Zara Makinta
Brand, Strategy & Growth Partner for scaling businesses
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Luxury Brand Repositioning & Growth Strategy
Overview
A jewellery brand with strong product quality was underperforming due to unclear positioning, low brand perception, and lack of targeted customer strategy.
Objective
-Reposition the brand as a premium luxury offering
-Attract a higher-value customer base
-Increase sales and brand visibility
-Enable sustainable price growth
Approach
1. Brand Repositioning
-Redefined brand identity, tone, and visual direction
-Shifted positioning from generic retail to luxury market
2. Audience & Market Strategy
-Identified ideal customer profile and purchasing behaviour
-Developed targeted messaging aligned with premium buyers
3. Growth & Engagement Strategy
-Designed a new social media and content strategy
-Introduced consistent brand storytelling and visual alignment
4. Customer Retention Focus
-Built engagement approach to increase repeat customers
-Strengthened brand loyalty through experience-led positioning
Key Deliverables
-Brand repositioning strategy
-Visual and messaging direction
-Social media and content strategy
-Audience targeting framework
-Customer engagement approach
Impact
-Significant increase in sales following repositioning
-Successful transition to a higher price point
-Improved brand perception and customer quality
-Features in major publications including Vogue and Vanity Fair
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Startup Brand Strategy & Funding Enablement
Objective
Build a strong brand, clear positioning and compelling investor narrative to support funding success and long-term growth.
Approach
-Defined brand identity, story and unique value proposition
-Developed a funding-ready business plan aligned with grant criteria
-Identified and shortlisted relevant funding opportunities
-Guided investor pitching and positioning
-Trained founders on how to clearly communicate value and differentiate in competitive markets
Key Deliverables
-Brand positioning and messaging framework
-Unique value proposition (USP)
-Business plan and funding documentation
-Investor pitch guidance and positioning strategy
-Funding opportunity mapping
Impact
-Contributed to securing over £200,000 in grant funding
-Improved investor readiness and clarity of proposition
-Strengthened positioning and long-term growth potential
Note
Due to client confidentiality and NDAs, specific documents and funding materials are not disclosed.
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Impact Events, Communications & Funding Strategy
Objective
Increase visibility, stakeholder engagement and funding for a community-focused organisation, while strengthening brand positioning and credibility.
Approach
-Planned and delivered high-impact events from concept to execution
-Developed communications and social media strategy to drive awareness and engagement
-Created all supporting assets and promotional materials
-Led stakeholder engagement to attract high-profile attendees
-Designed crowdfunding initiatives and supported bid writing
-Strengthened overall brand positioning and public presence
Key Deliverables
-Event strategy and execution plan
-Communications and social media strategy
-Campaign assets and promotional materials
-Stakeholder engagement approach
-Crowdfunding initiatives and funding bids
Impact
-Secured over £500,000 through bids and funding initiatives
-Attracted politicians, community leaders and key stakeholders
-Increased visibility, engagement and community reach
-Contributed to national recognition, including the Prince of Wales Award
Note
Due to client confidentiality and NDAs, specific materials and internal strategies are not disclosed.
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Building a Scalable Education Partnership Model Driving £500k+ in Revenue
Overview
This project focused on designing and scaling a strategic partnership model within the education sector to create apprenticeship pathways while driving commercial growth.
The objective was to align educational institutions with a technology provider in a way that delivered long-term value for both parties, rather than a one-off transactional relationship.
The Challenge
Education institutions often face barriers when adopting new technologies, including cost, integration, and demonstrating long-term value.
At the same time, traditional sales approaches were not sufficient to drive adoption at scale. A more strategic, partnership-led model was required to:
Create meaningful value for institutions
Support skills development through apprenticeships
Enable sustainable commercial growth
Approach
I designed a partnership framework that aligned commercial, educational, and operational value.
This included:
-Structuring partnerships around apprenticeship opportunities, creating a clear and compelling entry point for institutions
-Positioning the offering as a long-term capability investment, not just a product sale
-Designing a repeatable partnership model that could be adapted across multiple institutions
-Tailoring each partnership to reflect the specific priorities and decision-making structures of each organisation
Execution
The model was initially implemented with Manchester College, where we:
-Established apprenticeship pathways linked to immersive technology
-Delivered a VR training environment, including hardware, learning modules, and accreditation
-Created a structured framework that balanced institutional needs with commercial outcomes
Following this, I refined and extended the model to:
-Regent’s College London
-Loughborough University
-Each partnership was adapted to suit the institution while maintaining a consistent underlying structure, enabling scalability without losing relevance.
Impact
-Contributed to over £500,000 in VR system sales across partner institutions
-Established long-term strategic partnerships rather than one-off transactions
-Created a repeatable model for future education partnerships
-Strengthened positioning within the education sector through value-led collaboration
Additional Notes
Due to client confidentiality and NDAs, detailed internal strategies and commercial agreements cannot be shared. This portfolio reflects my approach, structure, and key outcomes.
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