Management Consulting for the Digital Era

We empower your company to achieve market success in the digital age

We support companies in aligning their business strategy with the markets and customer behavior of the digital age. Well-established companies in Europe, Asia and the USA from the mid-market and corporate environment work with us to

  • pursue the optimal market strategy,
    successfully develop business models,
  • take advantage of the opportunities offered by digital transformation,
  • leverage unused innovation potential for further growth,
  • make their marketing, sales, communication and PR departments and human resources fit for the digital age.

how-to-make-our-customers-happy-consulting

 

Furthermore, we work with young companies, start-ups and scaleups to

  • develop and market completely new and groundbreaking services (e.g. through digital disruption),
  • control the structure, architecture and management of a new company,
  • increase the growth of the company exponentially (growth hacking), and
  • make the right decisions for brand, sales, marketing, technology and personnel.
With the help of our Business Transformation Framework, we help companies become thought leaders in their industry, expand their business base and digitally transform their relationships with customers, prospects, press and the public.

As a management consultancy, we support the digital change processes in the implementation of new business models, strategies and growth programs. With Change Leadership we help companies to implement new forward-looking concepts for market success in the digital age - in the market and in their own company.

We work with all functions in our clients' companies to ensure market success in the digital age.

From board and executive management, business development and strategy department to marketing, sales, communications, product management, customer service and human resources.

Why clients engage us as management consultants

Thought Leader Systems provides management consulting from practice for practice.

  • We ourselves are seasoned managers from corporations and medium-sized businesses. Unlike traditional management consultancies, we not only work on the planning of future measures, but also focus on the realistic and fastest possible implementation of the consulting results in practice. We also actively help with the implementation in the company when it matters most.
  • We are not only specialists for future-oriented topics in management, thought leadership and market success.
  • We also have the experience and sensitivity as consultants to successfully implement sensitive topics, highly innovative projects or long-term changes, to deal with any resistance and to continuously optimise work success.
  • We attach great importance to practical relevance, traction and detail work. Of course, we bring with us a high level of analytical understanding and conceptual strengths. Our clients trust us to quickly present solid recommendations for action and trend-setting proposals.

We are the first hybrid management consultancy

We stand for the implementation, success assurance and practical suitability of our consulting services. This is why we have envisioned Thought Leader Systems as a hybrid consulting company from the very beginning. We not only offer our clients the pure consulting service, but can also provide and seamlessly coordinate all services that are necessary for the further success of our clients.

  • Think Tank: We identify the market trends and changes in customer behavior (Customer Intelligence) that will drive our customers' business in the future. Our team of high-profile innovation and design thinking experts creates completely new solutions for more growth and positioning as thought leaders.
  • Service Agency: Especially when innovative marketing and sales concepts are implemented, we support our clients' teams as a reliable agency partner. With broad expertise for everything that companies need for their market success in the digital age.
  • Training & Academy: At the end of a consulting project there is the challenge to make the own team fit for the change towards sustainability. We support these processes with a lot of experience in the areas of change management and change leadership. And we train our clients' teams professionally for success in Digital Marketing & Sales - in our Academy and also on-site in the company. Interim management can also be taught.
  • Business System Services: Change in a company requires the right systems, infrastructure and organization. We support our customers in the selection of the optimal IT solutions (e.g. marketing automation, CRM, communities) and help with the implementation on site. Only if your own teams experience rapid success with new systems will change be successful.

We work on all dimensions of your market success

Brands

that build up a high response to target customers. Brands that remain attractive and relevant in the market. Brands that win fans who will love and recommend it.

Business Models

that work like a system. Every company runs a business, but very few companies have a business model that acts like a self-reinforcing success system.

Intellectual Property

is the true success factor of a company. The patents, business ideas, know-how of the employees and the value created by the brand and the marketing system ensure long-term success.

Positioning

as Thought Leader. The most successful and largest companies in the world have worked hard to position themselves as thought leaders. With the right planning and strategy almost every company can achieve this positioning.

Company Goals

in terms of turnover, market share or return on investment. Achieving these goals is the basis for ensuring the success of the company and also for making a contribution to meaningful social change with your own company.

