A small selection of our work and experience
Following a review of professional services, the University of Bath's Vice President (External Relations) appointed Adam to their Marketing and Communications Advisory Board. The purpose of the Advisory Board was to review and advise on the proposed new marcomms structure and operating model to ensure that it was fit for purpose and able to effectively support Bath's ambitious strategy.
As external advisor, Adam took a 'critical friend' role, provided subject matter expertise during the reorganisation programme and expert advice on interview panels for senior Director and Associate Director roles.
Lincoln wanted to enhance the capabilities and capacity of their marketing and recruitment teams to enable them to address recruitment challenges. Over four months in 2025 Adam worked on premises with the team to:
- review the existing operation's strengths and weaknesses
- develop a reorganisation business case to move from a fragmented operation to a centralised function
- implement a new operating model and associated project management systems and processes
- develop and deliver a training programme to up-skill team members
- develop a focussed undergraduate brand positioning framework (in advance of a wider brand positioning programme)
- support propensity modelling and data and insight review.
9 years as Director of Marketing and Communications through a period of massive sector change.
In that time transformed marketing from a 6 person predominantly regionally focussed unit to a fully integrated, 60+ strong, global marcomms function.
- Marketing operation structural change
- Brand positioning
- Senior management level.
GOSH, having developed and launched the beta version of their Virtual Learning Environment, commissioned Adam to better understand how they are viewed in this marketplace, understand their competitive environment and market conditions and customer and prospect buyer behaviour.
We undertook:
- a competitor analysis
- primary internal and external audience research (depth interviews and focus groups)
- detailed reporting to help define the competitive environment, customer market segments and journeys, buyer behaviour and characteristics, and understand perceptions of GOSH
- customer interviews and the development of advocate case studies.
International Brand in HE (confidential)
A global brand in the Higher Education marketplace commissioned Adam to undertake an independent review of its plans to create a new Strategic Consultancy offering in the marketplace, including:
- Review of current marketplace positioning
- Review of competitor landscape
- Planning and facilitating workshops with internal and external stakeholders
- Report outlining key findings and recommendations.
NNL wanted to undertake a review of their internal communications to understand perceptions of employee communications and ensure that activities were effective, timely and impactful:
- Review of existing strategic context (institutional and marcomms)
- Undertake a combination of qualitative and quantitative research through staff focus groups and surveys
- Report outlining key findings and recommendations.
An Associate Consultant for SUMS, a strategic consultancy helping universities improve performance, thriving on complex problem solving and delivering tangible added value to our members and clients.
Projects include:
- External relations organisational structure design review for a global top 20 business school
- Review of Access activity performance and underpinning management systems for a top 30 University
- Faculty portfolio review to identify growth opportunities and develop marketplace positioning for a top 30 University
- Strategic communications support for major change projects.
SMRS
An Associate Consultant for SMRS a strategic consultancy helping employers and education providers to improve their marketing strategies, enhance their customer experience and supercharge their organisational performance.
Projects include:
- Strategic portfolio reviews and market analysis
- Review of internal engagement strategy and stakeholder review for a major player in the energy sector
- Analysis of stakeholder feedback and reporting.
sola diagnostics GmbH
Under the working name of 'FORECEE', a cross-European effort to develop new tests that would predict a woman's risk of developing any of the four main cancers needed a new name.
The core business proposition was to develop a single test for all four cancers.
Our solution focussed on the single aspect, one 'solo' test if you like, with the feminine 'a' suffix.
Sola.
Provided leadership advice and business mentoring, focused on building the NEQOS brand and articulating more clearly how they benefit their customers and the wider NHS.
They already had a good positioning and proposition in ‘better knowledge, better care, better outcomes’, so we explored how this ethos could be better embedded in the business operation and implemented consistently for every customer, every time.
- Strategy development
- Mentoring
- Brand implementation.
Sam Patterson is an Executive Coach and Training Specialist based in North East England.
Sam wanted help to develop a clearer positioning and brand narrative to articulate what she was about.
- Brand positioning
- Values
- Brand narrative.