Julia Kinner & Associates SA

𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝟮𝗖 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀.

JK & Associates is a Swiss boutique consulting firm specializing in growth strategies for 𝗕𝟮𝗖 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀. We develop and implement comprehensive Business Growth Models. 

We serve both incumbents and disruptive innovators across seven industries: 
𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 (𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲), 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗰𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹, 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵, 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

JK & A helps our clients to identify, acquire and retain their most profitable customer segments. To do so, we follow the "𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵" 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 which precisely defines growth opportunities across different consumer segments and key strategic levers to address them.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀

- We are the only consulting firm with exclusive focus on B2C marketplaces, services and subscriptions.
- We follow a holistic approach that covers strategy and execution.
- We are consumer-back and design strategies that meet consumer demand.

To learn more about us and book a free introduction call, please visit juliakinnerassociates.com.

Managing Director and Growth Consultant 

I am available for consultations via GLG.

Industry Expert

Salt Mobile SA

Salt is the third largest and fastest growing telecommunications provider in Switzerland making 1b yearly revenue.

• Leading the Marketing Department with 25 employees (Budget: 25m): E-Commerce (Website and E-Shop), Product Management (Landline, Postpaid, Prepaid), Customer Value Management, Branding, and Campaign Management

• Responsible for the brand presence across all Above-The-Line (ATL) and Below-The-Line (BTL) communication channels, ensuring brand conformity in accordance with guidelines and brand values

• Developing, creating, executing, and coordinating all Point-of-Sale (POS) and trade communication activities. Defining the annual program based on the Marketing Roadmap

• Overall management of media planning and media purchasing

• Strategic development of digital marketing and creative direction in new media (website, e-shop, intranet, social media presence)

• Establishing a benchmark brand presence integrated with sales and service messages

• Rebranding

Chief Marketing Officer Member of the Management Board 

Sunrise GmbH

Sunrise is the second largest telecommunications provider in Switzerland making 3b yearly revenue.


Senior Marketing Manager Customer Value Management

Leading +20 cross-functional projects to reduce customer defection and increase CLTV creating incremental value of +2m per year.

Senior Marketing Manager, Customer Value & Churn Management

Marketing Manager Customer Value Management

Implementation of projects to improve the CLTV in telecommunication as business lead.
Requirements design.
GTM of new processes and services.

Marketing Manager, Customer Value & Churn Management

Analysing consumer sentiments and NPS and driving the roadmap for improvement. 
Was great - but I was promoted after 4 months :)

Customer Insights Specialist, Customer Value & Churn Management

ZHAW Life Sciences und Facility Management

Project management in sensory consumer research, R&D projects and lecturing.

Scientific Associate, Sensory & Consumer Testing

Scientific Assistant, Sensory & Consumer Testing

LVA GmbH

Monitoring and auditing food and pharmaceutical companies.

Quality Inspector, Food and Pharmaceuticals

Symrise AG

Developing a flavouring system for low-fat margarine that later was commercialized.

Diploma Student, Product Development Flavors

esarom gmbh

Junior Quality Manager

Growth Strategy & Execution for Digital Products & Services

JK & Associates is a specialized marketing and strategy consulting firm for growth-oriented consumer brands.
We help companies sustainably grow both their revenue and profitability.

Over the past few years, we have helped dozens of clients achieve profitable growth.
Our approach is built around three clear steps:

(1) Diagnosing growth barriers

(2) Validating hypotheses through data and market analysis

(3) Providing strategic recommendations based on customer value and market opportunities

Our consulting philosophy is consumer-centric, market-driven, and pragmatic.
Whether you are an SME, looking for a fractional CMO, need social media consulting, or want to optimize your performance marketing strategy – we deliver clarity and impact.

You can find more information on our website:
👉 www.juliakinnerassociates.com

👉 Follow me for regular insights on marketing coaching, digital strategy consulting, and international marketing advisory.

If this sounds interesting to you, feel free to reach out here or send an email to:
📩 julia@juliakinnerassociates.com

I look forward to hearing from you!
Julia
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If you are interested in topics like brand growth, marketing strategy, customer value, and digital transformation:
On my profile, you’ll find a wide range of insights on:

Marketing consulting for SMEs and professional services firms

Instagram ads consulting & performance marketing

Social media strategy and management

SEO consulting & branding

Content marketing consulting

Marketing communications for international brands

Digital marketing and social media consulting for businesses

Interim marketing management & fractional Chief Marketing Officer solutions

🚩 Your Segmentation is Bogus ... & You Know it
Here's why & what to do

SEGMENTATION
Somehow each organisation has one.
Somehow most get it wrong. 

