Marketing a Startup vs. Marketing a Legacy Brand: What Every Consultant Should Know

In the world of marketing and brand strategy, one size never fits all. That’s especially true when you're working with brands at very different stages of their life cycle—whether it’s a startup looking to break through or a legacy brand trying to stay relevant. As someone who has built brands from the ground up (like Block and Flow), and unified legacy businesses into a new market-ready identity (Well Groomed Lawns), I’ve seen firsthand how different the playbooks really are.

Here’s what I’ve learned—and what I bring into every consulting relationship.

• Startups: Storytelling, Speed & Adaptability

• Legacy Brands: Evolution Over Reinvention

• The Consultant’s Advantage

Startups: Storytelling, Speed & Adaptability

Startups are all about momentum. They move fast, test quickly, and rely on storytelling to build trust before there's any brand equity to stand on. When I’m consulting with an early-stage company, the focus is on three key areas:

• Defining the Brand DNA Early Every visual and verbal decision matters. Your logo, tone, and positioning set the tone for product, culture, and perception.

• Marketing with Agility Launch strategies need to be flexible, cost-effective, and data-informed. I typically recommend lean campaigns that can be quickly tested and scaled—like email flows, early influencer partnerships, or hyper-local activations.

• Creating a Strong Digital Foundation A clear, conversion-friendly website paired with solid SEO basics ensures you’re visible when people go looking. If your brand isn't Google-able, it might as well not exist.

  
  

Legacy Brands: Evolution Over Reinvention

With established businesses, the challenge isn’t building awareness—it’s preserving trust while modernizing the message. I worked with multiple acquired companies under Rock Edge Investments to reimagine their positioning under the Well Groomed Lawns brand, which involved:

• Auditing and Realigning the Brand Architecture We assessed what to keep, what to evolve, and what to sunset—all while honoring the brand equity that already existed.

• Creating Cohesive Messaging Across Touchpoints When a customer has known you for years, inconsistent or “trendy” messaging can feel jarring. I focus on helping legacy brands grow while still feeling like themselves.

• Integrating New Marketing Systems Legacy brands often rely on outdated or fragmented tools. I help teams modernize their stack—introducing scalable platforms for email marketing, analytics, and automated campaigns that support long-term growth.

  
  

The Marketing and Branding Consultant's Advantage

Being a marketing and branding consultant means being able to zoom in on the details while keeping your eye on the long-term arc. Whether I’m launching a brand from scratch or refining an existing one, I approach every project with a balance of structure, creativity, and collaboration.

Startups need belief. Legacy brands need evolution. I help clients find the path to both.