Strategic project
A defined scope and a clear outcome: repositioning, growth plan, launch, market entry, retail opening.
↳ Strategic consulting
Marketing strategy consulting, from decision to market.
Marketing strategy consulting helps a company's leadership decide where to compete, for which customers, with which offer and with what investment. As a marketing strategy consultant, I work with CEOs and marketing leaders of established companies and brands from diagnosis to plan, through to execution and the store, with one network and a single point of accountability.
For whomCEOs, owners, marketing and sales directors
AreasBrand, growth, go-to-market, AI, retail
FormatsProject, advisory, fractional CMO, workshop
First stepA confidential 45-minute briefing
01 What it is
Six decisions, before the tactics.
Campaigns, content and tools come later. Marketing strategy consulting exists to get a handful of decisions right, the ones that steer everything else, and to make them measurable with numbers the leadership team agrees on.
- 01
Where to compete
The markets, segments and channels where the company can win, and the ones better left to others.
- 02
For which customers
Who buys, who decides, who influences: the customers worth most to you and how to reach them.
- 03
With which offer
Positioning, offer and price: why the customer should choose you rather than an alternative.
- 04
Through which channels
Direct sales, distributors and importers, retail chains, e-commerce, travel retail, own stores: the role and weight of each.
- 05
With what investment
Budget, priorities and KPIs: where to concentrate resources and how to measure the return.
- 06
What to stop doing
Activities, suppliers and initiatives that absorb budget without moving results.
Consulting firms tend to stop at the plan; agencies start from execution and are paid to do more of it. My work sits in between: taking decisions with management and then carrying them through to market, with one person accountable from the first step to the last.
Large budgets are moving the same way. According to the Gartner CMO Spend Survey 2025, 39% of CMOs are cutting agency spend, dropping unproductive relationships and consolidating suppliers. Fewer suppliers means a greater need for clear direction, especially when a brand sells in several countries at once.
02 Who it is for
Who it is for, and who it is not.
I do my best work where there is a market to defend or to win and a leadership team willing to decide. Better to say so upfront.
A good fit
- Established companies and brands in manufacturing, FMCG, retail, luxury, real estate and services.
- Italian brands growing abroad, and foreign brands entering Italy.
- CEOs, owners and marketing or sales directors facing a significant choice: repositioning, growing, launching, opening a store.
- Companies with a marketing team, in-house or outsourced, that needs direction and method.
- Leaders who want strategy linked to execution, all the way to the shop floor, without multiplying suppliers.
Not a good fit
- Anyone looking only for posts, graphics or campaigns at the lowest price.
- Anyone expecting results in thirty days without changing anything.
- Companies with nobody internally willing to own the project and take decisions.
- Anyone who wants a plan to file away rather than apply.
Since 2015 I have advised more than 90 companies on over 200 projects. You can read more about my background and how I work.
03 Practice areas
Five areas, one method.
The areas combine according to the business question. Every engagement starts with a diagnosis and ends with measurable decisions.
- 01
Brand strategy & positioning
Brand strategy, brand positioning and brand architecture: what you stand for, for whom, and why you are preferable to the alternatives.
- Brand audit
- Brand architecture
- Value proposition
- Strategic rebranding
- 02
Growth & go-to-market
Growth strategy, portfolio priorities, pricing and multi-year plans. Product launches and entry into new markets and channels, in Italy and abroad.
- Growth strategy
- Pricing
- Market entry
- Go-to-market
- 03
Marketing & artificial intelligence
Marketing transformation: processes, roles, tools and rules for using data and AI with measurable results. Training for boards and teams.
- AI readiness
- Operating model
- Martech & CRM
- EU AI Act & GDPR
- 04
Fractional & interim CMO
A senior marketing director for as long as you need one, accountable for team, suppliers, budget and results.
- Fractional CMO
- Interim CMO
- Advisory
- Team development
- 05
Retail activation & stores
Trade marketing and retail activation: from location scouting to the pop-up store, from fit-out to opening day.
- Trade marketing
- Shopper marketing
- Pop-up & temporary stores
- Location scouting
04 Engagement formats
Four ways to work together.
Scope, timing and fees are set out in a written proposal, per project or as a retainer, after a confidential briefing.
Ongoing advisory
A senior counterpart for the CEO and the marketing leadership: monthly steering meeting, review of key choices, direct access when needed.
