I GO IN AND FIND IT
I GO IN AND FIND IT
01
MY APPROACH
Grounded in Reality.
Focused on clarity.
I don't arrive at the safe answer. I arrive at the right one.
That means going into the hidden truth of a brand — past the surface problems, past the stakeholder opinions, past the brief — to find what's actually true. And then building everything from there. Story, language, identity, execution. The full system.
I've led global rebrands, managed agencies across multiple continents, presented work to boards and CEOs, and stood in enough rooms to know when something is right and when it's convenient. Those are different things. I'm interested in the first one.
I don't arrive at the safe answer. I arrive at the right one.
That means going into the shadow psyche of a brand — past the surface problems, past the stakeholder opinions, past the brief — to find what's actually true. And then building everything from there. Story, language, identity, execution. The full system.
I've led global rebrands, managed agencies across multiple continents, presented work to boards and CEOs, and stood in enough rooms to know when something is right and when it's convenient. Those are different things. I'm interested in the first one.
Rhiannon Staples
CMO, ClearCo
"When the room was moving toward the comfortable answer, Joe asked the question that reframed everything."
$300M+
Revenue impact from brand work
Revenue impact from brand work
25+
Years in brand & creative leadership
Years in brand & creative leadership
3+
Global teams led
Global teams led
02
HOW I WORK
Defined scope. Defined outcome. End date.
I work in three ways, depending on what you actually need.
I work in three ways, depending on what you actually need.
01
The first is a diagnostic. Before committing to a rebrand or a strategy engagement, some clients need an independent read on where their brand stands — what it’s communicating, where it’s failing, and where there’s competitive whitespace they could own. That’s the Brand Truth Assessment: a formal written evaluation delivered in 10 days, designed to be the intelligence that makes every subsequent investment worth making.
The first is a diagnostic. Before committing to a rebrand or a strategy engagement, some clients need an independent read on where their brand stands — what it’s communicating, where it’s failing, and where there’s competitive whitespace they could own. That’s the Brand Truth Assessment: a formal written evaluation delivered in 10 days, designed to be the intelligence that makes every subsequent investment worth making.
02
The second is a strategy sprint. For companies that know something needs to change but aren’t ready — or don’t need — a full transformation, I lead an intensive six-to-eight-week engagement: brand positioning, competitive landscape, verbal identity framework, and a brief their agency can build from. This is the strategic foundation. The work is done directly by me, not delegated.
The strategic foundation doesn't come from a deck. It comes from the room. I lead weekly working sessions with your core leadership team to surface brand truth from all angles. Together we align the people who live the brand. It can't be delegated. It can't be prompted. It has to be extracted.
The second is a strategy sprint. For companies that know something needs to change but aren’t ready — or don’t need — a full transformation, I lead an intensive six-to-eight-week engagement: brand positioning, competitive landscape, verbal identity framework, and a brief their agency can build from. This is the strategic foundation. The work is done directly by me, not delegated.
The strategic foundation doesn't come from a deck. It comes from the room. I lead weekly working sessions with your core leadership team to surface brand truth from all angles. Together we align the people who live the brand. It can't be delegated. It can't be prompted. It has to be extracted.
03
The third is visual identity. Once the strategy is set, the brand needs a visual language to match — one that expresses what's actually true. Logo system, color, typography, photography direction, iconography, product visualization. The full expression layer, built to last.
For this work I draw on a curated bench of specialist brand identity designers — vetted, directed by me, and wrapped into a single engagement. You get agency-quality output without the agency structure, the overhead, or the account manager standing between you and the thinking.
The third is visual identity. Once the strategy is set, the brand needs a visual language to match — one that expresses what's actually true. Logo system, color, typography, photography direction, iconography, product visualization. The full expression layer, built to last.
For this work I draw on a curated bench of specialist brand identity designers — vetted, directed by me, and wrapped into a single engagement. You get agency-quality output without the agency structure, the overhead, or the account manager standing between you and the thinking.
Not every client needs all three. Some do the assessment and go internal. Some do the strategy sprint and hand it to their existing agency. Some need the full transformation. There are natural off-ramps along the way — and part of my job is to tell you honestly which path makes sense for your situation, even if that means a smaller engagement than either of us expected.
Each project has a defined scope, a defined outcome, and an end date. That structure tends to produce better work than an open-ended arrangement — and it means you always know what you’re buying.
I work directly with you and your team. You’ll have access to my thinking throughout — not a summary of it. And I’ll tell you what I see, even when it’s not convenient to hear. That’s usually why I’m there.
I collaborate with external agencies and specialist partners when the work calls for it, and I know how to lead those relationships so the work stays coherent and true to what we found at the start.
Not every client needs all three. Some do the assessment and go internal. Some do the strategy sprint and hand it to their existing agency. Some need the full transformation. There are natural off-ramps along the way — and part of my job is to tell you honestly which path makes sense for your situation, even if that means a smaller engagement than either of us expected.
Each project has a defined scope, a defined outcome, and an end date. That structure tends to produce better work than an open-ended arrangement — and it means you always know what you’re buying.
I work directly with you and your team. You’ll have access to my thinking throughout — not a summary of it. And I’ll tell you what I see, even when it’s not convenient to hear. That’s usually why I’m there.
I collaborate with external agencies and specialist partners when the work calls for it, and I know how to lead those relationships so the work stays coherent and true to what we found at the start.
Ron McMurtrie
CMO, Honeywell
"Joe has the discipline not to dilute a point of view. He is someone I'd bring into a high-stakes conversation without hesitation."
03
ORIGIN STORY
I've been through enough rebrands to know what breaks them.
I started as an English major who wanted to write novels. That didn't work out financially, but it gave me something more useful — an obsession with story, and with finding the right words for the right moment.
That obsession took me from editorial to copywriting, from agencies to client-side, from marketing director to creative director. I've shot campaigns, written scripts, rebuilt websites, directed global teams, and sat in boardrooms where I was the only person who knew what the brand actually needed.
I've been through enough rebrands to know what breaks them — executive misalignment, agencies who play it safe, briefs that get watered down before anyone builds anything. And I've been through enough successful ones to know what makes the difference.
The difference is someone who's willing to find the truth of the brand, and courageous enough to say it out loud.
I started as an English major who wanted to write novels. That didn't work out financially, but it gave me something more useful — an obsession with story, and with finding the right words for the right moment.
That obsession took me from editorial to copywriting, from agencies to client-side, from marketing director to creative director. I've shot campaigns, written scripts, rebuilt websites, directed global teams, and sat in boardrooms where I was the only person who knew what the brand actually needed.
I've been through enough rebrands to know what breaks them — executive misalignment, agencies who play it safe, briefs that get watered down before anyone builds anything. And I've been through enough successful ones to know what makes the difference.
The difference is someone who's willing to find the truth of the brand, and courageous enough to say it out loud.
Catherine Edmunds
VP, Brand & Communications
"Joe has an incredible ability to dissect brand strategy and ensure the creative execution is surgically aligned to the business objectives."
YOUR BRAND IS EITHER
WORKING FOR YOU OR
AGAINST YOU.
YOUR BRAND IS EITHER
WORKING FOR YOU OR
AGAINST YOU.
YOUR BRAND IS EITHER
WORKING FOR YOU OR
AGAINST YOU.
JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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JOE FRANKLIN
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