Service
Digital strategy consulting
We help agencies and brands decide where to play, what to say and how to win online. You get a clear plan your team can act on, built by senior people who also know what it takes to run the work.
What's included.
- review of current results, channels and data
- audience and customer journey mapping
- competitive and market review
- positioning and message direction
- channel roles and budget direction
- measurement plan
- technology and data recommendations
- AI opportunities and limits
- prioritized roadmap
- presentation to your team or leadership
What a digital strategy covers.
A digital strategy sets out how a business will use digital channels to reach its goals. It covers who you need to reach, what they need to hear, which channels and tools matter, what you should stop doing and how you'll measure progress.
The useful part is usually the choices it makes. A plan that says yes to every channel and audience isn't much of a strategy. We help you decide what deserves the budget now, what can wait and what to drop.
When to bring in a digital strategy consultant.
Outside help makes the most sense when something has changed or stopped working. You may be entering a new market, launching a new product, seeing results flatten out or spending more without knowing what you're getting for it. Sometimes marketing, sales and leadership just need one shared plan.
It's also useful to agencies. When a client or a pitch needs senior digital thinking that your team doesn't have time for, we can step in behind your brand.
You may not need a large strategy project if your goal and audience are clear and the issue is execution. In that case, we'd suggest something smaller, like an audit or a media plan.
The questions we work through.
Where are you now?
We look at your results, channels, data, tools and team. We also check whether the numbers everyone relies on actually hold up.
Who are you trying to reach?
We define the audiences that matter most, how they make decisions and where they go for information. Different audiences may need quite different plans.
What should you say?
We work out why those people should choose you, and what they need to believe before they act. That direction then shapes your content, ads and website.
Where should the budget go?
We give each channel a job and show how the budget supports it. We also explain what we left out.
What do you need in place?
Tracking, data, website, content, tools and people all affect what's possible. We flag gaps that would hold the plan back.
How will you know it's working?
We agree on a small set of measures, along with what would make you change course.
How customer research fits in.
A strategy needs real evidence about customers. We use what's already available, such as your analytics, search data, CRM records, sales conversations and platform data. We also map how people discover, compare and buy, and where you're losing them along the way.
If that leaves important questions unanswered, we'll suggest further research and tell you what it would add. We label assumptions as assumptions, so your team knows which parts of the plan are proven and which need testing.
Where AI fits.
Most teams now need a view on what to automate and what to keep human. We build that into the strategy when it's relevant. Repetitive work with a checkable result can often go to AI, while decisions about positioning, sensitive claims and budget stay with people.
We start from the work your team actually does and avoid buying tools before there's a clear job for them. For a deeper look, our AI marketing audit maps this across your media, data and reporting.
Turning strategy into action.
A strategy document that nobody uses isn't worth much. We finish with a practical roadmap that shows what happens first, who owns it, what it will cost and how you'll review it.
We also make sure the plan fits your actual team and budget. Your own people can run it, you can bring in other partners, or we can run parts of it with you.
How it works.
- 01
Agree on the question
We start with the business goal and what the strategy has to decide. We also agree on who needs to be involved and who makes the final call.
- 02
Gather the evidence
We review your data, accounts and existing research, and talk to the people closest to customers. If the numbers don't reconcile, we say so early.
- 03
Work out the options
We lay out the realistic choices, along with the trade-offs of each. We test the early direction with your team before going further.
- 04
Build the plan
We write the strategy and roadmap, with clear priorities, owners and measures. We keep it as short as the decisions allow.
- 05
Hand over or stay on
We present the plan and answer the hard questions. Your team can then run it, or we can stay involved for part of the work.
How we measure a digital strategy.
We use the measures agreed in the plan, which are usually tied to leads, sales or another business result. We also check whether decisions are getting easier, whether teams are working from the same plan and whether budget has actually moved to the priorities.
Proof from the work.
For AstraZeneca's FARXIGA program, contributing through agency partner Klick Health, the patient program was rebuilt as social-first, with each platform given its own job and planning done across patient and physician audiences. The case study covers campaign performance, not clinical outcomes.
For Biora, we refreshed the brand and rebuilt its digital presence, including positioning, product storytelling and retail-ready content for rollout across new Canadian territories.
How we price it.
We bill hourly and set the scope in hours. Strategy and advisory are CAD $175/h. Media management and execution are CAD $110/h. Research tools and any outside studies are identified separately where relevant.
You can engage one discipline without buying the others. A strategy project doesn't require ongoing work or a commitment to have us run the work.
Questions before we start.
What does a digital strategy consultant do?
A digital strategy consultant helps a business decide how to use digital channels to reach its goals. That includes setting priorities, audiences, messages, budgets and measures. We also make sure the plan can realistically be carried out.
How much does digital strategy consulting cost?
It depends on the size of the business, how many markets and audiences are involved and how much research is needed. We bill by the hour and agree on the scope before starting.
How long does a digital strategy take?
That depends on the scope and how quickly we can get access to data and people. We'll set out the timeline once we know what the strategy has to decide.
What's the difference between a digital strategy and a marketing plan?
A digital strategy sets the direction and makes the main choices. A marketing plan turns that into specific campaigns, budgets and dates. We can do either or both.
Do you also run the work?
We can. You can engage us for the strategy alone, or we can also run media, tracking and reporting. We'll only recommend what the plan needs.
Do you work with agencies?
Yes. We can support an agency's pitch or client work, including behind your brand, under the arrangements you agree with us.
Do we need a big budget for this to be worthwhile?
It doesn't take a big budget, but the scope should match the decision. If the choice is fairly simple, we'd suggest a smaller review rather than a full strategy project.
Related services.
Start a conversation.
Tell us what you are trying to move. We will tell you which disciplines are worth engaging, and which are not.