Brand strategy is crucial for businesses of all sizes, enabling them to differentiate in crowded markets and foster lasting customer loyalty. In 2025’s competitive global landscape, entrepreneurs and startups must craft authentic, memorable brands that resonate with target audiences. A solid brand strategy clarifies a company’s purpose, storytelling, and visual identity, all aligned to meet customer needs and stand out from competitors. For example, Sahil Gandhi (the “Brand Professor”) reminds us that “people don’t just buy products; they buy the stories behind them,” highlighting how a compelling brand story drives connection. Consulting a top brand strategy expert can help businesses define their unique positioning, refine messaging, and build trust.
These specialists combine market research, creative storytelling, and strategic planning to guide companies through brand architecture, market positioning, and consistent execution. In short, hiring the best brand strategy experts in 2025 can accelerate growth by turning a vision into a differentiated, customer-centric brand. Each featured expert below brings a unique approach to brand strategy, whether it’s narrative-driven branding, customer-focused positioning, or innovative identity design. These consultants have worked with global companies, authored bestselling books, and spoken at major conferences, establishing credibility as trusted brand authorities. Read on for our in-depth profiles of the top 15 brand consultants and strategists worldwide (including individual consultants and agency founders) who can help entrepreneurs build powerful brands. We also cover practical guidance on how to create a winning brand strategy and highlight common branding mistakes to avoid.
Top 15 Brand Strategy Experts
1. Sahil Gandhi – Brand Professor & Personal Brand Strategist
Sahil Gandhi (aka “Brand Professor”) is a London and India-based brand strategist who emphasizes storytelling and authenticity. He cofounded the creative agency Blushush, helping startups and SMEs develop cohesive brand narratives that resonate deeply. Gandhi believes “people don’t just buy products, they buy the stories behind them.”
His approach combines bold visual design with strategic positioning and emotional storytelling. (As he notes, “a strong visual identity means nothing if [it has] no strategic positioning and compelling story.”) Gandhi’s clients range from early-stage entrepreneurs to entrepreneurs featured in Forbes and Fortune-backed ventures.
He is active on the Forbes Business Council and shares thought leadership in Forbes articles, demonstrating his credibility. His personal branding focus makes him popular with leaders who want to project authentic brands.
In practice, Gandhi uses an integrated method blending brand architecture, narrative frameworks, and digital marketing to help businesses “resonate and convert.” Entrepreneurs choose him for building brands that stand out and connect on a human level.
2. Sasha Strauss – Founder & CEO of Innovation Protocol
Sasha Strauss is a global brand consultant who founded Innovation Protocol, a strategy firm serving marquee organizations (from biotech and fintech to sports and academia). Strauss takes a “protocol-driven” approach, applying structured brand development processes to ensure rigor and consistency.
He emphasizes in-depth research and a clear strategic framework when guiding companies. In practice, Strauss helps clients clarify brand purpose, messaging, and market differentiation. His Innovation Protocol has “grown into an international brand consulting powerhouse” offering strategy, design, and architecture services.
Strauss is also a noted educator and speaker: he teaches brand strategy to MBA students at UCLA, USC, and UCI (often ranked as a top faculty there) and has delivered keynote talks on branding (e.g. “Branding in the New Normal”) in over a dozen countries with over a million YouTube views.
His credibility comes from both corporate and academic domains; clients benefit from his disciplined methodology and his thought leadership presence worldwide.
3. Marty Neumeier – Author & Brand Transformation Expert
Marty Neumeier is a leading thinker on branding and design. He built his reputation as a Silicon Valley consultant, helping technology and creative firms including Apple, Netscape, HP, Adobe, and Google – “build their brands” starting in the 1980s. Neumeier co-founded a branding consultancy (Neutron, now part of Liquid Agency) and is the best-selling author of acclaimed books such as The Brand Gap and Zag, which teach how to bridge business strategy and design and how to sharply differentiate a brand.