Here's 4.5 signs your current one is bogus:

[1] You can't attribute a value at stake
When you were doing your segmentation you weren't taking into account the segment size and the segment value; consequently you are unable to say which segments are the most interesting ones purely with respect to their weight in the category. 

[2] You can't attribute a right to win
You don't understand the 4P preferences, barriers, drivers and triggers of each of the segments and how that relates to your current value proposition; consequently, you are unable to say which of the segments you (a) currently have a right to win with, (b) which segments you have no organic right to win with at all and (c) which segments you could build a right to win with in the future. 

[3] It's not actionable
Your segments aren't build on category behaviour and/or attitudes which would allow you to align your segmentation with your value proposition; consequently, you have a segmentation, but you can't use it to improve your strategy.

[4] Path to purchase metrics
You don't understand the path to purchase metrics of your segments i.e. how many of them are aware, how many aren't aware, but would consider your value proposition; how many are aware but don't consider you, how many have purchased, how many have re-purchased. Consequently, you are unable to define a specific plan on how to increase awareness, consideration and purchase in a structured way. 

There would be a 5th one, which is about being MECE; however, customers behave in unpredictable ways and switch boxes at times; hence, my take: as long as it's actionable you can live with a little "un-MECE-ness" as long as it's exhaustive and actionable (but it's a thin line).

Your segmentation meets too many on the list?
Then it might be time to define a better one.
If you need help, reach out, we get that done for you in 12 weeks.

JK & Associates AG focuses on growth strategy and execution for challenger brands.

Julia Kinner

🚀 How Small Brands Grow – A Replicable Approach to Start & Scale Brands | Growth Strategy Consulting for Consumer Brands | Follow & Hit the 🔔 for Daily Strategy Advice

🚨 Fix Your Marketing Strategy in 2026
10 To-Dos You Keep Ignoring

TLDR
It's all about understanding value pools and how to unlock them step-by-step.

1️⃣ Consumer Segments
Start segmenting your market and understand which consumer segments carry the highest value potential and right to win. 

2️⃣ Value Pool Sizing
Quantify the value pools in your market (segment size × spend × margin potential) to understand where the next €/$10M of growth will come from.

3️⃣ Selective Evolution
Target segments at the intersection of high value at stake × high right to win with what you have right now and start thinking about targeting as evolution (crawling -> walking -> running / growth staging).

4️⃣ Deep Consumer Understanding
Identify the drivers and barriers of your priority segments and integrate them into your value proposition and 4Ps.

5️⃣ Turn Metrics into Value
Map the conversion funnel of priority segments (awareness → interest → purchase → repurchase) and focus on the biggest growth bottlenecks. Don't fix awareness if your problem is consideration.

6️⃣ High Value Channels
Understand each channel’s share of market, share of growth, CAC, and lifetime value, then make deliberate choices about where to play.

7️⃣ Value Proposition Sharpening
Audit your current value proposition and redesign with your target segments in mind to clarify:
- The value you create
- For whom
- Why you win / reason why

8️⃣ 4Ps System Optimization
Optimize Product, Price, Place, and Promotion as an interconnected system not as isolated decisions. E.g.
- Ensure price matches perceived value
- Improve product claims using quantified benefits
- Strengthen distribution in high-value channels
- Align promotions to segment-specific triggers

9️⃣ Think Omni-Channel Value
Start understanding the role of different channels with respect to discovery, shopper mission, retention etc. and design your mix accordingly. 

🔟 Team Empowerment & Education
Create an environment that allows your team to understand that your marketing isn't just random tactics, but the right choices executed with excellence and having the balls to say "no".

---
If you're interested in a structured approach to brand growth, I recommend “How Small Brands Grow – A Replicable Approach to Start and Scale Brands.”
 It’s built on an analysis of the 10 most successful CPG brands of the past 20 years and condensed into an actionable framework.
---

JK & Associates AG focuses on growth strategy and execution for challenger brands. We align your marketing strategy with the lagest profit pools in 12 weeks.

