The Retail & Consumer Index
Keeping Retail Leaders Up to Date with Customer Experience Insights
Get Insights Retail & Consumer Leaders Listen To & Take Action On
Get Insights Retail & Consumer Leaders Listen To & Take Action On
Subscribed
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Direct to Consumer
Retail
eCommerce
Luxury
Consumer

Brand Strategy Consulting Firm

G&CO. is a brand strategy consulting firm helping enterprises define what their brands stand for, how they compete, and how they connect with the people who choose them. From global consumer brands to healthcare and life sciences organizations, G&CO. builds brand strategies grounded in research and aligned with business goals, then carries them into identity, storytelling, and the customer experience. Have a question you are trying to answer? Let's talk.

Scroll down

Brand Strategy Consulting Services

Brand strategy defines a brand's purpose, position, and promise, and how they come to life in everything customers see and experience. Without a clear strategy, brands drift: messages vary by team, portfolios grow confusing, and competitors define the category instead. G&CO. helps healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life sciences organizations, along with the consumer brands we serve, build brand strategies that give every team a shared direction and every customer a clear reason to choose them.

Brand Audit and Research

Start with how the brand is really seen. We research how customers, employees, and the market perceive your brand against competitors, using surveys, interviews, and brand tracking, so strategy starts from evidence rather than assumptions.

Brand Positioning

Claim a distinct place in the market. Through competitive analysis and customer insight, we identify where your brand can win and define a position that sets it apart and is easy for customers to understand.

Rebranding

Renew your brand without losing what works. We guide rebrands from strategy through rollout, preserving the equity you've built while making the brand relevant to where the business is heading.

Brand Platform

Define what your brand stands for. We clarify purpose, values, promise, and personality, aligning them with your business vision so every team has a strong foundation to build on.

Brand Architecture

Organize your portfolio for clarity and growth. We design brand structures that show how master brands, sub-brands, and products relate, so customers understand the portfolio and the business can scale it.

Messaging and Brand Storytelling

Say it clearly and memorably. We craft the value proposition, key messages, and brand story, rooted in your values and vision, so every channel tells a consistent story people remember.

M&A Brand Strategy

Bring brands together with clarity. During mergers and acquisitions, we help decide how brands should be combined, kept, or retired, aligning the portfolio and reducing risk through the transition.

Brand Activation and Guidelines

Bring the strategy to life everywhere. We turn the strategy into guidelines, tools, and internal programs that help teams, agencies, and partners express the brand consistently at every touchpoint.

Our Impact as a Brand Strategy Consultancy

A brand strategy succeeds when it shapes decisions, not just documents. As a brand strategy consultancy, G&CO. combines a customer-centric approach with business alignment, helping brands understand how they're perceived and where they can grow. Regular check-ins keep the work aligned with your objectives, and through Acumen, our brand health and consumer experience benchmarking platform, we draw on insights from more than 9,000 U.S. consumers and 60,000 respondents worldwide.

Differentiate Your Brand

In crowded markets, standing apart matters. We use market insight to sharpen your value proposition and positioning, helping your brand capture attention and build a stronger identity.

Find Room to Grow

Growth often starts with seeing an opportunity others miss. Market analysis and customer research reveal new segments and needs, and brand initiatives help you reach them.

Keep the Brand Relevant

Markets and customers change. We help brands evolve with them, adapting positioning and expression so they stay current without losing what makes them distinctive.

Build Advocacy and Loyalty

Strong brands create emotional connections. We design engagement strategies that turn satisfied customers into loyal advocates who return and recommend the brand to others.

Strengthened Brand Equity

Consistency builds value. Clear architecture, compelling storytelling, and aligned communications strengthen how customers perceive the brand at every touchpoint.

Connect Brand to Business Goals

Brand strategy should move the business forward. We align brand initiatives with core objectives and agree on the measures that matter, so progress can be tracked and the strategy adjusted.

Testimonials

Chris Patte
Director, Digital Customer Experience
Starbucks

“G&CO. brought real innovation to the table thinking globally, adapting locally, and making it all feel seamless. The process has been collaborative, forward thinking, and incredibly well structured."