What can our management consultancy do for you?

We support our clients in all corporate functions that are important for their market success so that they can act as pioneers and thought leaders in their industry and make a difference. This includes the areas of strategy, business development, marketing, communications, sales, human resources and technology.

1. Strategy Consulting

Companies adapt their business model, market strategy and organization to keep pace with changes in markets and customer behavior. Even better: With the right strategy and positioning (e.g. as thought leader), companies lead and drive the market themselves in the long term.

As strategy consultants to our clients, we know that a corporate strategy is not just a project, but should be continuously monitored, optimized and effectively controlled in its implementation. Therefore, Thought Leader Systems offers project-by-project but also on-site support as part of our customers' team. Our strategy consulting achieves a great deal:

  • Review of the position and positioning of the company in the economic environment,
  • Realignment of business models or marketing strategies,
  • Establishment, spin-off and new company formation
  • Market entry strategies, and internationalization of your business,
  • Design of business ventures such as spin-offs, mergers, integration of acquisitions,
  • Monitoring and control of organizational change (change management).

2. Digital Transformation Consulting

Digital transformation is probably the currently most discussed - and most strained - term in corporate strategy. In some companies, this involves transferring the previous business model to digital platforms. Some companies see digital transformation as a realignment of marketing, sales and customer service to the online world. Other companies question their entire business model and test Digital Disruption - before they can be attacked from the outside by newcomers.
Why do you deal with digital transformation? What drives your company? Where do you see your company and your business model in five and in ten years? Where are the greatest levers for exploiting the potential of digital transformation?

At Thought Leader Systems, we have worked intensively on the market success of global market leaders who have changed entire industries or created new ones. We know how and why Google, Amazon and Co. have become thought leaders. And we pass on this knowledge and apply it together with you. So that your company is strengthened as market leader and opinion leader in its industry.

We work on the digital transformation of companies into medium-sized businesses and corporations with the following topics:

  • Digital Business Transformation: Positioning for digital transformation in the company with status analysis, identification of opportunities and challenges and generation of business ideas (Business Model Innovation),
  • Digital Transformation Strategy: Opportunities and challenges of possible digital disruption, integration of the TLS think tank for trend scouting, best practice and strategy development with creativity techniques (Design Thinking),
  • Digital transformation in marketing: Realignment of marketing in the company for the digital era with transition from push to pull marketing (inbound marketing) and integrated online marketing,
  • Digital Transformation Management: Adaptation of the company organization and management structure for digital transformation in the company. Support and strategy office for the Chief Digital Officer and Digital Transformation Manager,
  • Digital transformation for medium-sized companies: Specific digitization concepts for medium-sized companies with B2B sales, international markets and multi-channel sales,
  • Digital transformation for financial services players: Digital market development strategies and business model development for banks, fund houses, FinTechs (B2C & B2B), private banking and business banking as well as asset managers.

3. Marketing Advice

Our management team has itself borne responsibility for national and international brands. We have led marketing organizations and know that many marketing teams are in the middle of the digital transformation. The previous division into functions (e.g. advertising, direct marketing, events) is giving way to integrated and agile marketing teams that manage cross-channel marketing campaigns and are effectively supported by marketing technology. Therefore we offer a wide range of support as marketing consultants:

  • Development of marketing strategies and marketing concepts,
  • Innovative brand management - from brand development to the management of brand portfolios,
  • Management audit of marketing teams, marketing budgets and agency relationships,
  • Organization and process management of marketing teams including Agile Marketing,
  • Implementation of innovative customer intelligence models such as Buyer Persona Management and Customer Journey,
  • Planning the use of state-of-the-art marketing methods such as inbound marketing and account-based marketing
    Networking and effective cooperation of marketing and sales (Marketing & Sales Alignment),
  • Management and performance review of marketing budgets and marketing resource management systems (MRM).

4. Sales Consulting

Sales teams benefit significantly from the digital transformation, especially in B2B sales, if the resulting potential is properly exploited and challenges are properly addressed. Today, customers are better informed than ever before through the Internet and face the sales team as partners at eye level.