I have a serious proposal for new Ps.
Profitability
Penetration
Persistence

#value

S.C.Johnson Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at Northwestern University ● Author ● Speaker

Marketers use the 4Ps in planning their tactical marketing.  I recommend that they use the six Ps for their strategic marketing.  The six Ps are Purpose, People, Partners, Peace, Planet and Prosperity. I just published Marketing Needs 6Ps for Strategic Marketing in Medium magazine. https://lnkd.in/d_7DU6_d

Open article: Marketing Needs 6Ps for Strategic Marketing by medium.com

Marketing Needs 6Ps for Strategic Marketing

👉 Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits.
The rebels.
The challengers who refuse to play by the old rules.
The ones who see growth differently, aren’t impressed by endless tactics, have little patience for the status quo.

That’s exactly the thinking that How Small Brands Grow brings to life.
You can question it, debate it, even criticise it. But one thing you can’t do is ignore it because How Small Brands Grow changes things.

It moves CEOs forward.
It gives founders a clear, structured, repeatable path to growth that focuses on the largest opportunities of each stage, not the noise of operations.
And while some cling to scattered tactics, the ones who lean in discover the strength of a simple, scalable, consumer-driven approach that bridges the gap between what people want and what businesses deliver.

Because the people bold enough to believe they can reshape their category… are the ones who actually do.

=========
To receive a full copy of the "How Small Brands Grow" PDF comment "oh yes" below. It's based on the analysis of 10 of the most successful FMCG brands of the last 20 years and condenses the results into a replicable growth framework that starts with consumer understanding, helps define the ideal value proposition, and guides on how to translate this into a 4P game plan at the start-up, scale-up, and maturity phase.
=========

Disclaimer
This post includes a stylistic reference to well-known advertising language for commentary and thought-leadership purposes. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with Apple or any other third party. All other content is original JK & Associates AG work.


♻️ Your network appreciates a repost

The 3 most basic things a businesses can do to grow?
A. Sell to more people
B. Sell more to the same people
C. Increase price

Aka: reach, frequency, price.
Business 101.
Trivial.

HOWEVER
How many CMOs granularly understand those numbers AND the addressable value and expandability behind them AND what that means for their growth strategy AND what needs to be done to improve i.e., the barriers and drivers?

My educated guess: <10%.

The problem with this?
If you don’t understand the status quo, you’re unlikely to ask the right questions, such as:
Why isn't it better?
What are the barriers?
How high is high?

And barriers, there are many:
A. “Sell to More People” Barriers
- Unappealing value proposition
- Limited brand awareness
- Limited consideration
- Poor targeting or positioning
- Inefficient acquisition channels
- Low trust / credibility
...
B. “Sell More to the Same People” Barriers
- Poor product performance
- Weak customer relationships
- Unfit product range
- Poor customer data

...
C. “Increase Price” Barriers
- Low perceived value
- Weak brand positioning
...

Things start to get really interesting once you understand the value potential behind each of these, but it all starts with understanding the basics because if you don't understand where you are, you can't understand where to go (and what to do).

---
JK & Associates AG helps you to spot growth barriers and address them in a systematic way. Project availability as of Q2 2026.

💪 The principles that build strong bodies also build strong brands.

And ironically, the things people avoid in both domains are the ones that drive the most progress.

1. Heavy Compounds = The High-Value Marketing Fundamentals

Anyone who’s serious about strength training knows:
Heavy compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, presses etc) deliver the majority of results. They recruit most muscles, and create the strongest adaptations.

Meanwhile, random accessory exercises feel productive, but don’t move the needle.

Marketing is identical.
There are a thousand tactics to try but only a few create real impact:

Clear value articulation
Deep customer understanding
A differentiated positioning
A strategy aligned to audience needs

These are your “squats and deadlifts.”
Everything else like viral trends, flashy tools, new channels is accessory work. 

Random exercises = random results.
Random tactics = random outcomes.


2. Understanding the Right Barrier 

When you stall in the gym, the cause isn’t always the weight. Sometimes the barrier is:

Mobility
Recovery
Technique
Training frequency
Load progression

If you don’t identify the right one, you’ll keep trying harder without results.