His frameworks (like the “Brand Gap” model and the “Zag” differentiation strategy) are widely adopted in business schools and agencies. For methodology, Neumeier emphasizes creative collaboration and meta-skills: he advocates for interdisciplinary teams to foster innovation and cohesive brand culture. He is also known for popular slide presentations (his The Brand Gap deck has been viewed over 25 million times) and for coining practical branding models. In short, Neumeier combines strategic rigor with design thinking.
His consulting and writing have influenced millions, giving entrepreneurs confidence in his structured yet creative approach to brand-building.
4. Donald Miller – Founder, StoryBrand (Messaging & Storytelling)
Donald Miller is the CEO of StoryBrand, a training and consulting firm that helps businesses clarify their messaging through narrative structure. Miller’s StoryBrand Framework (SB7) teaches companies to cast the customer as the hero of the story and the brand as the helpful guide.
This methodology emphasizes simplicity and clarity. Miller’s clients include large corporate and entrepreneurial organizations; for example, the StoryBrand website shows logos of Berkshire Hathaway, The White House Forum, The Economist, and more (indicating high-level engagements). He is a prolific author with 10 books, including Building a StoryBrand and Marketing Made Simple, which collectively spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list.
Miller has also spoken at conferences and White House events, further building public credibility. His approach is very customer-centric: he advises companies to lead with the customer’s problem and to lay out a clear plan for solving it. Entrepreneurs often turn to StoryBrand to create brand messaging that converts, following Miller’s tested narrative formulas.
5. Bernadette Jiwa – Brand Storyteller & Author
Bernadette Jiwa is a master of brand storytelling and innovation strategy. She advises global businesses and entrepreneurs on articulating what makes them unique. Jiwa’s tagline, “Craft strategies and design their difference,” captures her focus on finding a brand’s distinctive essence.
Her methodology involves deeply understanding a brand’s customer and using that insight to shape a compelling narrative. She has worked with diverse clients (from major sports equipment brands to media companies and startups) to help them define their brand ‘why’ and story. Jiwa is an acclaimed author of four Amazon bestsellers on brand marketing and storytelling (titles include Make Your Idea Matter and Marketing: A Love Story).
She is highly regarded in the branding community. Seth Godin has called her “the master of making organizational change around marketing.” Jiwa frequently speaks at events (including TEDxPerth) and was named one of the “Top 100 Branding Experts to Follow on Twitter.”
Entrepreneurs seek her guidance when they need to make their brand’s story both meaningful and differentiated.
6. David A. Aaker – Brand Equity Pioneer & Prophet Vice Chair
Professor David Aaker is often called the “Father of Modern Branding.” As vice-chair of global consultancy Prophet and emeritus professor at UC Berkeley, Aaker has defined much of how companies think about brand equity today.
He developed the Aaker Brand Vision model and theories on brand equity and architecture. His approach centers on building brands as long-term assets: measuring, nurturing, and leveraging brand equity. Aaker has consulted with leaders of many top global corporations and is frequently quoted by business leaders (Coca-Cola’s CMO praised his brand stewardship insights).
He has written 18 books (including Building Strong Brands, Brand Relevance, and Brand Portfolio Strategy) and hundreds of articles on branding. His lifetime achievements include induction into the AMA Marketing Hall of Fame.
In practice, Aaker helps companies define clear brand portfolios (especially when juggling multiple products or sub-brands) and align marketing strategy with core brand identity. Entrepreneurs benefit from his data-driven perspective on brand-building and his emphasis on research-based brand management.
7. Denise Lee Yohn – Brand Leadership Consultant
Denise Lee Yohn is an expert in brand leadership and brand-culture integration. She has served as a strategy leader for major brands (as lead strategist at agencies for Burger King, Land Rover, and Unilever and as head of brand and at Sony Electronics).
Yohn’s approach involves aligning brand strategy with company culture and operations, ensuring that employee experience and customer experience reinforce the brand promise. She has captured her methods in best-selling books (What Great Brands Do, Fusion), which share seven principles of brand building that separate top brands from the rest.
