We help businesses sharpen their strategy, build a distinctive brand and make marketing work harder. We connect commercial priorities with creative and digital delivery, focusing on the right customers, better use of resources and progress you can measure.
Make the commercial story clearer, develop routes to market and reduce reliance on the founder. Connect today’s decisions with the business you want a future buyer to see.
Find where AI, automation and digital improvements could save time, reduce waste or improve the customer experience. Assess the business case, test what is useful and deliver with the right specialists.
As Umberslade grew, we helped the group introduce new divisions and evolve its brands so customers could see the full range of work it could take on. Ongoing marketing delivery supports sales conversations and tenders.
Technical performance made into a market proposition. The client reported turnover growing from £64m to £109m in three years, major project wins and greater pricing confidence.
“£64,000,000 to £109,000,000 in 3 years, the main London Olympic Contract, The Shard, the confidence to put our price as our products and services are more highly valued, the result of our work together. Amazing.”
“I wanted to send a very quick email to say thank you for being part of (very first part) our new journey. The work we did together has challenged and changed all of our thinking in the business business. It has been such a game-changer. We love the brand, and how we now work is significantly different. On top of that, the contracts we are currently signing and the business plan moving forward gives us limitless potential and opportunity. Thank you, it doesn’t go unnoticed the difference you made.”
Jennifer Evans
CEO, GPP
“Without doubt, the best thing we have ever done, it helped us find our true value and positioned us to appeal to the right audiences.”
Jake Iles
Managing Director, Six Forward
“Our order book is full, and we are routinely now refusing high-value orders as we simply don’t have the workforce capacity to meet the demand. There are, as they say, worse problems to have. 2018 will be without doubt a busy and hectic year.”
Craig Gilliver
Operations Director, Nationwide Fire Sprinklers
Repositioning bespoke engineering around value and differentiation, then delivering across website, social media, press and direct mail – supported by evidence and case studies. A full order book, reported by the client.
“AlignandPull have been supporting and strategically developing the University brand for the past 15 years – I consider them to be a partner and a safe pair of hands. They have worked alongside our team to deliver large prestigious projects and more recently help us reshape the way that we work as a commercial entity. The relationship is firmly rooted, with a unique team togetherness.”
Donna Harris
Director of Creative Media, University of Birmingham
“Your advice was invaluable, your strategy groundbreaking; it worked in getting us a major national lighting contract with a house name retailer who wholly engaged with the original CSR approach above and beyond the other protagonists. We were taken out of the commoditised market and made into something unique and engaging.”
Andrew Coates
Managing Director, CAP7
“Brilliantly gritty in your approach. Constructive challenge to help us see what we have and what we don’t have, to make our product more relevant and easier to communicate and influence our target. The proposition focus on outcomes and benefits of staff attraction and retention have proved to be a powerful differentiator giving us a structure and story to our communications. It’s brilliantly engaging on social media too, creating a more profound and broader two-way conversation.”
David Walker
COO, Personal Group
Challenging the board’s product-led sales approach, understanding HR buyers’ motivations and aligning teams around a clearer proposition. Strategy through to identity and campaign delivery for Hapi / Personal Group.
“AlignandPull created a powerful socially engaging brand proposition to reach out to a specific social groups as well as engage front line health personnel. The net result has been a 78% increase in the uptake of LARC. AlignandPull continue to work with the NHS providing business founded strategies and applying them to Social Marketing issues.”
David Walker
Chief Commissioner, NHS
Trusted to challenge the starting point, align healthcare teams and develop the campaign with young people. Strategic support through to delivery, with a client-reported 78% increase in LARC uptake.
“A perfect project! Translating a complex Oracle based system into a user friendly, feature rich product for SMEs alongside the branding and creation of key marketing tools ready for launch. This programme of work utilised so many of our expert skill sets and we’re delighted with the result.”
Simon West-Oliver
ODO
Insight-led strategy for the SME grey fleet opportunity. Turning Drive’s enterprise technology into ODO’s focused proposition, simpler product experience, brand and marketing tools ready for launch.
“AlignandPull combined the commitment of investors, the perspective of board-level partners and the delivery of our marketing department. They helped shape our positioning, modernise our marketing and communicate our value through diversification, acquisition-led growth and the two-part sale of the business.”
“James has an uncanny ability to create and deliver brave brand concepts and campaigns that break the mold, change, inspire and innovate but fundamentally deliver on the commercial needs of a business. The work that James and his team provided for Severn Trent Utility Services not only secured masses of favourable industry comment, but it also helped us win the Utility Industry Achievement Award for "Business Innovation".”
