Work with me

I help smart people find strategic clarity, by actively listening to and working with what’s already in their heads. Typically this involves a good mix of psychology, psychotherapy, philosophy, and probably the occasional pun because why not.

I also have published hundreds of free articles, from more introspective inquiries into the nature of strategic work, to more practical ways to get better at doing it. You can find all of these resources and more through the Salmon Labs Newsletter.

Here’s what Nick here had to say about working with me:

“Rob brings a refreshing honesty and energy, and manages relationships at every level with the same calm, unassuming and professional approach.”

Nick Stringer
Business Director
Droga5

Otherwise, read below for the sorts of things clients tend to ask me about.

I’ve helped Ascential reduce cannibalisation by writing the value propositions for Cannes Lions, Contagious and WARC.

“We don’t know what to do with this monolithic 87-page brand document”

From bloated strategy to happy gut decisions.

  • Turn your bloated brand documents into brutally simple ones

  • Strip back the unnecessary fat so we can get to the meat of things

  • Spend more time simplifying decisions than adding new rules

  • Make your strategy statement so simple you could text it to your CEO

  • Give creative teams and stakeholders freedom within a clear framework

  • 4-hour workshop where we play Rick Rubin (reducers, not producers)

  • £5,000 all inclusive, max 5 senior stakeholders involved in the sessions

But don’t take my word for it, Tom here said better than I ever could:

“Rob has an exceptional ability to simplify complex concepts without diminishing their substance.”

Christopher Owens
Strategy Boot Camp Program Lead
Miami Ad School

I’ve helped J.P.Morgan define their positioning for a new investment app by identifying an under-served need of mass affluent investors in Europe.

“We can’t afford to spend 6 months doing a brand immersion, we have 6 weeks to deliver the whole thing”

From soul-wrecking processes to liberating ones.

  • Let’s find strategic clarity by iterating our way to it

  • 45-minute daily sprints, not mega bloated presentations

  • We all have permission to say silly things, if they trigger better things

  • Actions on the agreed feedback with n 24h, ready for the next day’s round

  • 5-day programme to cover all the triangulations we need to do this well

  • Real-time access to me through WhatsApp

  • £5,000 per sprint, maximum 5 senior stakeholders involved in the sessions

Ilaria here worked with me like this, and we both had a great time:

“It’s great how fast Rob turns things around. I’d never have gotten this with an agency. Plus, he felt part of my team from day one.”

Ilaria Pasquinelli
Chief Marketing Officer
Ascential

I’ve helped WARC develop their first global brand campaign in weeks, not months, to go live at the #1 Festival of Creativity.

“We have a brilliant brand platform but all we keep getting are TVCs, not a fully integrated comms strategy”

From channel plans to total creative impact.

  • Make your brand platform un-ignorable across all touchpoints

  • No channel is too tactical to benefit from a proper dose of creative thinking

  • Complementary tactics, not lazy matching luggage thinking

  • Building on what’s already there, but taking it much further

  • Messaging and comms models that are sophisticated, yet oh so simple

  • Full-day workshop to turn a great idea into a truly great campaign

  • I can also train your team on the fundamentals of comms strategy

  • £10,000 per workshop, maximum 6 senior stakeholders involved

  • £5,000 per training session, maximum 5 senior stakeholders involved

Here’s what Alex had to say about how I approach content strategy:

“Not only can Rob take the most complex of modern day brand challenges, with an acute awareness of the digital ecosystem, he also just gets on and does it in record time.”

Alex Dalman
Managing Partner & Head of Innovation
VCCP

I’ve helped O2 become #1 for roaming perceptions in the UK by helping them behave like a Love Island stan, not just a sponsor.

“We want to do content well but it always feels like it’s another box to tick, not a core driver of growth”

From empty engagement to valuable impact.

  • Start with category entry points, not fleeting channel tactics

  • Explore the role of content across the entire customer journey

  • Design the right measurement frameworks to impress the CFO

  • Work together to concept and prototype editorial formats

  • Full-day workshop with a custom-made LLM to assist future decisions

  • I can also train your team on the fundamentals of content strategy

  • £10,000 per workshop, maximum 6 senior stakeholders involved

  • £5,000 per training session, maximum 5 senior stakeholders involved

Here’s what Lauren had to say about how I approach content strategy:

“Rob actively listened and shaped the work based on our conversation — not out of the box, but based on where we were.”

Lauren Burill
Global Marketing Director
Airport Dimensions

I’ve helped Airport Dimensions clarify their content strategy by workshopping how to identify their category entry points.

“I have so many ideas of what this could be, but need a way to structure them into something that’s doable”

Strategic coaching minus the templated models.

  • Active listening and on the spot guidance, to help shape your ideas

  • No rigid way to frame problems, just a thoughtful conversation

  • Perspective based on 15+ years of offering strategic advice

  • 4 weekly sessions, 90 minutes per session

  • Real-time access to me through WhatsApp

  • £1,500 for the full package of 4 sessions

Here’s what Amar said about our weekly sessions:

“Rob took what were very raw thoughts and helped shape the project together. That adaptability made all the difference.”

Amar Chohan
Founder
Department of Creative Affairs

I’ve helped the Department of Creative Affairs launch their business by writing and editing a report on the effectiveness rules for the marketing majority.