We First Branding
We First Branding is a privately-held B2B brand strategy consultancy that helps Fortune 500 and large enterprise clients define and activate purpose-driven brand narratives using its proprietary Growth Through Purpose™ methodology, supplemented by books, a podcast, training, and an annual summit.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersVenice, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What We First Branding does
We First Branding (WeFirst, Inc.) is a privately-held B2B brand strategy consultancy founded circa 2010 by Simon Mainwaring and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The firm operates with a small team of 1-10 employees and serves large enterprise clients through purpose-driven brand strategy consulting engagements. Its proprietary 'Growth Through Purpose™' methodology helps organizations redesign their brand trust, meaning, and credibility contracts with stakeholders, anchored in the principle of 'narrative integrity' across the enterprise.
The company serves Fortune 500 and other large-enterprise clients across diverse sectors including materials science (Avery Dennison), apparel and footwear (VF Corporation), eyecare (VSP Vision), seafood (Thai Union), and urgent care (Exer Urgent Care). Revenue is generated primarily through professional services consulting engagements on a quote-based pricing model. Supplementary revenue streams come from thought leadership products: two published books ('We First' and 'Lead With We'), a podcast, the We First Works online training platform, an email newsletter, and the annual We First Brand Leadership Summit, which is capped at 200 attendees and has sold out.
Go-to-market is enterprise field sales supplemented by founder-led thought leadership, content marketing through an active blog, case study distribution, and the annual summit. The firm has no disclosed external funding, no parent company, no patents, and no third-party partnerships. Geographic scope is described as 'Global' but the client and operational footprint is concentrated in North America. The business is highly dependent on the founder's personal brand and authored authority.
We First Branding firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- We First Branding
- Legal name
- WeFirst, Inc.
- Website
- https://wefirstbranding.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- We First Branding is a privately-held B2B brand strategy consultancy that helps Fortune 500 and large enterprise clients define and activate purpose-driven brand narratives using its proprietary Growth Through Purpose™ methodology, supplemented by books, a podcast, training, and an annual summit.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
We First Branding industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Brand Strategy Consulting
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (54181), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Brand Strategy & Positioning (BPAFAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainability & Purpose Brand Design (ESG Narrative, Impact Branding) (MPAAAEAL), Content & Messaging Strategy (Positioning, Narrative) (MPAAAFAK), Cause/Sustainability & Purpose-Driven Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAL)
Keywords
Where We First Branding is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Venice
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
We First Branding business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Brand Strategy Consulting: Professional services engagements with enterprise clients for purpose-driven brand transformation, strategy development, and activation. Services include brand purpose definition, narrative integrity development, and stakeholder engagement strategies.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
We First Branding product offering
Product offeringCore offering
We First Branding provides purpose-driven brand strategy and storytelling consulting to enterprise clients, helping them define their brand purpose, build narrative integrity, and activate stakeholder engagement. Core deliverables include brand purpose definition, narrative integrity development, stakeholder engagement strategy, and ongoing activation programs, delivered alongside thought leadership content, an annual summit, published books, a podcast, and the We First Works online training platform.
Product overview
We First Branding is a purpose-driven branding consultancy led by Simon Mainwaring that provides brand strategy and storytelling consulting services. The company offers a portfolio of integrated offerings including brand strategy consulting, the annual Brand Leadership Summit, two published books ('We First' and 'Lead With We'), a podcast series, and the We First Works online training platform. The core service offering centers on helping companies build brand coherence, resilience, and growth through purpose-aligned narrative integrity and authentic stakeholder storytelling.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Brand Strategy and Storytelling Consulting Purpose-driven brand strategy consulting that helps enterprise companies define and activate their brand purpose, build narrative integrity, and engage stakeholders across employees, supply chain, and customers.
- We First Brand Leadership Summit Annual summit bringing together global marketing experts, sustainability directors, and brand leaders for actionable strategies on purpose-driven branding and social impact.