Alexandra Reed
Director, Digital Marketing EMEA
Nike

"Upon reviewing multiple alternatives, our selection fell on G&CO., - a choice that has been absolutely precise from the very start. This collaboration has brought forth immense value and positivity for Nike, making it an exceptionally gratifying endeavor."

Akio Tanaka
Senior Director, Digital Transformation
Toyota

"G&CO.'s team exemplifies strategic expertise and fearless innovation. Their commitment to solving complex problems is commendable."

Patricia Miller
Senior Director, Customer Experience
Enterprise Airline

"G&CO. is a blend of passion, collaboration, and unmatched digital expertise, always exceeding our business expectations."

$10
Billion

Robust strategy delivered to meet revenue goal by 2027.

102
+

Million people reached after implementation of user experience design.

162
%

Increase in online direct-to-consumer conversion.

100
+

Delivers & consumers benchmarked across the United States for a 3-month survey.

2
Months

Created a full-scale, responsive UX/UI design for desktop, mobile, and tablet.

1
Million

Downloads of the Toyota app for convenient, vehicle management.

3
Months

Re-design accomplished

478
%

Increase in campaign reach with new market targeting

2
Months

Mobile app design accomplished from start to finish

$10
Billion

Robust strategy delivered to meet revenue goal by 2027.

102
+

Million people reached after implementation of user experience design.

162
%

Increase in online direct-to-consumer conversion.

100
+

Delivers & consumers benchmarked across the United States for a 3-month survey.

2
Months

Created a full-scale, responsive UX/UI design for desktop, mobile, and tablet.

1
Million

Downloads of the Toyota app for convenient, vehicle management.

3
Months

Re-design accomplished

478
%

Increase in campaign reach with new market targeting

2
Months

Mobile app design accomplished from start to finish

Our Expertise as a Brand Strategy Agency

G&CO. brings brand strategy expertise shaped by work with brands like Nike, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Marriott, and with organizations including Thermo Fisher Scientific and Hims & Hers. Our strategists work across healthcare, life sciences, retail, fashion, luxury, and consumer goods, and our published Industry Indexes and thought leadership, featured in sources like the Wall Street Journal, keep our perspective grounded in how markets are changing.

Strategic Thought Leadership

We bring fresh thinking and practical frameworks to brand challenges, helping clients make confident decisions in complex markets.

Data-Driven Insights

Research, analytics, and brand tracking show how perception shifts across trust, relevance, and value, so strategy rests on evidence.

Global Market Reach

We develop brand approaches that work across regions and cultures, balancing global consistency with local relevance.

Deep Consumer Understanding

Research into customer preferences and behaviors lets us test brand strategies against real audience insight before they go to market.

Tailored Growth Plans

Every brand faces different challenges. We build plans around each client's objectives and market conditions rather than applying a standard formula.

Sustainable Brand Practices

Customers increasingly expect brands to act responsibly. We help clients build sustainable and socially responsible practices into their brand strategy in ways that are credible and lasting.

Fashion, Apparel & Luxury

In fashion and luxury, brand is everything. We help brands sharpen their identity, protect their heritage, and stay relevant to new generations of customers across stores, digital channels, and global markets.

Travel & Hospitality

Travel and hospitality brands sell experiences before guests arrive. We help hotels, airlines, and travel companies define a distinctive brand promise and express it consistently from first search to the end of every stay.

Consumer Goods

Consumer goods brands face crowded shelves and fast-changing tastes. We help companies position products and portfolios, build brand architecture that scales, and connect with consumers across retail and direct channels.

Financial Services & Fintech

Financial brands must earn trust in a market where products often look alike. We help banks, fintechs, and wealth managers clarify their purpose, differentiate their offer, and communicate with confidence and transparency.

Healthcare

Healthcare brands are built on trust. We help health systems, providers, and health companies define what they stand for, communicate clearly with patients and professionals, and stay consistent across every location, service, and channel.

Pharmaceutical

Pharmaceutical brands must stand out in crowded therapeutic categories while meeting strict regulatory standards. We help companies position products and portfolios, build value stories grounded in clinical evidence, and speak clearly to patients, prescribers, and payers.

Life Sciences & Biotech

Life sciences and biotech companies often compete on complex science. We help them turn that science into clear, credible brands that investors, partners, scientists, and customers can understand and trust.

