Frequently asked questions

Who do you work with?

Mainly mid-size advertising and brand agencies, and occasionally consultancies and research firms, on their largest accounts: national category leaders and Fortune 500 companies.

Where are you based?

Brussels, Belgium. I work with agencies across Europe, Turkey, the Gulf and North America.

What languages do you work in?

English and Turkish.

Do you work under the agency’s name?

Usually, yes. I join the agency’s team and am presented however the agency prefers. Credit is theirs to give.

Do you work directly with end clients?

Occasionally, but about nine in ten projects come through an agency partner, and that’s how I prefer to work.

Which sectors do you know best?

Financial services; multi-brand groups, including FMCG portfolios; and premium B2B suppliers in manufacturing and professional services.

What does a typical engagement look like?

It starts with a call about the brief, under an NDA if you need one. From there I join your team for the length of the project, work alongside your planners, creatives and account people, and hand the thinking over in a form they can carry forward. When the project ends, I step back.

What kinds of problems do you take on?

Brand problems that facts alone can’t solve: many stakeholders to align, or a human truth no one has found yet. Positioning, brand architecture, naming, narrative and tone of voice are the usual outputs.

How are fees set?

Per project, quoted after the first call.

Can you be named as an expert in a proposal or tender?

Yes, with a CV formatted to the requirements.

Why “Psychotherapist for Brands”?

A client coined it. The method is diagnostic rather than prescriptive: I surface what an organisation already knows but hasn’t been able to say, then put it into words it can act on.