Yohn’s work is routinely featured in Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and she is a sought-after speaker (TEDx, CES, etc.) and advisor for Fortune 500 companies like Facebook, Lexus, and the NFL. In consultation, Yohn guides businesses through brand positioning, competitive analysis, and creating brand-empowered culture programs.
Companies hire her for her proven framework on sustaining brand consistency and integrating brand purpose into every level of the organization.
8. Simon Sinek – Leadership & Purpose-Driven Branding
Simon Sinek is a best-selling author and speaker known for his “Start With Why” philosophy. While his focus is on leadership and motivation, the Golden Circle model he promotes (Why → How → What) is widely applied to brand strategy and positioning.
Sinek argues that the most inspiring brands articulate their purpose (“why”) clearly, which attracts loyal customers. His insights have influenced brands like Apple, Nike, and others that prioritize purpose. Sinek is a highly credible figure—he has written multiple books (e.g. Start With Why, The Infinite Game) and given several popular TED Talks on leadership (his How Great Leaders Inspire Action talk has over 75 million views globally).
He consults with large companies on organizational culture and branding around purpose. Entrepreneurs often reference Sinek when they want to root their brand in a higher mission or to clarify why their business exists.
9. David Brier – Brand Transformation Expert
David Brier is an award-winning brand strategist known for his energetic, no-nonsense style. He has 330+ international awards in branding and design to his name and has worked on brand projects ranging from startups to cities.
Brier’s approach is pragmatic and transformational: he wrote Brand Intervention: 33 Steps to Transform the Brand You Have into the Brand You Need, which became a #1 Amazon bestseller. His methodology involves diagnosing what’s wrong with a brand and then applying “interventions” to reposition and rejuvenate it.
For instance, he advises leveraging storytelling and empathy to make brands more relatable and “unforgettable” in a noisy market. Brier has even created a masterclass generating hundreds of millions in revenue for alumni, showing his formulas in action. He’s often interviewed by media (e.g. CEO Magazine listed him among the world’s greatest branding experts) and is active on social media with strong reach.
Businesses hire Brier when they need a dramatic brand turnaround or to inject fresh energy into their marketing.
10. Seth Godin – Marketing & Branding Thought Leader
Seth Godin is a famed entrepreneur, author, and speaker whose ideas shape modern marketing and branding. He emphasizes being remarkable and idea-driven—concepts from his books Purple Cow and Tribes.
Godin teaches that brands must stand for something unique (being a “purple cow” among “cows”) and build communities of enthusiasts (tribes). He’s written 21 best-selling books, including This Is Marketing, and two of his TED Talks are among the most-watched of all time.
Godin also founded companies (such as Squidoo) and created the concept of permission marketing, showing that successful brands opt customers in rather than interrupting them. His massive blog, podcast, and speaking schedule (with 3,000,000+ attendees at his events) demonstrate his credibility.
Entrepreneurs follow Godin for his innovative brand concepts, for example, making the customer the main character of your marketing story and his emphasis on consistent, authentic marketing practices.
11. Allen Adamson – Co-Founder, Metaforce (Former Landor Chairman)
Allen Adamson is a veteran branding consultant and co-founder of Metaforce and formerly chairman of global agency Landor. He has worked on all aspects of branding for a wide spectrum of industries.
Adamson’s unique perspective comes from decades of experience on both client and agency sides; he started at Unilever and later ran strategic accounts at Ogilvy before joining Landor. His latest book, Seeing the How (2023), highlights using customer experience as a competitive advantage (reflecting his focus on experience over product).
Adamson has advised major corporations including Accenture, GE, Johnson & Johnson, FedEx, HBO, Marriott, P&G, Sony, and Verizon during his Landor tenure. He teaches branding at NYU Stern and frequently contributes thought leadership on emerging brand challenges. Entrepreneurs hire Adamson to gain strategic insight on market positioning and brand innovation.
His methodology emphasizes shifting ahead of market trends and focusing on what truly matters to consumers, core ideas drawn from his book Shift Ahead.