Insurance

Insurance is often bought on price and judged at the moment of a claim. We help insurers build brands that stand for something beyond cost, with clear promises customers understand and experiences that deliver on them.

Retail

Retail brands compete on experience as much as product. We help retailers define a clear position, bring it to life consistently across stores, apps, and online, and build the loyalty that keeps customers coming back.

FAQs

What does a brand strategy consulting firm do?

It helps organizations decide what their brand stands for, who it serves, and how it should compete. The work includes market and audience research, positioning, brand architecture, messaging, and guidance on rebranding or mergers. The result is a clear strategic foundation that shapes how the brand looks, speaks, and behaves across every customer touchpoint.

How can brand strategy improve a company's market position?

Brand strategy improves market position by giving a company a clear, distinctive place in its customers' minds. Research into competitors and audiences shows where the brand can win, then positioning and messaging make that advantage easy to understand. When identity, storytelling, and customer experience all reinforce the same position, recognition grows and the brand becomes harder for competitors to imitate.

What role does data play in brand strategy?

Data grounds brand strategy in evidence rather than opinion. Market research, customer surveys, and behavioral data show how people perceive a brand, what they value, and where competitors are weak. During and after launch, tracking awareness, perception, and engagement shows whether the strategy is working, so teams can adjust messaging or positioning based on what the numbers reveal.

How does brand strategy support expansion into new markets?

Brand strategy supports expansion by showing how a brand should adapt to a new market without losing what makes it distinctive. Research into local customers, competitors, and cultural expectations shapes positioning and messaging for the region. The strategy then defines which brand elements stay consistent everywhere and which can flex, so the brand feels both familiar and locally relevant.

How do brand strategists stay ahead of market trends?

Brand strategists stay ahead of market trends by watching how customers, competitors, and categories change over time. Ongoing research, competitive reviews, social and search signals, and customer feedback reveal shifts early. Regular brand health tracking then shows whether perceptions are moving, so the strategy can evolve before the brand starts to feel outdated rather than after.

What is brand strategy?

Brand strategy is a long-term plan for how a brand should be perceived and how it will earn that perception. It defines the brand's purpose, positioning, audiences, personality, and messages, and guides how the brand shows up in products, communications, and customer experiences. A clear strategy keeps every decision and every team pointed in the same direction.

What is the difference between a brand strategy consultancy and a brand strategy agency?

A consultancy typically focuses on research, positioning, and strategic direction, often working closely with leadership teams. An agency usually also brings the strategy to life through identity, messaging, and campaigns. Some firms, including G&CO., combine both, carrying the work from research and strategy into the identity, messages, and experiences customers actually see.

When should a company invest in a new brand strategy?

Common triggers include a merger or acquisition, entering new markets, launching new products or services, a shift in business strategy, or a brand that no longer reflects what the company does. Signs such as declining relevance, inconsistent messaging across teams, or competitors redefining the category also suggest it is time to revisit the brand strategy.

What is brand architecture?

Brand architecture is the structure that defines how a company's brands relate to each other: the master brand, sub-brands, product brands, and endorsed brands. It clarifies which brands lead, how they connect, and when a new offering should carry an existing name. A clear architecture makes the portfolio easier for customers to understand and for the business to grow.

What is the difference between brand strategy and marketing strategy?

Brand strategy defines who a company is: its purpose, positioning, personality, and promise, and it guides decisions for years. Marketing strategy defines how to reach and persuade customers in a given period, through channels, campaigns, and budgets. Brand strategy sets the direction and identity; marketing strategy is one of the ways that identity is expressed.

Global Leadership

We’re 100+ individuals from across the world driven by innovation and diverse perspectives. We craft your brands innovations for the world of tomorrow.