Kathryn Lennon-Johnson
Head of Marketing, Severn Trent Utility Services Excerpt from LinkedIn recommendation, 18 April 2011.
“James is the go to person for branding. Simple as that. He is the absolute expert in this field, with deep knowledge of brand positioning and building brand structures that truly resonate with their audiences. I’ve learnt an invaluable amount from James. He is able to seriously transform business at board level, and deliver exceptional value for their long term success.”
Joshua Murton
Professional recommendation LinkedIn recommendation, 17 November 2021.
“I worked with James and Lucy at Align & Pull when we asked them for fresh ideas to relaunch the Profile 22 Approved Window Contractors scheme. I was impressed with their focus, competence and enthusiasm for the project and the campaign. They were quick to produce ideas, which were spot-on my brief. The “ Get it Right” campaign was a real success generating enquiries for over 3 years. Align & Pull were a joy to work with and I highly recommend them.”
Wendy Fenney
Client recommendation · Profile 22 LinkedIn recommendation, 5 June 2018.
“I have worked with James and his team at AlignandPull and Schmakk for over seven years and have been constantly blown away with the creative work produced on behalf of my PR clients. Several projects handled by the team have received recognition in national and regional marketing awards. However more importantly they have consistently delivered against the original brief, achieving strong ROI by engaging with the target audience, delivering the desired message and securing a call to action to get consumers buying into the client’s brand.”
Rachel Roberts
Professional recommendation LinkedIn recommendation, 28 July 2010.
“The word ‘passion’ is so overused, but I really can’t think of anything better to describe James’s approach to everything he does. He is very much an ideas person – always ready to challenge people’s thinking and perceptions. Above all, he has the talent to take brands into new places in a way that engages and inspires audiences. I’m happy to recommend James not only as a brilliant designer, but a great guy to work with too.”
Dave Southall
Colleague recommendation LinkedIn recommendation, 20 January 2010.
“I was first introduced to James’ work in 2003 when his Brand design agency delivered some internal marketing campaign solutions and internal communication briefs for the business unit that I was managing at the time. What struck me about James and his team was the fresh vibrant approach that they took to looking at the ‘internal brand’ and how some of this ‘vibe’ could be incorporated into everyday business communications and marketing. James has a passion for understanding your brand, loves all things ‘cool’ and acts as a catalyst to help develop a great brand experience on a small or large scale throughout the businesses that he engages with. If you want to stand out in your industry with a Brand that grabs Customers then I can recommend James’ latest venture ‘AlignandPull’ as a great starting point to address your brand, communications and marketing needs.”
Paul Simpson
Client recommendation LinkedIn recommendation, 5 January 2010.
“James and his team have turned the image of our practice round with their creativity. We now have a highly distinctive, 21st century brand image that sets us apart from the competition. He is a great guy to work with and definitely knows his stuff! If you need anything on the branding/marketing front, he is the man.”
Andrew Smith
Client recommendation LinkedIn recommendation, 19 February 2009.
“James is a professional drilled in the arts of leadership; be it either in sales operations where his input is key to the successful outcome of the results-driven relationship, or at the more strategic end with respect to team leadership, handling the pitfalls of man-management and company direction. He has the gall and the guile to take a decision – this is not a man who shies away. His consultative approach to doing business, knowledge of brand handling and just the array of good alternatives that he proposes add serious business value to the task in hand. A leader and a do-er.”
Luke Allen
Client recommendation LinkedIn recommendation, 17 November 2008.
“James said, ‘There is more to this’ – and he was right. We were delighted to have him join the venture, investing in the business and becoming part of the team. Travelling across Europe, he has helped turn that potential into a growing business.”
“I found both James and Lucy easy to work with, insightful and was also impressed with their creative solutions. They took time to understand our business and our challenge and came up with an approach that we were very happy with. I’m sure they would be able to help you define a clear and strong proposition and work out how to effectively communicate this.”
Steve Wallis
Dignity Plc Excerpt from email reference.
Discovery, strategy, planning and implementation for Dignity – preserving family names and local trust while repositioning the group for changing expectations and competition.
“AlignandPull brought our team together around a clear proposition and turned our science-driven expertise into a powerful campaign: ‘We do difficult.’ Then the phones started ringing and the emails came in: ‘We’ve got something difficult – can you help?’ It opened doors to new clients, new sectors and new revenue opportunities.”
For established, privately owned businesses that want to build profitable growth, strengthen their market position or prepare for investment or an eventual exit.
Work directly with us. Keep the connection between strategic thinking, implementation, measurement and ongoing improvement. We agree the scope, responsibilities and resources around your priorities, team and budget.
