Foundations Strategy
Foundations strategy is about uniting your business, not dividing it.
Success is everyone's business - so, we won't get involved in debates about business strategy vs brand strategy or which department 'owns' what.
Instead, we focus on the critical success factors that form a common ground - Direction, Connection, Impact & Value - & we label the outputs in whatever way makes most sense for your business.
Strong businesses are built on solid foundations. 'Solid' means well-informed, rounded, relevant & clear.
Sound good? Get in touch.
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Our Strategy Solutions
We offer 2 Foundations Strategy Programmes:
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FastFoundations (£3-4K, quick, intense & great for start-ups & small teams)
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FirmFoundations (£5-8K, robust, consultative & essential for established businesses)
Both programmes aim to definitively answer critical questions such as:
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What does the future of your business look like? How will it get there?
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Why should your key audiences care about your offer? How will you bond them to your brand & build advocacy?
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What difference to you want to make - be it to the world, to your market, your communities or the people & businesses that work with you?
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What differentiated value do you deliver?
The difference between the Fast & Firm programmes is largely down to the depth of research & consultation involved in the process - & the level of detail required in the delivery.
Whatever programme you prefer, know that we'll talk your language. No buzzwords. No jargon. We won't insist upon "finding your why". We promise never to use the phrase "authentic values". Our focus is fully business-first.
We'll challenge where needed & will keep our thinking grounded & relevant. You'll end up with a clear, relatable output that you're excited to run with.
Want to discuss where you're at? Book a Grit Session or drop us a line on info@rock.partners
Alignment
There's no point having solid foundations if your business doesn't stand on them.
To get strong, you need to cohesively align your Commercial, Cultural & Creative activities with your foundations strategy.
If your business were a choir, your strategy would be the song sheet and your alignment process would be about making sure you had the right singers in place, each equipped & empowered to play their respective parts in delightful harmony.
No one company can deliver expertise across your whole business. We know it. You know it. That's why, when it comes to strategic alignment, Rock.Partners works on behalf of our clients to custom-build a delivery team that suits your business, not ours.
Sound good? Get in touch.
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Our Alignment Solutions
Our alignment programmes are offered on either a fixed fee or a retainer basis, depending on what needs doing & by whom.
We usually start with a scoping exercise to:
1. Work out WHAT needs to be done - i.e. what gaps there are between the new strategy & the current business activities.
For example,
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Commercial alignment might include revising the business model, devising a new GTM strategy, revising service or pricing structure or streamlining processes for client onboarding etc.
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Creative alignment might include changing the brand name or identity, creating a messaging matrix or brand voice guidelines, updating key sales & marketing collateral,
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Cultural alignment might include a rethink of your talent strategy, overhaul of your HR processes, or identifying ways to embed values & enhance culture.
2. identify WHO needs to do it - i.e. what can be managed by you internally vs outsourced (either to us directly or a specialist partner).
Our partner network consists of proven discipline specialists who know that a client's best interests are best served by grown-ups being joined up - we're transparent about who does what & will offer you a choice of contract terms (Rock-managed or Rock-supported).
3. Set a preferred budget & timeframe.
This is often the critical piece that influences what is realistically doable and which are the right delivery partners for you.
Interested? Get in touch.
Recent Use Cases
To discuss any of previous projects in more detail, drop us a line...
In the interests of client confidentiality, there's only so much we can share...
Education Technology
Edtech start-up, established 2 years, but struggling to gain traction.
Incoming CRO prompted review of foundations, seeing discord in the advisory team & slow progress in product dvlpmt.
Objective: Start Strong
Fast consultation & research programme inc:
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founder interview
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advisory team interviews
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global peer review
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team strategy workshop
Led by: Rachel Vigers
Resulting in:
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Foundations: new strategy, incl. more focused direction
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Commercial alignment: product, pricing & GTM team calls
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Creative alignment: new pitch deck template
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Cultural alignment: N/A
Retail Franchise
International retail franchise, established 15 years but lacking in cohesion & focus in the face of a rapidly evolving customer base.
Change in majority ownership prompted review of foundations.
Objective: Grow Strong
Robust consultation & research programme inc:
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management interviews
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franchisee interviews
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qualitative consumer study (w/ specialist market research partner)
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market landscape review
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peer review
Led by: Rachel Vigers
Resulting in:
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Foundations: new strategy
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Commercial alignment: ops manual
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Creative alignment: full rebrand, inc. brand identity, packaging & store design (w/ retail design partner)
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Cultural alignment: internal comms support
Chartered Accounting
Family-owned accountancy firm, established 10 years.
Long term secession planning prompted review of foundation strategy, along with a desire to be more intentional about the firm's audience, offer & growth opportunities.
Objective: Exit Strong
Fast consultation & research programme (time pressure of 10yr anniversary) inc:
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management interviews
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market landscape review
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peer & competitor reviews
Led by: Rachel Vigers
Resulting in:
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Foundations: new strategy with distinctive new value proposition
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Commercial alignment: re-packaging & pricing of services + new client on-boarding process
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Creative alignment: full rebrand, inc new brand identity & website (with graphic design, digital marketing & SEO partners), launch comms
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Cultural alignment: N/A