What Frank and Friends does

Frank and Friends is a London-based boutique marketing strategy consultancy founded in 2017 by Frank Durden. The firm provides marketing strategy, brand consultancy, organisational design, and training services to enterprise clients. Its stated client base spans blue-chip organisations across financial services (Barclays, First Direct, Investec, Wesleyan), consumer goods (Unilever, Dove), real estate (Grosvenor, Landmark), hospitality (IHG, Tottenham Hotspur), technology (Motorola), professional services (Grant Thornton), gaming (888casino), consumer products (Binatone, Bike Club), and intergovernmental organisations (United Nations). The breadth of named logos indicates horizontal diversification across at least eight industry verticals.

The firm operates through an asset-light model built around a curated network of specialist partners referred to as "friends," who are assembled on a project basis to supplement the core team's expertise. Disclosed headcount sits in the 1-10 employee range, consistent with a founder-led boutique structure rather than a scaled consultancy. The founder brings over 25 years of industry experience and claims to have personally added more than $1 billion in client value over his career, positioning the firm's value proposition around deep, senior-led expertise. The firm has developed a proprietary effectiveness methodology grounded in analysis of the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) database, providing a differentiated analytical framework.

The business model is project-based consulting, likely structured around retainer or fixed-fee engagements typical of boutique strategy firms, supplemented by training and course delivery through partnerships such as the APG (Account Planning Group). Revenue capacity is constrained by a stated allocation of approximately one-third of the founder's time to pro bono work, including a collaboration with the United Nations on a kindness initiative. This pro bono commitment functions as a brand-building mechanism but reduces billable capacity. No funding has been disclosed, and the firm appears to operate on a self-funded, cash-generative basis.

Name

Frank and Friends

Legal name

Frank and Friends

Website

https://frankandfriends.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

London-based boutique marketing strategy consultancy founded in 2017 by Frank Durden, serving blue-chip enterprise clients including Barclays, Unilever, and the United Nations through an asset-light model built on a curated specialist partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Marketing Strategy Consulting: Revenue is generated through bespoke consulting engagements covering brand strategy, organisational structure, portfolio architecture, business case development, effectiveness design, research, pitch consulting, and training. The firm charges for professional services delivered by founder Frank Durden and a network of specialist partners. Approximately one-third of Frank Durden's time is also allocated to pro bono work for good causes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Frank and Friends is a London-based marketing strategy consultancy that delivers bespoke consulting engagements covering brand positioning, organisational structure, portfolio architecture, business case development, effectiveness design, research deployment, pitch consulting, and training. Engagements are delivered directly by founder Frank Durden and a curated network of specialist partner firms to blue-chip clients, agencies, and industry bodies.

Product overview

Frank & Friends is a marketing strategy consultancy offering a portfolio of interconnected consulting services. The core offering consists of eight distinct but complementary service modules: Brand Positioning (strategic brand transformation), Organisational Structure (process and structure consulting), Portfolio Architecture (brand-led portfolio optimisation), Business Case Development (empirically-led business outcomes), Effectiveness Design and Implementation (measurement-based marketing investment), Research Development And Deployment (data interpretation and research commissioning), Pitch Consulting (new business support), and Training and Speaking (professional development courses). The firm combines rigorous brand and marketing strategy with discipline-specific expertise, delivered through a flexible network of specialist collaborators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Positioning

Quantifiable outcome

• Marketing campaigns with clear business objectives and effectiveness measurement are over 3x more likely to generate large business effects than others.

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KindredcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKindred is a creative agency with whom Frank Durden has collaborated on planning workshops and training for junior planners. Frank has worked directly with Kindred's team on developing core planning skills, including market understanding, briefing, and communications strategy.
• LeagasminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeagas is listed among the agency 'friends' of Frank & Friends, indicating a collaborative working relationship for brand and marketing strategy engagements.
• DMBminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDMB is listed among the agency 'friends' of Frank & Friends, indicating a collaborative working relationship.
• Two Bird Brand CollectiveminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrank collaborated with Two Bird Brand Collective (Laura Chapman and Lisa Wrake) on a kindness initiative for the United Nations. Listed among agency 'friends'.
• PimentocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPimento is described as a virtual agency that Frank works with from time to time, growing at an exponential rate with a new and different model. Referenced as an example of industry innovation and change.
• APG (Account Planning Group)coreOthersAPG is an industry body for planning and strategy professionals. Frank Durden runs the APG's 'Strategy for Solving Client Business Problems' course, contributing to the professional development of planners and strategists across the industry.
• IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising)minorOthersIPA is an industry body referenced extensively in Frank & Friends' thought leadership. Their research and effectiveness data (Binet & Field) underpins much of the firm's strategic methodology.
• Research NowminorOthersResearch Now is listed as a partner, suggesting a working relationship for commissioning quantitative research as part of the research development and deployment service.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Siegel+Gale: Global brand strategy and design consultancy (part of Brand New School within WPP). Comparable as a longstanding brand positioning and effectiveness-led consultancy competing for the same strategic mandates as Frank & Friends.
• Superunion: WPP-owned brand and design network formed from the merger of Brand Union, FITCH and other WPP brand shops. Comparable as a scaled brand strategy competitor offering brand positioning, portfolio architecture and organisational branding services.
• Interbrand: Global brand consultancy within Omnicom Group. Comparable as a major incumbent delivering the same brand positioning, architecture and strategy work that Frank & Friends competes for, but at materially greater scale.
• Prophet: Global brand and growth consultancy. Comparable as an established player in marketing strategy and effectiveness-led transformation, competing for many of the same blue-chip mandates.
• Landor & Fitch: Large WPP-owned brand strategy and design consultancy. Overlaps with Frank & Friends on brand positioning and portfolio architecture work for global enterprise clients, but with substantially deeper delivery resources.
• Wolff Olins: Global brand consultancy now part of Accenture Song. Overlaps directly with Frank & Friends' brand positioning and organisational design capabilities but operates at much larger scale with broader service portfolios.

Direct peers

• The Clearing: A small UK-based brand and innovation consultancy. Directly comparable to Frank & Friends as a boutique offering strategic brand and business transformation work for enterprise clients with a bespoke, partner-led delivery model.
• VCCP: Independent London integrated agency with a dedicated strategy practice. Overlaps with Frank & Friends on planning, pitch support and effectiveness work for enterprise clients, with similar London-base and blue-chip client overlap.
• eatbigfish: A London-headquartered strategic consultancy focused on challenger brand strategy. Comparable because it operates in the same niche of small, specialised brand strategy advisory serving enterprise clients with a methodology-led proposition.
• Mother: Independent London creative agency with a strong strategic planning function. Comparable because it sells integrated strategic thinking to similar blue-chip clients and operates with a partner-led, lean-delivery model like Frank & Friends.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frankandfriends

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 Frank and Friends