Grow Partners

Just back from Hamburg, Germany, where we worked with one of our key clients to shape their 3-year portfolio strategy. The goal? Aligning global and local brand ambitions to provide a clear roadmap for both teams. The result: a focused “Where to Play” and “How to Win” plan, with full buy-in across the business. This is part of a broader partnership, rolling out a new portfolio strategy methodology together. Excited for what’s next! 

We’re Hiring Graduate Interns! Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to learn, grow, and work on real strategies that have an impact?  Join us as an intern and get great hands-on experience working on meaningful projects that fuel growth—for you and us. If you’re interested, please apply by sending your CV to justin@grow.partners or tag someone who’d be a perfect fit!  We’ll respond to all successful applicants. This is a full-time, entry-level 6-month internship, starting in Jan-Feb, with the opportunity to become an Associate Consultant upon successful completion.   Candidates must be ready to start full-time employment and have the right to live and work in the UK.  #Internship #wearehiring #careergrowth #strategy

https://lnkd.in/efn-xPuY Tailored Strategies Are the Key to Successful Transformations This survey highlights a challenge many organisations face during corporate transformations: strategies that feel disconnected from real-world needs. The dissatisfaction with larger firms points to a crucial lesson—there’s no substitute for a tailored approach. At GROW, we’ve learned that the most impactful transformations don’t come from applying generic frameworks. They happen when strategies are designed around the realities of each organisation. We help teams make sense of overwhelming data, so they can confidently identify big opportunities. We work with them to shift from asking, “Who came up with this?” to saying, “We own this—and we’re all in.” Most importantly, we ensure strategies don’t just look good on paper—they’re practical, actionable, and built to add real value. Transformation fatigue is a growing concern. But when teams feel genuine ownership and see how a strategy fits their goals, that fatigue is replaced with energy and momentum. That’s why every solution we deliver is tailored to work in the client’s world—not a predesigned mould.

With the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight coming up this weekend, Tyson’s famous line comes to mind: “Everyone has a plan ’till they get punched in the mouth.”  Strategy is no different—it might look great on paper, but it’s a different story when it hits the real world. The real skill isn’t making a strategy; it’s creating one that survives first contact with implementation.  That means choosing a strategy your team believes in and one they know how to implement. After over 20 years of creating strategies for global consumer goods and services brands, we know what works. Our approach?  We call it +GROWHOW.

October was a busy month for +GROW, with strategic portfolio and brand planning workshops across Germany, Spain, Hungary, and France, plus a trip to Bar Convent Berlin.  Amid it all, we had the opportunity to attend a fascinating day at the Festival of Marketing. Evidenza talked about two revolutions: Effectiveness (Ehrenberg-Bass Institute) and Efficiency (AI). They showed how using synthetic research and AI personas can help businesses do customer research, segment their audiences, position their brands, and test creative ideas in smarter ways.  Indeed, Mark Ritson expected that in five years, AI would handle entire marketing strategies…warning marketers starting their careers that they were probably f…..! Helen Edwards warned against data dependency. She argued that data should help us identify bigger, scalable questions that inspire creativity. She identified five key Creative Characteristics for addressing these questions. One that really stood out was Honesty. She encouraged businesses not to shy away from being brutally honest about their current situations and using honesty as a springboard for new ideas. Lucky Saint | B Corp™ and Tony's Chocolonely passionately talked about their brand missions. They both stressed the need to be creative within limits as challenger brands. Tony’s Chocoloney discussed the need to embrace creativity through constraints and shared some innovative ways to earn reach when you can’t buy it.  Lucky Saint spoke about the importance of their “Break Rules, Honor Traditions” principle: to stand out as an alcohol-free brand while respecting what’s essential to beer culture. Finally, a few random “nuggets” we took away from the talks: - Occam’s Razor: Simple solutions often work better than complicated ones - Simple strategy: Strategy can be complex, what you produce should be simple, almost obvious. - Surround sound: Maximising the effect on an audience using a limited budget - Counterpoint media: Using unexpected media to connect with audiences - Be more sheepdog than husky: Leadership style that doesn’t pull from the front

A few weeks ago we discussed Demand Spaces, a powerful framework that can be a game-changer for your strategic planning. The real power of Demand Spaces lies in how deeply they are rooted within your organisation. #DemandSpaces #StrategicAlignment #BusinessStrategy

Congratulations to our Tom Micallef for completing a 25k trail run in Epping Forest at the weekend! An impressive achievement, well done! 

Looking forward to a day of ideas and inspiration at the Festival of Marketing! #fom24 #festivalofmarketing

Unlocking Growth with Demand Spaces: Transforming Strategies into Results In our work with FMCG clients, whether it's crafting a winning portfolio strategy, spotting market opportunities, or building innovation platforms, one thing is clear: it all starts with the consumer. Understanding their needs, wants, values and aspirations (and how your brands fit into their lives) is the cornerstone of success. Enter the Consumer Map, Demand Map, Consumer Demand Map, or Demand Spaces, whatever you choose to call it. This framework segments the consumer universe into meaningful, discrete, targetable segments. Recently there has been a lot of buzz in marketing circles about this framework. It is important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. That’s why we collaborate closely with our clients to customise the framework. We align it with their unique category and environment, and layering in specific qual and quant data, making it as holistic and relevant as possible. This ensures it is fit for purpose and tailored to address each client’s unique strategic questions. The result? Strategic clarity and actionable insights.

We’re excited to be attending the upcoming Festival of Marketing this week! It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet industry leaders, engage in insightful conversations and explore the latest trends shaping the marketing landscape. We’re looking forward to meeting like-minded professionals and discovering fresh perspectives on driving growth and innovation. #FestivalofMarketing #MarketingWeek