12. Scott Bedbury – Branding Consultant (Ex-Nike, Ex-Starbucks)
Scott Bedbury is a legendary branding executive turned consultant. He was Nike’s worldwide advertising director in the late 1980s, where he co-created the iconic “Just Do It” campaign and helped Nike appeal to new audiences (e.g. introducing Nike to women).
In the 1990s he joined Starbucks as CMO, transforming it into a global brand: he launched the Frappuccino and the company’s first international stores and helped define the brand’s “Third Place” positioning (coffee as a relaxed public gathering space). After leaving Starbucks, Bedbury founded his own branding firm, Brandstream, and advised modern tech companies (he even served as an advisor to Airbnb’s CEO).
His book A New Brand World (2002) further established his reputation. Bedbury’s approach stresses blending art and science in branding, creating emotional connection (as with Nike and Starbucks) backed by strategic insight.
His clients (often high-growth companies) benefit from his track record of turning marketing campaigns into powerful brand identities. Being ranked by Advertising Age as a top innovator underscores his credibility in the field.
13. Martin Lindstrom – Neuromarketing & Consumer Psychology Expert
Martin Lindstrom is a leading thinker on consumer psychology and sensory branding. He advises Fortune 500 companies around the world; his clients have included Mars, LEGO, Cartoon Network, American Express, Ericsson, HSBC, Gillette, and Microsoft.
Lindstrom’s unique approach is rooted in neuroscience: he famously conducted a $7 million neuromarketing study for his book Buyology, using fMRI scans to uncover subconscious brand preferences. He has authored 8 international bestsellers (BrandSense, Buyology, Small Data, etc.) that reveal how emotions and senses (smell, sound, touch) influence brand decisions.
His work is highly acclaimed; BrandSense was called “one of the five best marketing books ever” (WSJ), and TIME hailed Buyology as “a breakthrough in branding.” Lindstrom also ranks on Thinkers50’s top-50 business thinkers and was named among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People.
Companies bring him in to innovate their brand experience (e.g. retail atmospherics, product design cues). His methodology combines hard data with creative insight, helping brands connect at a deeper, sensory level with consumers.
14. Kevin Lane Keller – Brand Strategy Scholar & Consultant
Kevin Lane Keller is an acclaimed academic and practitioner of brand strategy, holding the E.B. Osborn Professorship at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. He is best known for Strategic Brand Management, a textbook used globally (often called the “bible of branding”).
Keller’s approach centers on the customer-based brand equity model: he teaches companies to build brands by shaping how consumers think and feel about products. He emphasizes brand salience, performance, imagery, judgments, and feelings (the “resonance model”) and the importance of segmentation. Keller has served as a consultant to numerous Fortune 500 companies on brand portfolio and positioning issues.
His expertise is recognized worldwide: his branding frameworks are taught in leading MBA programs, and he co-authored Marketing Management with Philip Kotler, the most widely used marketing textbook.
Entrepreneurs engaging Keller (often through his consulting firm GBK Group) benefit from his rigorous, research-backed methodology on measuring and growing brand equity. He provides a highly structured perspective on creating brands that deliver long-term value.
15. Paula Scher – Pentagram Partner & Identity Designer
Paula Scher is one of the world’s most celebrated designers, specializing in brand identity and visual strategy. As a Pentagram partner, she has crafted iconic identities for cultural and corporate clients: her portfolio includes The Public Theater (New York), Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), The High Line, Tiffany & Co., Citibank, and Microsoft.
Scher’s unique approach treats identity design as strategic storytelling. For example, her lettering-based logo systems (like the word-art identity for Public Theater) build a distinct personality. Her work has earned hundreds of awards (including the National Design Award and AIGA Medal) and is featured in MoMA and the Library of Congress.
Scher also teaches at the School of Visual Arts and has been profiled in media (Netflix’s Abstract: The Art of Design). Entrepreneurs and non-profits hire Scher (through Pentagram) when they need a visually bold brand that captures attention.
Her methodology focuses on simplicity and impact in design, which ensures that a brand’s visual elements reinforce its core message and strategy.