- Lead With We (Book) Published book by Simon Mainwaring on collectivized purpose and business transformation, providing a blueprint for how business can drive social impact.
- We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World (Book) New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon bestseller laying out a transformative vision for purpose-first business, branding, and capitalism.
- Podcast and Content Series Simon Mainwaring's podcast featuring interviews with brand leaders on purpose-driven business, storytelling, and social impact strategies.
- We First Works Online training platform helping individuals and businesses define and activate their purpose through structured brand leadership training.
Quantifiable outcome
- Enabled Avery Dennison to establish industry leadership positioning
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use We First Branding
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
We First Branding technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
We First Branding partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
We First Branding competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Siegel+Gale: Global brand strategy and design firm with a strong emphasis on brand simplicity, narrative, and stakeholder engagement — closely adjacent to We First's narrative integrity methodology.
- Interbrand: Omnicom-owned global brand consultancy focused on brand strategy, naming, and design for major enterprises; competes for the same CMO-level brand strategy budget that We First targets.
- Edelman: Global communications firm with a major purpose/ESG practice (Edelman Trust, Brand Purpose & ESG) that competes with We First for enterprise brand purpose and stakeholder trust engagements.
- Accenture Song: Accenture's creative and brand experience practice that increasingly competes for enterprise brand transformation mandates, including purpose-led programs at a global delivery scale.
- Deloitte Digital: Deloitte's digital and creative consultancy with a sustainability/ESG brand strategy practice serving large multinationals — competes for the same enterprise purpose transformation budgets from a position of far greater scale.
- Landor & Fitch: WPP-owned global brand strategy and design consultancy serving Fortune 500 enterprises on brand positioning and transformation — overlaps heavily with We First's strategy work but at vastly greater scale and with broader services.
- FutureBrand (now Superunion): WPP-owned brand consultancy specializing in brand strategy and design for purpose-led enterprises, frequently publishing on sustainability and stakeholder-centric branding — directly comparable positioning.
Emerging players
- Futerra: Specialist sustainability creative agency and B Corp helping brands communicate on environmental and social impact — a smaller, more focused peer sharing We First's purpose-led positioning.
- Purpose Union: Boutique consultancy helping brands define and activate purpose strategies, with overlapping methodology and a similar enterprise-segment focus.
Direct peers
- Purposeful (formerly The & Partership London): Boutique consultancy that rebranded around purpose-driven business strategy, very closely aligned with We First's positioning on brand purpose, narrative integrity, and stakeholder trust-building for enterprises.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
We First Branding social profiles
Digital presenceWe First Branding financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
We First Branding leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
We First Branding funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
We First Branding M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about We First Branding
What does We First Branding do?
We First Branding provides purpose-driven brand strategy and storytelling consulting to enterprise clients, helping them define their brand purpose, build narrative integrity, and activate stakeholder engagement. Core deliverables include brand purpose definition, narrative integrity development, stakeholder engagement strategy, and ongoing activation programs, delivered alongside thought leadership content, an annual summit, published books, a podcast, and the We First Works online training platform.
Is We First Branding a public or private company?
We First Branding is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was We First Branding founded?
We First Branding was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is We First Branding based?
We First Branding is headquartered in Venice, United States, in the North America region.
How does We First Branding make money?
One revenue line is on record: brand Strategy Consulting.
Who are We First Branding's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Siegel+Gale, Interbrand, Edelman, Accenture Song, Deloitte Digital, Landor & Fitch and FutureBrand (now Superunion). Emerging players are Futerra and Purpose Union. Purposeful (formerly The & Partership London) is listed as a direct peer.
Does We First Branding have an API?
No public API is recorded for We First Branding.
What industry is We First Branding in?
We First Branding's product category is Brand Strategy Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAEAA, Brand Strategy & Positioning, with a secondary code of MPAAAEAL, Sustainability & Purpose Brand Design (ESG Narrative, Impact Branding). Its NAICS code is 54181 and its SIC code is 7311.