The Strategist Group

What The Strategist Group does

The Strategist Group is a privately held, for-profit business strategy and product marketing consulting firm founded in 2019 and headquartered in Arvada, Colorado (Denver metro). It is led by founder Debra Zimmer, Chief Marketing Strategist, whose prior senior marketing roles at Microsoft (including responsibility for a $1B+ business unit) and Intel form the firm's primary credibility base. The firm serves a mix of small businesses and mid-market clients, ranging from local consumer and professional services brands (Proskins, Hix Vocal & Piano, Mission Yogurt, West 29th, Core Values/TIGERS) to larger enterprise-adjacent engagements (Microsoft, Idea360).

The firm's core offering is its proprietary Strategic Story Framework, extended through a portfolio of packaged deliverables including Go-to-Market Strategy, Customer Journey Mapping, Competitor Analysis, Messaging & Positioning, Product-Market Fit assessment, and Product Launch Planning. It also surfaces four distinct engagement models — Fractional CMO, Marketing Project, embedded Team Member, and Advisor (ad-hoc) — to accommodate different commitment levels and client scales.

The business model is service-based, monetized through custom consulting fees plus a productized entry layer of fixed-price assessments at $599 (Basic) and $999 (Emerging). Distribution relies on a partner ecosystem spanning corporate strategy consultants, marketing agencies, product marketing leaders, Microsoft, Idea360, the SBDC, Crazy Good Marketing, and Stasko Agency, supplemented by UpCity Featured Partner visibility. Geographic footprint is United States only, with no disclosed funding and a stated headcount of 1-10 employees, indicating a small, founder-anchored consultancy.

Name

The Strategist Group

Legal name

The Strategist Group

Website

https://thestrategistgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Strategist Group is a US-based, founder-led business strategy and product marketing consultancy serving SMBs and mid-market clients with a proprietary Strategic Story Framework, productized assessments, and fractional CMO services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHACAA

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Management Consulting

SECONDARYBPAHACAB

Operations & Process Improvement Consulting

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Management Consulting

SECONDARYBPAFAIAG

Content Strategy & Planning

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Content Marketing & Production (Copy, Video, Design)

Keywords

• Business strategy consulting
• Product marketing services
• Go-to-market strategy
• Market research services
• Brand positioning consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Strategic Assessment Services: Tiered assessment packages ranging from $599 basic template review to bespoke multi-product service assessments with custom pricing. Initial engagement to identify strategic gaps.
2. Ongoing Consulting Engagements: Flexible consulting arrangements including Fractional CMO, Marketing Project, Team Member, and Advisor ad-hoc services. Work is project-based or retainer-style depending on client needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Strategist Group is a boutique consulting firm that helps businesses clarify market positioning, build differentiated go-to-market strategies, and execute product launches through its proprietary Strategic Story Framework for Action. Services are delivered via tiered Strategic Assessment packages and four engagement models (Fractional CMO, Marketing Project, Team Member, and Advisor ad-hoc), targeting companies from funded startups to enterprise divisions across B2B, B2C, and SaaS.

Product overview

The Strategist Group is a business strategy and product marketing consulting firm that offers a unified portfolio of consulting services rather than a software product. The core offerings include strategic planning frameworks (Strategic Story Framework for Action), go-to-market strategy services, customer journey mapping, competitor analysis, messaging, positioning, and product launch planning. These services are delivered through flexible engagement models (Fractional CMO, Marketing Project, Team Member, Advisor ad-hoc) and supported by a tiered assessment product (Strategic Assessment Basic at $599, Emerging at $999, and Established with custom pricing). The firm is led by Chief Marketing Strategist Debra Zimmer and uses Human Centered Design principles to drive strategy development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Assessment Tiered strategic assessment package that inventories current strategy, identifies what is working and what is not, and produces a written assessment of findings; available at $599 for one product/service (Basic), $999 for two products/services with deeper review (Emerging), and custom pricing for multi-product comprehensive review (Established). For small businesses and emerging growth companies seeking an initial strategic gap analysis.
• Fractional CMO Provides consistent marketing leadership to guide and oversee marketing efforts that are strategically aligned and on track to meet OKRs and KPIs; retainer-style engagement. For businesses that need senior marketing leadership without a full-time hire.
• Marketing Project Full or part-time consultant resource for specific marketing projects with a clear beginning and end deliverable. For businesses needing focused project execution on a defined scope.
• Team Member Experienced team player embedded into existing marketing teams with more work than headcount, capable of working independently and coaching others. For marketing teams needing additional capacity.
• Advisor ad-hoc Occasional ad-hoc guidance of a marketing leader who can advise on strategy and prioritization of tactics. For leadership teams needing senior marketing perspective on demand.
• Strategic Story Framework for Action A simple, memorable, actionable strategic planning framework that moves from strategic planning ideation to aligned implementation, summarizing meeting outputs in story format, identifying gaps, and making recommendations for next steps. For companies needing a structured way to translate strategy into execution.
• Go-To-Market Strategy Strategic consulting deliverable that defines the target audience, customer personas, messaging, and product positioning blueprint that determines the success of the product launch. For companies preparing to launch a product or entering a new market.
• Customer Journey Mapping Strategic consulting service that illustrates and defines the steps customers go through in engaging with the company, mapping content, collateral, and resources to each persona at each step of their journey. For companies seeking to improve customer engagement.
• Competitor Analysis Strategic consulting service that assesses the strengths and weaknesses of competitors to identify opportunities and threats, enabling refinement of positioning, content, roadmap, and win/loss programs. For companies needing to differentiate in competitive markets.
• Messaging and Positioning Strategy consulting service that defines how the company communicates its value to customers and how it solves their problems, conveying competitive advantage by distinguishing the brand/product from competitors. For companies seeking differentiated market presence.
• Product Launch Plan Strategy consulting service detailing the tasks and timelines of marketing activities to drive user engagement with a new product/service or feature, outlining goals, strategy, and tasks for each team member. For companies launching new products or features.
• Market Research Systematic approach to collecting data on customer wants and needs using both qualitative and quantitative methods to identify target markets and purchase motivations. For companies entering new markets or seeking deeper customer insight.