How to Create a Winning Brand Strategy
Building a strong brand strategy is a step-by-step process that involves market research, storytelling and consistent execution. Follow these key stages, drawing on the above experts’ insights:
Research Your Market and Audience.
Begin with a deep understanding of your customers and competitors. Segment your market and identify unmet needs. David Aaker stresses using rigorous research to inform brand positioning. Survey customers, conduct focus groups, and analyze trends to shape your strategy around real consumer insights.
Define Your Brand Purpose and Positioning.
Clarify why your brand exists (its core purpose) and how it will be unique. Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle concept suggests leading with purpose (your why). Bernadette Jiwa advises companies to “design their difference”; in other words, find what sets your brand apart and build your positioning around it. Create a concise positioning statement: whom you serve, what value you deliver, and why it’s different. Align this with your company’s vision and values. Denise Lee Yohn emphasizes that brand and company culture must be integrated, so define how your brand purpose will be lived internally (her book FUSION focuses on this integration).
Craft Your Brand Story and Messaging.
Using storytelling frameworks, articulate the narrative of your brand. Donald Miller’s StoryBrand framework suggests positioning the customer as the “hero” and your brand as the “guide” that solves their problem. Write key messages that highlight customer benefits and brand personality. Ensure your messaging is consistent in tone and voice. Sahil Gandhi’s approach reminds us to emphasize trust and storytelling – a great brand story makes customers feel connected. Test your messaging with focus groups or A/B campaigns to refine clarity.
Develop Visual and Verbal Identity.
Design the logo, color palette, typography and visual elements that reflect your positioning. Paula Scher’s identities show that bold, simple design can encapsulate a brand’s spirit. Similarly, align your brand name, tagline, and tone of voice across all touchpoints. Ensure that every piece of content (website, packaging, ads) looks and feels like part of a cohesive system. Consistency in identity is crucial to build recognition and trust.
Plan Brand Architecture and Extensions.
If your business has multiple products or sub-brands, create a clear brand architecture (e.g. master brand vs. endorsed brands). David Aaker’s models (e.g. portfolio strategy) can guide decisions on which products to link under the main brand. A coherent architecture prevents confusion and maximizes brand equity.
Engage Stakeholders and Employees.
Communicate your brand strategy internally. Denise Lee Yohn warns that a strategy fails if it isn’t shared inside the organization. Train your team on the brand story and guidelines. Employees should understand the brand’s promises and how their roles contribute. (Yohn’s co-authored book Fusion highlights how integrating brand into culture boosts performance.
Execute Across All Channels.
Launch your brand strategy through marketing, advertising, social media, and customer experience. Whether online or offline, ensure that your brand’s look, messaging, and values are consistent. Use a “one-room test”: collect all brand materials (web, print, social, etc.) and verify they convey the same identity and promise. Adjust any outliers.
Monitor and Evolve.
Finally, measure your brand’s performance (brand awareness, perception, loyalty) and be prepared to adapt. Experts stress that brands must evolve with the market. As Marty Neumeier notes, having a great product is essential, but the brand narrative must evolve with changing consumer attitudes. Regularly revisit your strategy based on feedback and competitive shifts to keep the brand relevant and differentiated.
By following these steps and leveraging insights from the experts above (e.g. focusing on customer-centric stories from Miller, clear differentiation from Jiwa, and culture alignment from Yohn), companies can build a cohesive, winning brand strategy in 2025. Use tools like Persona development, customer journey mapping and brand style guides to document each step. This ensures everyone in your company is aligned and your strategy is actionable.
Common Brand Strategy Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Even smart entrepreneurs can stumble when creating a brand. Here are several common pitfalls and expert advice to avoid them:
- Focusing Only on Logo/Design. Treating brand strategy as purely a design exercise is a trap. As Sahil Gandhi warns, a “strong visual identity means nothing if [it has] no strategic positioning and compelling story.” In other words, a logo alone won’t build a brand. Always ground your visual elements in a clear strategy; ensure your design reflects your unique positioning and narrative.
