More than 20 higher-education institutions have trusted me to train their students in digital marketing and business strategy.
Richard Bulan
Strategic Marketing Consultant
Turn your deepest convictions into a lasting competitive advantage
Bring meaning back to your marketing • Awaken your authentic values • Create your distinctiveness
Free assessment — 45 minutesOnly 15 engagements per year • Next availability: October 2025
Two advisory pathways
From strategic clarity to measured performance: TÉLOS structures, EIDÔLON delivers.
Why work with a strategic marketing consultant?
The challenges of modern marketing
In a constantly changing economic environment, companies face complex marketing challenges. Digital transformation, the explosion of customer data, the multiplication of communication channels and shifting buying behaviors call for a re-engineered strategic approach.
Too often, companies take a tactical approach, multiplying actions without an overarching view. This dispersion of effort dilutes impact and limits the return on marketing investments. That’s why bringing in a strategic marketing consultant becomes critical.
A distinctive data-driven approach
My method combines strategic vision and technical excellence. Trained at ESSEC and Harvard Business School, and certified by IHEDN in geostrategic analysis, I bring a perspective that goes beyond traditional marketing playbooks.
Integrating data-science skills (R, Python, AI) enables fine-grained analysis of your customer data, the discovery of hidden opportunities, and the anticipation of your market’s trends. This quantitative approach — rare among marketing consultants — supports informed decisions and measurable outcomes.
Tangible benefits of the engagement
Unique narrative bashō
Create an authentic, embodied territory of expression
Create an authentic, embodied territory of expression
Activated convictions
Turn your deepest values into powerful selling arguments
Turn your deepest values into powerful selling arguments
Geostrategic vision
Understand the systemic forces behind every decision
Understand the systemic forces behind every decision
Brand territory
Define your exclusive and defensible competitive space
Define your exclusive and defensible competitive space
Embodied marketing
Strategies driven by convictions, not trends
Strategies driven by convictions, not trends
Recognized expertise
Top-tier education
ESSEC
Harvard
IHEDN
Basel Institute
Technical certifications
Google Analytics
Google Ads
HubSpot
SemRush
Engagements delivered
ISCOM
INSEEC
Ynov
ECS
ESD-ESP
+15
References & testimonials
My unique method
Geostrategic vision • Academic excellence • Technical mastery • International experience
Geopolitics
IHEDN training, systemic market analysis and anticipation of sector disruptions
Academic
ESSEC Business School, Harvard: proven strategic frameworks and methodological rigor
Technical
Advanced Data Science (R, Python), marketing AI, automation and a modern tech stack
International
Europe–Asia engagements: global view and best practices
Why a multidisciplinary approach?
The market is no longer a simple marketing playground but a complex system where technology cycles, geopolitical dynamics, local regulations and cultural behaviors intersect. A siloed reading produces elegant yet fragile plans. My GATI approach articulates four complementary lenses — geostrategy, academic methods, data engineering and international experience — to turn uncertainty into competitive advantage. This cross-reading of macro signals, field data and cultural contexts not only reduces framing error and helps pick the right bets at the right time; it also restores meaning to brands by aligning what they say, what they do and what audiences perceive.
Concretely, the geostrategy acquired at IHEDN is used to map risks, build scenarios and secure value chains, whether suppliers, data or reputation. Academic excellence from ESSEC and HBS brings proven frameworks — needs-based segmentation (JTBD), offer architecture and OKR-driven prioritization — that keep choices coherent. Technical mastery turns those choices into evidence: reliable data pipelines, causal models such as uplift or MMM where relevant, and continuous measurement of CAC, LTV and incremental contribution. I also add proprietary indicators designed to sharpen the reading of big issues and objectify cross-media narrative coherence, including the Narrative Alignment Score (NAS), which aggregates cross-surface recognition, perceptual consistency and context fit. Finally, international experience makes it possible to industrialize what works via pattern recognition while respecting local constraints, whether cultural, legal or distribution-related.
The outcome is simple to state and demanding to uphold: better decisions, taken earlier, executed faster, with less risk and greater impact. We don’t test at random; we orchestrate informed, measurable and repeatable bets. This combination aligns vision, method and proof, giving the brand story real substance by tying strategic intent to lived experiences at every touchpoint.
Frequently asked questions about strategic marketing consulting
How do you design an effective marketing strategy in 2025?
An effective strategy combines predictive analysis, differentiating positioning and optimized resource allocation. It relies on a fine understanding of sector shifts and weak signals in the market. The approach must be agile, measurable and aligned with the company vision.
When should you bring in a strategic marketing consultant?
A consultant adds value during phases of growth, digital transformation, competitive repositioning or performance stagnation. Ideally, you anticipate rather than react to market shifts.
What ROI can you expect from a strategic engagement?
ROI depends on context and levers activated. In comparable missions, gains typically come from budget optimization, improved conversion funnels, lower acquisition cost and the identification of new growth engines.
How do you measure the effectiveness of a marketing strategy?
Effectiveness is measured with indicators aligned to business goals: CAC, LTV, ROAS, channel conversion rates, multi-touch attribution and incremental revenue. I also use proprietary indicators such as the Narrative Alignment Score (NAS) to quantify cross-media narrative coherence. Real-time dashboards enable agile steering and continuous optimization.
How is a consultant different from an agency?
A consultant brings an external view, cross-functional expertise and a focus on business value creation. Agencies often focus on execution, whereas a consultant works upstream on strategy and co-pilots implementation with your teams.
How should AI be integrated into your marketing strategy?
Effective AI blends task automation, personalized experiences and predictive behavior analysis. The approach should be progressive, centered on high-impact use cases and tied to clear data governance.
How we work together
1
Free strategic assessment
45 minutes of confidential analysis: quick audit of your performance, quick wins, and definition of priority issues.
2
Tailor-made proposal
Detailed, costed action plan: strategic roadmap, intervention methodology, specific deliverables and deployment timeline.
3
Exclusive accompaniment
Dedicated engagement with personal follow-up: strategic workshops, in-depth data analyses, actionable recommendations and performance steering.
Selection criteria — For ambitious, exacting companies
- Significant marketing budget and a clear ambition to lead your category
- Leadership involvement in the strategic process and marketing decisions
- Desire for differentiation and innovation rather than competitor copycatting
- Companies in growth or undergoing digital transformation with complex challenges
- Data culture emerging or established, openness to advanced analytics
Strategic excellence requires mutual commitment and a shared view of success.
Ready to transform your marketing?
Every engagement starts with a confidential conversation
Free assessment • No commitment • A peer-to-peer strategy conversation