McNamara Strategy is a strategic planning collective working with new and evolving brands and their agencies on a project basis.
Led by Mike McNamara, McNamara Strategy is a collective of likeminded ‘advertising’ strategists that specialize in market & consumer research projects, brand positioning & strategy, and communications planning for startups, new ventures and established brands. We frequently partner with creative agencies on new business pitches. We are built for project-based relationships and draw on our depth of experience to quickly deliver custom strategic solutions and deliverables.
Brand & Agency Experience
Our Strengths
Spirits, CRAFT BEER & Drinkers
From launching Yellowtail wine in the United States to leading Jameson Irish Whiskey’s North American strategy, we have a deep understanding of different alcoholic beverage categories, their key consumers, the on-and-off premise landscape and the emerging trends that pick winners, losers and also-rans. We were there at the start of the Whiskey revolution and have been watching the ripples pushing out globally ever since with great interest. We’ve launched new brands and helped established brands regain their footing after taking a couple of centuries rest.
Millennial/Gen y culture & Insights
Millennial & Gen Y targets and culture make up the connective tissue between the expansive array of brands and categories within our portfolio of expertise. Our work demands immersion into behavior drivers, need-states and the ever-evolving network of cultural trends that shape the Millennial & Gen Y worldviews. The study of a generation’s relationship with themselves and the cultural prisms through which they build their identity are at the heart of our work and is what keeps us so interested year after year—all the while keeping an eye of the Generation right behind them.
NEW BUSINESS PITCHES & STARTUPS
Many creative agencies come to us to bolster their strategic resources within the new business pitching process. We are veterans of big agency new business teams and are no strangers to what it takes to win. We are comfortable in the board room and do everything from contributing strategic positioning directions to leading the pitch team and presentation. We also enjoy working with startups and new ventures for established companies, helping new brands find their voices and their ideal targets, and then crafting a communications plan that opens eyes and drives action.
So…Why Us?
Because we are experienced, intelligent, friendly, and we do good work. Good strategic planning creates an advantage in any setting where the outcomes that effect you depend not just on your actions but on the actions of others. We see our job as creating a substantial advantage for your side, whether through providing a layered understanding of the marketplace, giving a nuanced analysis of what is important to your consumers, or showing how you should be communicating what you offer in the most effective language by the most effective means. We take an objective view of the challenges presented by the marketplace and don’t shirk from delivering the truth. Finally, we believe that good strategic planning is actionable, and demands action.
“You win the heart with stories, but the mind with data.”
Let's Chat.
Use the form below to contact us. Please be as detailed as possible. For job opportunities, please email us your resume. We’re always looking for exceptional talent to expand the collective.