In marketing a brand might be stuck because of:

Awareness
Consideration
Purchase

Each barrier needs a different solution.
Strength grows when you fix the right bottleneck.

3. Nutrition = Budget

Even with perfect training, you won’t grow without the right nutrition.
Calories and macros are the fuel that translates work into results.

Marketing budgets works the same way.
Even the best strategy won’t perform if it’s underfunded but a big budget doesn’t replace good strategy.

4. The Consistency Equation

Strength doesn’t come from lifting once in a while or eating clean for a week.
And marketing success doesn’t come from one big splashy campaign.

In both cases:

Consistency beats intensity
Foundations beat novelty
Smart progression beats random effort
Weekly reps build muscle
Weekly learning builds brands

-----

The Unified Takeaway

Whether your goal is a stronger body or more growth, the playbook is the same:

Prioritize the foundations 
Diagnose the right barrier
Fuel the plan
Stay consistent

PS: Super proud because I almost hip thrust 3x my body weight (10kg to go). Took me years 
Keep pushing fellas 💪

🚀 What’s the Right Growth Framework for Your Business?
Master Start-Up, Scale-Up & Maturity 

TLDR:
Growth isn’t ONE playbook, it's a phased approach.
Each phase demands a tailored approach and different choices.

🚀 1. Start-Up - Prove It Fast
Goal: Validate demand with a hero product.
Guiding question: Do consumers actually want this?

Key ingredients:
- A value proposition solving an unmet need
- Sharp, obvious differentiation
- One / few hero product(s)
- A price that maximizes margins
- Low-barrier channels (Amazon, DTC)
- KPIs focused on velocity + repeat

📈 2. Scale-Up - Expand What Works
Goal: Build repeatable growth.
Guiding question: How do we scale profitably?

- Broaden the range for additional needs
- Introduce controlled promotions
- Selectively expand channels
- Layer in ATL in synch with channel expansion
- KPIs focused on distribution + margin

🏛️ 3. Maturity - Optimize and Defend
Goal: Maximize value and efficiency.
Guiding question: How do we sustain and defend advantage?

- Renovate the core & expand into adjacencies
- Full price-pack architecture
- Omnichannel with weighted distribution
- High-ROI ATL/BTL at scale.
- KPIs: weighted distribution + top-tier ROI + EBIT

🎯 Bottom Line
There isn't a one size fits all approach to growth. Your growth strategy must fit your current stage to ensure continuous growth. 

---
JK & Associates AG focuses on growth strategy and execution for challenger brands. 

We’ve condensed the major learnings from the 10 most successful CPG businesses of the last 20 years in How Small Brands Grow – A Replicable Approach to Start & Scale Brands. You’ll find the newsletter article here: https://lnkd.in/erJt5caN

You'll find the FREE download in my featured section -> Julia Kinner

👉 Need a marketing-strategy-sounding board?
If you’re heading into 2026 knowing you could benefit from a senior advisor to pressure-test decisions and challenge your assumptions, this might be useful.

Every year, I work with a small number of founders and marketing leaders as external advisor. It’s not consulting in the “deck-making” sense. It’s ongoing senior partnership when you need it most.

For 2026, we’re opening 4 new advisory spots (2 in H1 and H2).
Here’s what the structure typically looks like:

1️⃣ Light Advisory - CHF 1,250/month
For leaders who want a steady outside perspective.
 • 1× 60-min strategy call/month
 • Light async support (72h response time)

2️⃣ Standard Advisory - CHF 2,000/month
A balance of structure and flexibility.
 • 1× 60-min strategy call/month
 • Up to 1h async support (48h response time)

3️⃣ High-Touch Advisory - CHF 3,000/month
For teams moving fast and needing tight feedback loops.
 • Fortnightly 60-min sessions
 • Up to 2h async support (24h response time)

All retainers come with a 6-month minimum duration.
We also offer a one-off Foundations Session i.e. a 90-minute deep dive into your strategic priorities for 2026, with a structured summary you can use as a working document.

If you’re looking for an experienced sparring partner next year, or want to chat about what this could look like, feel free to DM. We're using our "How Small Brands Grow" framework to accelerate your growth.

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JK & Associates AG focuses on growth strategy & execution for challenger brands.

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