Successful sales today therefore means supporting and advising customers neutrally in their decision-making process with helpful content and useful decision-making aids. In this way, customers gain confidence and experience your company as a thought leader, i.e. as the trusted thought leader in the market. With this sales positioning you create emotionally connected customers who actively recommend your company to others.

We support you in answering the leading questions of your sales strategy and operations:

  • What opportunities and challenges will determine the success of your sales in the coming years?
  • How do you achieve your new customer goals and how will your business with existing customers develop?
  • Is your sales organization and compensation structure optimally equipped for multi-channel management?
  • How do you make your sales force fit for the digital age?
  • How do you exploit the opportunities of e-commerce and direct sales, especially in B2B sales?
  • Is your sales process optimally linked with the lead generation of your marketing team?

As a strategic sales consultancy we create future security for your sales organisation:

  • Sales strategies for the development of new markets and sales potentials,
  • Sales concepts for new customer acquisition and existing customer care,
  • Sales optimization through performance analyses and sales audits,
  • Sales coaching for competence development for digital sales,
  • Distribution channel strategy in multi-channel sales for B2B sales and B2C sales.

As digital sales consultants, we make your sales team fit for the digital era:

  • Digital Selling through education and training for partner-oriented selling (Inbound Sales),
  • Sales training for contact initiation to leads and sales via social media (social selling),
  • Sales Enablement, i.e. sales support with content, training and coaching along the customer journey,
  • Customer relationship management by optimizing existing CRM systems and lead scoring models,
  • Integrated sales IT systems by linking CRM system and marketing automation software.

5. Online Marketing Consulting

Classic online marketing is coming under pressure. Traditional online marketing is becoming more and more expensive and less effective. This leads to high pressure of expectations on marketing teams and marketing managers. Many management and sales managers also wonder whether the often very high costs of online advertising are paying off.

  • The rapidly increasing costs of online advertising (SEA) and search engine optimization are straining many marketing budgets. Even the best online advertising fizzles out as soon as a classic online marketing campaign comes to an end and the budget for Google AdWords ads is exhausted.
  • Online marketing has developed into an uncoordinated flood of specialist disciplines. More and more marketing directors and chief marketing officers demand strategic coordination and integration of content marketing, social media marketing, online advertising, email marketing, and SEO.

Does your company gain the right leads through online marketing? Is your online marketing only aimed at lead acquisition or does it also develop and support acquired interested parties individually up to their purchase decision (lead nurturing)? Do you also conduct online marketing for existing customers to increase customer lifetime value or to strengthen customer loyalty and willingness to recommend?

Online Marketing 2.0 means integrated online marketing campaigns. All online marketing instruments are harmoniously coordinated, like in an orchestra, and act together in strategically planned marketing campaigns for the most important buyer personas. In the new online marketing, it is not the special knowledge of SEO or social media that dominates, but the knowledge of the customer journey - and with which instrument one can reach customers most effectively in which phase.

We support you specifically in the optimization and realignment of your online marketing for more effectiveness, performance and future-proofing. As architects and site managers for your online marketing, we look at both the marketing instruments and the tools, processes and skills of your teams.

We have a lot to offer for more performance of your online marketing, i.e. more leads and customer transactions:

  • Independent online marketing consultancy for digital brand building and digital performance management,
  • Development of buyer-persona strategies and introduction of buyer-persona management in the company,
  • Customer-journey analysis of customer behavior in the online world of your market,
  • Individual, measurable and effective online marketing strategies for companies, organizations, and NGOs,
  • Event-related online marketing concepts for new brands, product launches or brand relaunches,
  • Integrated online marketing campaigns with strategic and semantic search engine optimization (SEO),
  • Online advertising campaigns (including Google AdWords and PCC advertising), content marketing and social media marketing,
  • Increased online marketing performance by optimizing budget usage and increasing efficiency for better conversions, lead generation and customer acquisition,
  • Online performance audit for corporate websites and online platforms including Google Analytics Review, user experience optimization and conversion rate optimization,
  • Restructuring and conversion optimization of websites through growth-driven design for various content management systems (e.g. Typo3, Hubspot CMS, Adobe Experience Manager, Magnolia, CoreMedia and First Spirit).

