Retained strategic & marketing partnership
A senior partner.
For the long term.
An ongoing relationship for established business owners who want experienced commercial judgement and the capacity to act on it. We work alongside your leadership team to set priorities, challenge assumptions and lead the agreed strategy, brand and marketing work. The same senior people stay involved as the business changes.
Advice and delivery
from the same team.
A retained relationship is not a fixed bundle of marketing activity. It means having experienced people close to the commercial decisions, with the responsibility to turn agreed priorities into work that makes a difference.
Together we define the opportunity, the priorities, the people involved and how we will assess progress. We lead the relevant strategy, positioning, brand and marketing work, working with your team and bringing in specialists where necessary.
We work with a small number of businesses so we can remain genuinely involved. Our experience also includes investment and board-level involvement through growth and sale at Mediline, and more than 20 years working with Excel / Mayflex.
A working rhythm
built around decisions.
Our six-stage Commercial Growth Roadmap provides the structure. An ongoing partnership keeps the priorities, delivery and review connected.
Shared priorities
Set a shared agenda.
Establish the commercial priorities, responsibilities and resources. Decide what good progress looks like and which evidence will help assess it.
Coordinated delivery
Join up the programme.
Lead the agreed projects across brand, websites, content, campaigns and sales tools. Set responsibilities, coordinate the team and keep delivery connected to the commercial plan.
Regular review
Keep making useful choices.
Review progress with the leadership team. Assess the quality of opportunities and the work delivered; adapt when the market or business changes.
Continuity in practice
Know the business.
Carry the work through.
Twenty-five years with Umberslade. A relationship that connects leadership decisions with the detail of everyday delivery.
See what a long relationship can includeA relationship in practice
Your next business decision
What support does
your business need?
Do we need a marketing director or a strategic partner?
Start with the work and the authority it requires. A business needing daily internal leadership may need an employed marketing director; another may need senior external direction alongside its existing team. A retained partnership suits an ongoing commercial agenda with coordinated delivery. Agree who makes decisions, who manages the work and who supplies specialist capacity.
We already have a marketing team. Where would you fit?
Establish the gap before adding another layer. Your team may need a clearer commercial direction, help with positioning or leadership across connected projects. We work alongside internal people and specialists, with responsibilities agreed around the challenge. See how strategy and practical delivery connect in our Umberslade work.
Should we start with a focused project or an ongoing relationship?
A defined positioning or launch challenge may provide a focused starting point. An ongoing relationship is more relevant when priorities, decisions and delivery need sustained senior involvement. Discuss the ambition, internal resources and capacity to act so the scope fits the business rather than a standard list of activities.
Agree what progress
looks like.
The right measures depend on the business challenge and the data available. We may review opportunity quality, sales conversion, customer mix, retention, margin or delivery milestones.
We agree a useful reporting rhythm and distinguish our contribution from the wider factors affecting performance. The purpose is to support better decisions, with a clear view of what to continue, change or stop.
Start with the business
Is a retained partnership
right for you?
Tell us what needs to change and what support you already have. We will discuss the challenge, give you a view on where we could help, and agree a sensible first step if there is a fit. You do not need a finished brief.
Questions & answers
Before we start.
What does a retained partnership include?
Senior direction and coordinated delivery around an agreed commercial agenda. We stay involved with the leadership team, working with internal teams and specialists across brand, websites, content, campaigns and sales tools.
How is progress reviewed?
We agree a reporting rhythm and useful measures for the challenge. These may include opportunity quality, conversion, customer mix, retention, margin or delivery milestones. We distinguish our contribution from wider factors affecting performance.