Quantifiable outcome

• Exponential growth acceleration for clients
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Corporate Strategy Consultants & FacilitatorscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBusiness strategy consultants and facilitators partner with The Strategist Group to help bridge the gap between strategy meeting outputs and detailed implementation plans. They refer clients who need go-to-market expertise.
• Marketing Consultants & Marketing AgenciescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketing consultants and agencies partner to fill gaps in their clients' strategy so go-to-market activities will maximize impact. The Strategist Group delivers the marketing strategy needed when clients have nothing but hope.
• Product Marketing LeaderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct marketing leaders engage The Strategist Group during mergers, acquisitions, funding rounds, or rapid expansion. They bring structure to product versions 1, 2, or 3 during ambiguous times.
• MicrosoftminorGTM or Marketing PartnerClient and partner logo displayed on website indicating working relationship.
• Idea360minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing agency partner; co-presented work includes new website and marketing campaigns.
• Denver Metro Small Business Development CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for speaking engagements and small business education programs. Debra Zimmer presented 'Five Steps to Social Media' success for the SBDC.
• Crazy Good MarketingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketing partner network relationship indicated by logo presence.
• Stasko AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketing partner agency relationship indicated by logo presence.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chief Outsiders: Fractional CMO and marketing strategy consultancy serving SMBs and mid-market. Directly comparable to The Strategist Group's Fractional CMO and strategic assessment offerings, and is one of the most established players in the same boutique fractional-marketing category.
• SmartBug Media: B2B marketing strategy and demand generation consultancy offering strategic planning, GTM, and inbound marketing. Overlaps with The Strategist Group's GTM, messaging, and positioning offerings for B2B and SaaS clients.
• Hawke Media: Full-service marketing consultancy and fractional CMO provider serving SMBs through enterprise. Comparable business model and client size range, with a larger scale and similar emphasis on flexible, advisory-led marketing engagements.
• Bluetext: Digital strategy, branding, and marketing agency serving B2B and technology clients. Directly comparable in providing integrated strategy, messaging, and digital campaign execution.
• IMPACT: B2B marketing strategy and sales enablement consultancy known for 'They Ask, You Answer' methodology. Comparable strategic content and GTM planning focus, targeting mid-market B2B and SaaS companies like The Strategist Group's SaaS segment.
• Fractl: Content marketing and SEO strategy consultancy that combines market research with content strategy. Overlaps with The Strategist Group's content strategy, market research, and thought leadership planning offerings.
• Weidert Group: B2B industrial marketing agency offering strategy, content, and demand generation. Comparable mid-market B2B client focus, with overlapping services in messaging, positioning, and go-to-market planning.

Others

• UpCity: B2B services marketplace where The Strategist Group is a featured partner. Acts as a discovery and lead-generation channel, providing adjacency rather than direct consulting competition.

Broad incumbents

• Hero Digital: Larger digital strategy and customer experience consultancy. Comparable marketing strategy and customer journey mapping services but at enterprise scale and with broader delivery capabilities.
• Bain & Company: Global management consulting firm offering corporate and business strategy. Sets the upper-bound benchmark for strategy consulting services The Strategist Group competes against for higher-end engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Strategist Group