6. Communications Consulting

Corporate communication in the digital era defines new rules of the game for internal and external communication. This applies to the dialogue with all stakeholders: customers, employees, and management, as well as for the press and public, politics, and associations.

  • The traditional communication instruments such as public relations, internal communication, CSR, corporate publishing, employer branding are experiencing a new era of multi-channel communication. Today, corporate communication does not only run in press articles and background discussions but also in real-time via intranet and internet, web platforms, social media, and email.
  • A first-class partner for communication consulting has all these channels in view and provides you with comprehensive and neutral advice on all instruments of corporate communication. Such a partner helps you to find the right mix of communication channels, messages and content, brand faces, and relationship building mechanisms in every situation.
Corporate communication has long since ceased to be about setting topics or placing messages, but rather about building long-term and trusting relationships with all market participants. That's why Thought Leader Systems brings its high level of expertise in content marketing and storytelling, public relations, change management, corporate & digital publishing as well as HR communications, change leadership, and social media to strategic communications consulting. As the leading communications consultancy in Frankfurt, we offer strategic, conceptual, and creative support for corporations and medium-sized businesses, institutions, associations, and NGOs. To this end, we offer all-important communication disciplines.

6a. Our strategic communications consulting - shapes your leading position in the market

Communicative positioning as the thought leader for companies, brands, and brand representatives (brand faces). Design of the appearance in the daily and trade press, in social media, with multipliers and influencers, as well as at trade events (e.g. through keynote speeches).
Communication consulting for brands and products, communicative market launch of corporate brands and products, communicative support for your brand management, creating awareness for brands through reporting and your own contributions in target media.
Communication strategy for new opinions and innovations, communication of innovative ideas and generation of increased public awareness for messages of your company. The goal is the lasting opinion leadership in the market.
Public relations strategy and PR concepts to secure a permanent place for companies, products, or non-commercial content in the topic agenda of relevant media.
Communication Strategies for Online Reputation Management and Preventive Crisis Management
Management of the relationships of opinion leaders, multipliers, and key opinion leaders (KOL management) in your industry, especially for products in need of explanation (e.g. pharmaceutical companies).
Holistic support as a PR agency with all-round service in the area of public relations and corporate publishing

6b. Our consulting for change communications - accelerates the change in your company

Support during change processes in companies by developing strategies and communication concepts. Internal and external communication in new corporate strategies, value and culture change, digital transformation, leadership change, reorganization, internationalization, mergers and acquisitions.
Communicative support of personnel change in management teams and organisations through team building, interactive communication formats and internal events (e.g. workshops, management events, employee events).
Strategies for consistent and motivating corporate messaging for campaigns and stakeholder communication with core messages, key visuals, and campaign claims for change processes.
Visible and tangible implementation of change communications in informative and emotional media formats such as high-end presentations, large-scale media shows, campaign branding, interactive web platforms (websites, mobile apps, blogs, intranet), videos (reports, motivational films, corporate storytelling) and productions (e.g. experience areas, mobile installations, internal trade fair presence).

6c. Our consulting for internal communication - creates identification and enthusiasm in your company

Internal thought leadership for CEO and management to reach the minds and hearts of the very people who are committed to the joint success of the company.
Strategies for the integration of employees to identify with the company, the brand and the strategic orientation of the company.
Management communication and personnel communication in line organizations and project organizations.
Concepts for event-driven internal communication (e.g. quarterly results, CEO messages) with tailored communication messages, communication cascades, media and event formats.
Internal agenda setting in the company to promote important topics and messages in the company.
Support in the design of all relevant internal communication media in print, video, online and social media. Implementation of employee magazine, intranet, employee survey, internal benchmark analyses, management media.