Fractional marketing leadership
Leading marketing for a defined period, accountable for team, suppliers, budget and results.
Executive workshop
Sessions for boards and teams on strategy and artificial intelligence, built around the company's own cases and decisions.
05 Senior advisory
A marketing advisor for the top table.
You do not always need a project. Sometimes you need an outside, senior voice next to the people who decide, asking the right questions before choices turn into costs.
Sparring partner for the CEO
Regular, confidential sessions to stress-test ideas, priorities and management proposals, with a counterpart who has no position to defend.
Board advisory
An independent reading of the marketing plans and investments put to the board: assumptions, risks, consistency with corporate strategy. Useful when shareholders and markets sit in different countries.
Strategic review
A periodic review of positioning, portfolio and results, with written recommendations and priorities for the next period.
06 The network
From strategy to the shop floor, one point of accountability.
When strategy has to become brand, technology and physical space, the direction stays the same: five capabilities, each with its own company, coordinated by a single counterpart.
- 01
Strategy
Diagnosis, choices, plan and steering with the leadership.
Alberto Bechis - 02
Brand & digital
Identity, content, campaigns, websites and video.
Bechis ADV - 03
Technology & AI
Infrastructure, CRM, automation, AI tools, security.
BECHIS TECH - 04
Retail locations
Retail location scouting: stores, flagships, temporary and pop-up stores.
Bechis & Partners - 05
Fit-out
Large-format print, windows, stands, retail design.
Carattere
The network is not compulsory: you can use all of it, part of it or none of it, and keep working with your own partners. For retail projects, Bechis & Partners handles location scouting: stores, flagships, temporary and pop-up stores. A step-by-step example, from the first objective to the opening of a pop-up store in a new city, is on the retail activation and pop-up stores page.
07 Getting started
Diagnosis first, then choices.
Almost every engagement begins with a strategic diagnosis: three or four weeks to understand where you are before proposing where to go.
Confidential briefing
Objectives, constraints and pending decisions. Together we establish whether, and how, I can be useful.
45 minutesStrategic diagnosis
Market, customers, positioning, channels, investment, organisation and data. Interviews with management, the sales force, distributors and customers.
3–4 weeksPlan and decisions
Objectives, priorities, budget and KPIs agreed with the leadership. And a list of what is worth stopping.
3–6 weeksActivation and measurement
Direction of execution and a monthly steering meeting, with a quarterly strategy review.
Ongoing
08 FAQ
Straight answers.
What does marketing strategy consulting include?
It includes a diagnosis of market, customers, competitors and results; the choices on positioning, priorities and investment; a plan with objectives, budget and KPIs; and, where needed, direction of execution with your in-house team, your existing partners or the Bechis ADV network. The exact scope is agreed after the first briefing, in writing.
How is a marketing strategy consultant different from a marketing agency?
An agency is paid to execute: campaigns, content, media. A marketing strategy consultant works earlier, on leadership decisions, and has no interest in selling more execution than you need. Here the two stay separate but connected: I decide with you what to do, then have it delivered by the in-house network or by your partners, with a single point of accountability.
How long does a marketing strategy engagement last?
It depends on the format. A strategic diagnosis takes 3–4 weeks and a strategic project 6–12 weeks. Fractional or interim marketing leadership usually runs for 6–18 months, while ongoing advisory continues for as long as it is useful, with a review every quarter. An executive workshop takes one or two days.
How are fees set?
Fees are set out in a written proposal, per project or as a monthly retainer, after the first briefing: they depend on scope, duration and the time required. The proposal lists objectives, activities, timing, deliverables and how progress will be checked, so you know from day one exactly what you are buying.
What does a marketing advisor to the CEO or the board do?
A marketing advisor is an external, senior counterpart who helps the leadership assess market choices, plans and investments proposed by management or agencies. The role involves regular meetings, independent analysis and a second opinion on the decisions that matter most, without replacing the team. It works equally well for a family-owned group or a board spread across several countries.
Do you work with our in-house team and agencies, including abroad?
Yes, that is the most common set-up. I work with your team and existing partners, wherever they are based: I set priorities, briefs and standards, and check results. Meetings are held in English, Italian or French. The Bechis ADV network steps in only where skills are missing or where a single direction saves time and hand-overs.
09 Read more
↳ First step
Let's talk about
your next decision.
A confidential 45-minute briefing with your leadership team: goals, constraints, priorities. At the end I will tell you frankly whether and how I can help.