What does a marketing consultancy do?
A marketing consultancy helps leadership teams make better decisions about brand, growth and marketing. That usually means diagnosing where the business stands, defining a clear strategy, turning it into a practical plan, and advising the team as they deliver it. At Vertical, the consultants are the same senior people who run brands, media and AI for clients every day, so the advice is grounded in what works in practice.
How is Vertical different from a traditional consultancy?
Traditional consultancies often stop at the recommendation. We can stay on to build and run the work through our agency team, which means strategy and delivery never drift apart. We also bring an agentic AI system that connects your ads, analytics, CRM and competitor data, so our advice is based on live information rather than a one-off snapshot.
Which areas do you consult on?
Four practices: brand (positioning, story and identity), growth (where the next stage of growth comes from and how to organise for it), marketing (channel strategy, media planning, CRM and eCommerce), and AI (adoption, agentic workflows and visibility in AI search). Most engagements touch more than one, because the best answers usually sit between them.
Who do you typically work with?
Founders, CEOs, CMOs and marketing leaders at ambitious consumer, eLearning and B2B businesses. Some are preparing for a new stage of growth, some are rethinking their brand, and many want a clear, practical plan for using AI across marketing without losing what makes them distinctive.
How long does a consulting engagement last?
It depends on the question. A focused audit or strategy piece typically runs for a few weeks. Ongoing advisory is usually a monthly retainer with regular sessions and on-call support. We will recommend the shortest engagement that answers the question properly.
Can you help us adopt AI in our marketing team?
Yes. We help teams decide where AI genuinely adds value, set up agentic workflows for research, reporting, creative testing and optimisation, and train people to work alongside them. We keep people in charge of judgement, brand and customer relationships, and we are clear about where AI is not yet the right tool.
Will you work with our in-house team?
Always. Our aim is to make your team stronger, not dependent on us. We work alongside in-house marketers, share our thinking and tools openly, and help shape hiring plans where the team needs new skills.
How do you measure the success of consulting?
We agree measures at the start, tied to the business rather than to activity: revenue, customer growth, margin, retention, brand strength or the speed of the team. We report against them in plain language and revisit them as the plan evolves.
Where are you based?
Our home is Battersea Power Station in London. We work with clients across the UK and internationally, in person and remotely.
