founder and owner of Strangebrew, most certainly practices what he preaches and delivers the promise suggested by the name of his business – Strangebrew.

“People say I’m not the same as every other Branding, Identity or Design Consultant that they meet and I’m always very pleased to hear that.” explained Phil.

Strangebrew’s Phil Strachan is one of a rare breed, almost uniquely combining 14 years on the Client with over 20 years experience on the Consultancy side, specialising in Branding, Identity and Design. After managing and running the marketing programmes of very different leading brands, he took the bold step of moving into the world of Consultancy by joining one of the UK’s leading Corporate Identity Consultancies where he helped to set up a Branding and Packaging Design division.

For the last 17 years, Phil has run his own Consultancies, and during this time has been instrumental in the relaunching, refreshing and revitalisation of the presentation of many businesses and brands including Foster’s Lager, Alpen, Pontins, Butterkist, Dulux, Monster Munch and Warre’s Port.

“For me, my Client-side experience was, and continues to be, absolutely invaluable. It’s a point of difference that I use to my advantage. Being able to put myself in the position of my Clients and to help them to get the right brief together is extremely important. Why? Often a Client will tell me what they want but what I do is to ask the right questions to establish what it is that their Business and /or Brand really needs – which can often be a very different thing.

“My promise is to add value to businesses and brands, and I wouldn’t be doing that if I were to simply service their first stated wants. I view working with a Client as a partnership, one in which I have to add real value, exceed expectations and provide them with real competitive advantage in their market. I always challenge constructively in order to do this and to, in Strangebrew terms, ‘distil the essence’ of a Client’s Business or Brand and ’free its spirit’. It’s about being creative and not just reactive, about identifying what I call ‘The Vital Spark’, the insight that provides the all-important flash of inspiration that ignites the creative process in both strategic and design terms. Any attempt at delivering identity and design without an agreed strategy and a clear understanding of what you are trying to communicate and to who is a complete waste of time and money. You have to provide your target market with a reason why they should choose you.

“Businesses need to think Brand not bland because there really is far too much of the latter out there already and the ‘blandwagon’ is already overloaded”, says Phil, warming up to his subject. What is the point in being bland, in being just AN Other undifferentiated Accountant, Solicitor, Website Designer or IT Consultant? Bland is bland and has very little value to anyone.

“To be outstanding you have to stand out – but you have to stand out for all the right reasons. Yet, I keep coming across what I call blands , blands masquerading as brands, suffering delusions of ‘brandeur’ as they happily succeed in failing to connect, communicate and engage meaningfully and effectively with any defined target audience. They have a name, they have a logo and they already have a website or ‘are having one designed’. But what they don’t have is the recipe for a strong and successful brand because a brand is very much more than a name or a logo or a piece of design.

“These elements are only brand identifiers, what stand for the brand, a kind of shorthand for the brand but they are not necessarily what the brand stands for – which after all, is what clients, consumers and customers buy into.

“The vast majority of my Clients have never seen work that I have done for anyone else either before or after I work with them. What correctly matters to them is what they see that I can do for them and their Businesses and Brands and they meet with me on the basis of my Testimonials and from referrals from other people. I just love different challenges where I can bring freshness and objectivity to the table and help my Clients to see the light. I work with Clients of all shapes and sizes from new one person start-ups through to global blue chip companies and global household name brands.”

Having been based in London for almost 10 years, Phil, a Scotsman who has lived south of the border for 35 years, now runs Strangebrew from Berkshire. As those who know Phil will testify, he proudly claims to offer what he calls “London quality at Glasgow prices”, a fact strongly supported by his many testimonials.

So, why the name Strangebrew? Anything to do with Eric Clapton and Cream or beer? And why Business and Brand Alchemy? “Well, Strangebrew just, sort of, sums me up and alchemy is the process of transformation or transmutation and adding value through turning base metals into gold.“ It seems apt since what matters to Phil who has been involved as a finalist in two Design effectiveness awards projects, is delivering added value effectiveness and transforming the fortunes of the businesses and brands of his Clients.

The ideal meeting place for Phil is somewhere over a coffee, a beer or “preferably a real ale” interjects Phil, perhaps not surprisingly given that he has very successfully relaunched, revitalised and refreshed a few breweries and their brands over recent years - perhaps a bit of an understatement given that, in one case, they had to triple the output capability of the Brewery to keep up with demand after Phil had worked his magic!

Interview over, at that point Phil’s mobile goes off. The ringtone? You’ve guessed it! Strange Brew by Cream. Strangebrew by name, Strangebrew by nature. A Strangebrew indeed and one that really should be bottled!