- Neglecting Differentiation. Many brands fail by blending in. Bernadette Jiwa stresses the importance of “designing their difference.” If your brand doesn’t have a clear point of distinction, customers won’t remember you. Avoid copying competitors – instead, identify what only your brand can offer (better quality, unique mission, superior service) and make that the centerpiece of your strategy.
- Being Self-Centered in Messaging. A common error is talking about yourself too much. Brand consultant Katie Mleziva (Real Food Brands) notes that many companies focus on features instead of addressing customer needs. To fix this, put the customer at the center: frame your brand story around how you solve their problems and improve their lives. Use your customer’s language and highlight outcomes they care about. (A quick test: audit your website copy and count how often you say “we” vs. focusing on customer benefits—fewer “we” and more “you/your” is usually better.)
- Inconsistent Brand Experience. Inconsistency across channels erodes trust. As Denise Yohn advises, every touchpoint (online, in-store, social media, packaging) must reflect the same brand promise. Inconsistent messaging or visuals confuse customers. The solution is a brand style guide: document your core brand colors, fonts, tone, and key messages, and train your marketing teams to use them uniformly. Conduct a “one-room test” to see if all materials look coherent. Consistency helps reinforce brand recognition (know, like, trust)
- Failing to Communicate Strategy Internally. Many entrepreneurs assume their team “gets it,” but confusion kills brands. Yohn emphasizes that an unwritten strategy causes good people to leave and dilutes brand efforts. To avoid this, document the brand strategy (mission, values, positioning, guidelines) and actively share it with employees. Engage staff in the brand vision so that sales, support, and operations teams all deliver the same brand experience.
- Ignoring Research and Measurement. Skipping market research or brand tracking leads to misguided decisions. David Aaker would warn that without data, you’re flying blind. Regularly survey customers and track brand metrics (awareness, satisfaction, loyalty) to ensure your strategy is working. If results aren’t improving, adjust your approach before small issues become big problems.
- Losing the Narrative. Finally, some brands tell disconnected stories. All experts agree on a unified narrative – from Miller’s StoryBrand to Neumeier’s Brand Gap. Avoid fragmented messaging. Keep your brand story simple and repeated often so customers quickly understand your purpose and promise.
By learning from these pitfalls and applying expert advice, entrepreneurs can steer clear of branding mistakes. Focus on differentiation and consistency, keep the customer at the center of your narrative, and back your strategy with research. These practices will help your brand strategy succeed rather than falter.
Conclusion & CTA
A powerful brand strategy is an investment that pays off in customer loyalty, price premium and market leadership. The 15 experts profiled above offer proven methodologies – from Sahil Gandhi’s narrative-driven branding to Paula Scher’s bold identity design – that can help your business transform how customers perceive and engage with your brand. By partnering with such experienced strategists, entrepreneurs and executives can accelerate growth and avoid costly missteps.
Ready to take your brand to the next level? Contact one of the featured experts or a trusted brand consulting agency today. Whether you need help defining your brand story, repositioning in the market, or creating a cohesive brand identity, these specialists have the track record to guide you. Check out their websites, read their books, or schedule a consultation to see how they can tailor a strategy to your needs. Remember: even a great product needs a great brand behind it. As Sahil Gandhi notes, building “brands that resonate on a deeper level” pays dividends
SEO & Linking Recommendations: To maximize this content’s SEO value, we suggest adding structured data and internal links. For example, implement Person schema for each expert (name, role, affiliation, social profiles) and a HowTo schema for the step-by-step brand strategy guide. Consider using FAQ schema for the common mistakes section if formatted as Q&As. Internally, link these expert profiles to related pages (such as articles on brand design, case studies, or marketing strategy pages) to reinforce topical relevance. This will help search engines understand the content and improve discoverability for queries like “best brand strategy experts 2025,” “top brand consultants,” and “branding experts for entrepreneurs.” Harness the power of expert insight and smart branding practices, and you can transform your business’s market position in 2025 and beyond.
Leave a Comment