Pillar 01 · Strategy
Strategy
Board-level strategy built on evidence, not instinct. I turn what your data and your customers tell you into a one-year plan: the products to push, the calendar, the budget and the numbers we track together.
Marketing & Business Growth · Ireland
Leonard Advisory helps ambitious Irish organisations grow, from agribusinesses to credit unions and SMEs. Research that finds the real opportunity, strategy grounded in evidence, and hands-on delivery that turns marketing spend into enquiries, customers and growth.
A Common Business Problem
"It never ceases to amaze me how many companies rely on gut feeling rather than engage in market research."
- Jamie Leonard, Leonard Advisory
The businesses that grow consistently aren't the ones with the biggest budgets. They're the ones who understand their market better than anyone else - who know what their customers actually think, where their competitors are vulnerable, and exactly where the opportunity lies.
Most businesses don't invest in that understanding. They skip the research, assume they know the answer, and wonder why the strategy doesn't deliver. The problem was never execution. It was the foundation.
After 20 years working with businesses across agri-food, media and financial services, that pattern never changes.
How We Work
Every engagement follows the same four-phase framework - because sustainable growth requires the right sequence, not just the right ideas.
Discover
Market and customer research, competitive analysis, lending or sales data by product.
Understanding the real challenge, not the assumed one.
Strategise
Growth strategy, brand positioning, value proposition and channel planning.
Board-ready recommendations built on data.
Execute
Campaign rollout, media and PR, events and digital activation.
Hands-on delivery - not just slide decks left on a desk.
Measure
KPI tracking, NPS analysis and continuous refinement.
Strategies that evolve with the business.
Free - all four phases in one PDF
What I Do
Pillar 01 · Strategy
Board-level strategy built on evidence, not instinct. I turn what your data and your customers tell you into a one-year plan: the products to push, the calendar, the budget and the numbers we track together.
Pillar 02 · Research
Most decisions are made on assumption. I run the research that replaces gut feeling with evidence: member or customer surveys with an NPS baseline, product-by-product analysis and the awareness gaps that need closing.
Pillar 03 · Digital
If there is no formal lead generation in place, I build it. The right channels and targeting, product landing pages and trackable links across Google Ads, Meta and Instagram, with conversion tracking and a clear cost per lead.
Pillar 04 · Brand
One design system, a colour for each product, so every ad looks and feels like the same organisation. Built with your design agency or as editable Canva templates. Social content, video and full rebrands when needed.
Pillar 05 · PR
Earned coverage builds trust you cannot buy. With 20 years pitching and placing stories, I turn everyday news into coverage: a sponsorship becomes content, a launch becomes news. National, local and trade media, plus media training.
Pillar 06 · Reporting
The board and management team get commentary and figures they can rely on. Lending or sales analysis, digital insights and research findings, with every euro of spend tied back to the goal, from enquiries to drawdowns or orders.
Pillar 07 · Workshops
Some conversations are too important to chair yourself. I run strategy days and offsites as an independent facilitator and leave the room with clear decisions, owners and deadlines. Plus training and mentoring for your marketer.
Pillar 08 · Events
A launch, an open day, a branch opening or a show stand. I have run everything from 700-delegate indoor events to 44,000 sq ft stands at the National Ploughing Championships. Built to earn press coverage.
A Fractional CMO gives you the strategic thinking, campaign oversight and board-level direction of a marketing director, at a fraction of the cost.
About
Founder & Managing Director
With over 20 years of senior commercial experience, Jamie Leonard has built a track record of driving growth for some of Ireland's most respected organisations. Leonard Advisory was founded on a simple belief - that businesses which invest in understanding their market before acting consistently outperform those that don't.
Jamie began his career in regional media before joining the Irish Farmers Journal, where he led the circulation and marketing department for over a decade. During that time he spearheaded the organisation's transition from print to a multi-channel subscription model, led large-scale market research programmes, managed national campaigns across print, digital, radio and events, and served as a Board Director and Treasurer of Agri Aware, the Irish agri-food educational body.
Most recently, Jamie served as Director of Agribusiness at ifac, one of Ireland's leading advisory firms for the agri and SME sectors. Working directly with boards and senior leadership teams across financial services, agri-food, media, renewable energy and manufacturing, he led strategy design, business transformation and high-profile public relations campaigns for a diverse client portfolio. Today, through Leonard Advisory, he works hands-on with agribusinesses, credit unions, manufacturers and SMEs across Ireland, on strategy, marketing, public relations and growth.
Jamie holds a Master's in Marketing from TU Dublin, a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Digital Marketing Institute, a Higher Diploma in Marketing Practice and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Galway. He is a Full Member of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (MPRII).
News
New boutique consultancy brings senior commercial expertise in Strategy, Marketing, Public Relations, Research as well as a Fractional CMO service to Irish SMEs and agri-food businesses.
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