time. They respected our standards, communicated clearly about scope and costs, and navigated internal delays with professionalism and ease. The end result was work we were well pleased with.“
Claire Ramsay, Head of Marketing Services, University of Otago
★★★★★
“Dayne delivers clear thinking as well as creative execution. He listens, works to strategy, and adds value well beyond the brief. Reliable, on time, and easy to collaborate with, he improves the work of everyone around him.”
Peter Gale, Director, 1STOP Ltd
See further work and outcomes across a range of client projects.
Why choose me when an unclear client brief is blocking delivery
6 reasons my strategic practice resolves the costs of an unclear client brief.
When your client arrives without a strategic foundation, I provide the clarity that enables your work to begin cleanly and proceed without friction.
The six reasons.
Reason 1: Upstream Strategy Completed for You
Your client receives a complete and structured brand strategy before you begin, which removes the uncertainty that sits behind every unclear client brief.
Reason 2: Strategic Clarity that Functions as Capital
I anchor strategy to financial decision-making so your projects move faster, cost less to manage, and align with a clear governing direction.
Reason 3: Thirty Years of Commercial Practice
Over three decades I have held senior creative and strategic roles with Cato, Ogilvy One London, Harrods, EDS proposal teams, and high-profile commercial projects such as the Spice Girls identity work, before operating my own twelve-staff studio and specialising exclusively in brand strategy.
Reason 4: I Stay in My Lane
I do not provide design, development, marketing, or operational systems, which protects your service offering and reinforces your position with your client.
Reason 5: I Make the Client Own the Strategy
I handle the strategic explanation and the education process so your client understands their direction, which prevents confusion later and reduces the rework created by an unclear client brief.
Reason 6: A Reliable and Repeatable Workshop Process
The Brand Strategy Workshop delivers a clear, usable document that aligns the client, governs decisions, and allows you to proceed with confidence.
You gain strategic clarity while keeping full control of your client relationship.
View the Brand Strategy Workshop to see the structured process your client receives.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions.
Here are some of the questions founders often ask before starting brand strategy help. For other common questions, see the Frequently Asked Questions page.
Will this slow my project down?
No. The strategy workshop is designed to prevent delays later. It usually takes two hours, sometimes slightly longer if the client needs to gather missing financial or customer information. Completing the strategy first removes the unclear client brief that causes rework, revisions, and stalled delivery.
What happens if my client cannot answer parts of the workshop?
If a client lacks essential information, such as pricing logic or target customer data, the session pauses until they gather it. This is normal. We resume the workshop as soon as they are ready, often the next day. This ensures the strategy is accurate and grounded in sound financial logic.
Will involving you confuse the client?
No. Clients welcome a structured conversation when it is professionally led. The workshop clarifies their thinking, aligns their messaging, and gives them ownership of their direction. You receive a clear strategy without needing to guide them through it yourself.
Will I lose control of the client if I bring in a brand strategist?
No. You remain the primary service provider. I complete the upstream strategy so that you can deliver your downstream service with confidence. This strengthens your position because your work begins with clarity rather than with an unclear client brief.
How long does the full brand strategy process take?
The workshop requires two hours. A complete strategic document, visualisation pages, and the client’s editable working file are delivered within forty eight hours of completing the session, unless the client requires additional time to gather information.
What does my client receive at the end of the workshop?
They receive a structured brand strategy document aligned to master-level frameworks from Marty Neumeier, David Aaker, and Ries and Trout. It includes audience, value, positioning, messaging, and direction. They also receive three visualisation pages that reflect their current identity, and the editable working document used to create the strategy.
How do I benefit from this as a service provider?
You begin your work with a clear strategic foundation. This reduces revisions, prevents rebriefing, and accelerates approvals. It removes the cost of fixing an unclear client brief and allows you to focus on the work that earns revenue and protects your margins.
Who pays for the workshop?
Either the client pays directly, or you may choose to book and pay on their behalf. Payment is required before work begins. You remain in full control of your project timeline and client relationship.