From B2B Giant to Direct-to-Consumer Innovator

A major UK food manufacturer wanted to explore whether a direct-to-consumer digital product could unlock a largely untapped £266m market opportunity among the 55+ age group. Starting from a blank sheet, I ran a four-week innovation sprint that combined market sizing, consumer research, and rapid concept development — producing three fully prototyped digital product concepts, each with distinct positioning and commercial rationale, presented to senior leadership within the sprint window.

Turning a Blank Sheet into a Board-Ready Digital Product

A major UK kitchen retailer needed a digital product strategy to improve lead quality, reduce homeowner drop-off, and steal a march on a key competitor. Starting with nothing more than a vague opportunity area, I ran a four-to-six week discovery and definition sprint — developing The Perfect Fit, a validated two-sided platform concept connecting homeowners and kitchen fitters. The concept was grounded in real user research, projected to double lead conversion rates, and approved to progress to scoping and development.

Helping a Film Production Company Define How It Wins

A scaling film production company was entering new markets but lacked the strategic clarity and brand positioning to compete effectively in them. Without a defined point of view on who they were, who they were for, and how they won, growth was directionless. I worked with the leadership team to develop both a business strategy and a brand positioning framework — giving the company a clear basis for short-term revenue decisions and a sharper sense of how to differentiate and win in the markets they were moving into.

Brand Strategy and Positioning for a New AI proposition

An established insights and innovation agency had developed a compelling new AI service proposition but lacked the brand strategy to bring it to market with confidence. Without a clear name, positioning, or identity direction, they risked launching something powerful with nothing to make it stick. I worked with the leadership team to develop a full brand strategy — from naming through to identity direction and messaging framework — giving them everything they needed to launch with clarity and conviction. The result was a proposition they could take to market and win with.

"Rich gave us the clarity we didn't know we needed. What struck me most was how quickly he understood our business — our model, our ambitions, and the gap we were trying to fill. The result was a strategy and scope we could take to market and win with. I was impressed by how quickly he grasped our proposition, our audience, and how we operate — and translated that into something that gave us real confidence to launch."

Nick

Co-Founder, Esse