6d. Our consulting for corporate communications - creates a sustainable image for your company

Corporate Identity: Professional corporate design and corporate branding for national and international brands. Development of individual corporate language for communication with customers and the public.
Corporate Brands: Brand campaigns with integrated communication campaigns from print to PR to social media.
Corporate Brand Faces: Profiling of company representatives as thought leaders and brand faces in public (brand faces) through content management on corporate websites and blogs, through media contributions, interviews and speaker appearances.
Corporate Messaging: Development of long-term corporate messages on current corporate issues and future topics - the optimal basis for corporate publishing, PR, internal communication and thought leadership communication.
Corporate Media: Conception, maintenance and promotion of corporate blogs and blogs of brand representatives (brand faces). Conception, editing and promotion of weekly and daily email newsletters (e.g. customer newsletter in the morning).
Media Relations & Investor Relations: Development of the media strategy and investor relations strategy with conception of a corporate publication (e.g. employee magazine, customer magazine, investor publications).
Issues Management: Development of topic management, customer intelligence and market intelligence. Continuous competition monitoring (topics, image, reputation) as well as trend scouting with the help of our think tank for early development and occupation of the corporate topics of the future.

6e. Our consulting for Corporate Social Responsibility - strengthens your company for the benefit and well-being of all

Value and vision development to sharpen the social mission of the company
Derivation of corporate social responsibility concepts from the corporate and brand strategy
Support in defining and implementing codes of conduct and industry codes of conduct
Building opinion leadership for social issues as thought leader
Conception, development and support of CSR bodies such as scientific advisory boards, expert groups or association groups
Networking and cooperation with opinion leaders, multipliers (influencers), industry thought leaders and stakeholders (institutions and non-governments)
Conception of CSR programs for the public, customers and employees as well as communicative support
Evaluation and monitoring of ongoing CSR programmes and projects
Conception and foundation of social entrepreneurship projects

6f. Our consulting for employer branding - creates attraction and resonance with your talents in the market

Status analysis and development of an optimal and attractive employer positioning.
Building employer thought leadership and preference among talents, applicants and high potentials.
Implementation of innovative instruments of personnel marketing such as active candidate approach (Active Sourcing) and relationship building via content management (Inbound Recruiting).
Development and implementation of multimedia personnel marketing campaigns - from personnel advertisements to print/online advertising to our own web platforms and talent communities on the Internet.
Development of an interdisciplinary HR competence centre with communication and personnel marketing specialists, PR and media experts, online and IT specialists (web & app, intranet, social media) and experts for university marketing.

Make your business "Future Fit" - with strategic management consulting for forward thinkers

Business Strategy: Work with us on the strategic tasks of your company. Align your business strategy and business model to the markets of the future. Revise your business strategy and customer segmentation for the digital era.


Business Transformation: We support you in the implementation of your projects for business expansion, digital transformation and thought leadership of your company, your brand and your customer relationships.


Change Leadership: We holistically manage your change processes when implementing new business models, strategies and thought leadership initiatives. In this way we lead forward-looking concepts to success for the benefit and well-being of all parties involved.

Integrieren Sie Marketing, Vertrieb und Kommunikation – für mehr Effizienz und Schlagkraft

Digital Marketing & Sales: Align your marketing, sales and communication teams for the digital future. For more power, efficiency and creativity.


Developing markets: Barriers to market development and market cultivation are identified and removed. Unused business potential, marketing opportunities and unattained customer groups are tackled together.

Leverage market potential: Products and business models that do not yet have sufficient resonance with the target group are optimized or relaunched through joint marketing, sales and communication activities.

Strengthen brand power: Structural or systemic deficits of a brand, a team or a strategy implementation are identified and compensated. Teams are strengthened in their qualification and cooperation.

Strengthen your business - Build your system


Business Systems: Expand your products and services into an integrated performance system and develop new systems through innovation.

Turning customers into fans: Intensify targeted customer relationships, build up a community of your customers and create your own communication platforms for this purpose.

Intellectual Property Management: Use your company's intellectual property such as patents, copyrights, content and know-how to market knowledge-based products and services.


Market success of innovations: Accelerate the market entry and market penetration of new products (go-to-market management) Increase the resonance and acceptance of your innovations among customer target groups - from product enthusiasts to conservative target groups (Diffusion of Innovations).