Juan Manuel Gonzalez
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
As founder and CEO of G&CO., Juan Manuel Gonzalez leads a global customer experience consulting firm and digital transformation partner serving Fortune 500 brands across healthcare, life sciences, financial services, hospitality, and retail. Houston-raised and New York-based, Juan has grown G&CO. into a team of 50+ advising clients including Thermo Fisher Scientific, Starbucks, Saks Fifth Avenue, Levi's, and Carnival Corp. He is also the creator of Acumen, an AI-powered decision intelligence platform purpose-built for healthcare and life sciences. Juan and G&CO. have been recognized by the CFDA, ANA, Wall Street Journal, and Inc.
Jessie Morton
SVP, Client Engagement & Growth
Jessie leads the delivery of complex, multi-phase digital programs at G&CO., bringing teams, timelines, and priorities into alignment from kickoff through launch. Her experience spans work for Nike, Disney, PepsiCo, HBO Max, J.P. Morgan Chase, Samsung, and Sephora. Known for creating clarity across fast-moving engagements, Jessie anticipates risk, keeps stakeholders informed, and ensures ambitious ideas become high-quality outcomes.
Adrian Garnica
Chief Operating Officer
As the CCO of G&CO., Adrian is a visionary leader responsible for driving growth, managing teams, and fostering client relationships. With a proven track record at McKinsey and R/GA, Adrian has successfully developed and executed strategic visions, led consultant teams, secured major clients such as Travel + Leisure, Google, and Louis Vuitton, and ensured top-quality project delivery. Adrian's expertise lies in scaling, operations, and client-agency collaboration.
Ajay Lodha
VP, Technology
Ajay guides the technology strategy behind G&CO.’s digital transformation work, with a focus on architecture, data, integration, and platform scalability. He helps organizations understand how their systems work together, where friction or redundancy exists, and what must change to support future growth. His approach balances long-term ambition with the practical demands of governance, security, adoption, and maintainability, ensuring technology decisions create lasting business value.
Cindy Pound
Executive Program Manager
With more than two decades of experience at R/GA and Razorfish, Cindy has guided multidisciplinary programs for Google, YouTube, LEGO, Marvel, Starbucks, and Travel + Leisure. At G&CO., she oversees engagement delivery and stakeholder alignment, helping creative, strategic, and technical teams work effectively toward a shared goal. Cindy combines operational rigor with an understanding of the creative process, bringing clarity and consistency to every stage of an engagement.
Eric Freitag
Practice Lead, Health and Life Sciences
Eric leads G&CO.’s Health and Life Sciences practice, drawing on more than two decades of experience across digital health, medtech, and life sciences. Before joining G&CO., he served as Principal and Associate Director at Accenture Song and held leadership roles at R/GA, Smart Design, and frog. His work for organizations including Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, Medtronic, GSK, and GE Healthcare has centered on turning scientific, clinical, and operational complexity into experiences people can understand, adopt, and trust.
Fiona O’Leary Sloan
Product Strategy Lead
Fiona helps organizations turn complex business and customer needs into clear, connected product experiences. Her background spans Runyon, Doberman—now part of EY—and co, where she contributed to work for Goldman Sachs, Accelerant, and TIAA. At G&CO., Fiona shapes strategic narratives, customer journeys, and product direction, aligning content, processes, and technology around a shared vision for the experience.
Steven Moy
Chief Technology Officer
As Chief Technology Officer at G&CO., Steven is a strategic leader responsible for driving technical innovation, scaling digital platforms, and enabling enterprise transformation. With a proven track record across Shiseido, Samsung, and American Express, Steven has led global ecosystem overhauls, architected scalable and secure systems, and delivered mission-critical solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands. His expertise spans systems integration, AI and data readiness, and aligning technology with business strategy, brand experience, and operational efficiency.
Jeff MacBride
VP, Project Management
Jeff excels in developing and implementing effective project management strategies. With a strong track record in leading teams and collaborating cross-functionally, Jeff ensures successful project delivery, client satisfaction, and continuous improvement. Having served renowned clients and brands, Jeff's expertise in scaling operations and fostering a collaborative culture is backed by achievements at Lockheed Martin and as an adjunct professor in project management.

Capabilities

1/5

Brand Intelligence

We blend advanced analytics with strategic expertise to provide a comprehensive view of your market and competition.

Product Elevation

Our comprehensive approach to product elevation leverages cutting-edge technologies and user-centric designs, transforming ideas into impactful solutions.

Commerce Excellence

Our expertise in commerce acceleration lies in blending strategy with technology to create cohesive, impactful solutions.

Enterprise Transformation

We bring a holistic perspective to enterprise transformation, combining digital expertise with strategic insights to reimagine business processes.

AI & Data Evolution

We specialize in the seamless integration of AI and data strategies, ensuring that every implementation is tailored to meet specific business needs.

Vials
Ready to unlock growth?
Contact Us