Hello, my name is Marco.
Nice to meet you.
I am an independent strategy consultant working on the edge of strategy x creativity x futures. I help forward-thinking organizations and ambitious people to rethink their status quo – and to reimagine and reinvent businesses and brands of tomorrow. In turbulent times, I co-create sound, bold and future-ready strategies focusing on what’s possible – and what’s desirable.
Let’s figure out what’s next.
Let’s move from what is to what if ..?
Let’s reinvent the world of tomorrow.
Today, I oversee a 15-years long strategy and consulting experience with a track record of 100+ clients across 25+ categories. I have been collaborating with rising start-ups, hidden champions, and world-leading giants on a wide range of business challenges, including iconic brands like Bosch, BMW, McDonald’s, Porsche, Samsung, Siemens, Telekom, Toyota, or TUI. During the past years, I’ve been collaborating with 30+ partners including some of the best-in-class companies from the creative industries worldwide as well as with the most forward-thinking companies, actively shaping the future. Occasionally, I do some more things with passion and purpose: sparring, training, speaking, lecturing, mentoring, and some more.
As an independent thinker, I am always on the hunt for courageous clients, exciting challenges, and enlightening collaborations with bright minds. Let’s figure out what’s next, let’s figure out what if ..?
Clients
I’ve worked for rising start-ups, hidden champions and world-leading giants from a wide range of industries. Their status quo, the dynamics of their business and the challenges ahead are quite different. But what they all have in common: the ambition and power to redefine the future of their markets.
Partners
During the past years, I’ve had the pleasure to collaborate with some of the best-in-class companies from the creative industries worldwide (Publicis, WPP, Omnicom, Interpublic, and Dentsu), plus the leading agencies from Germany as well as with some of the most forward-thinking organizations.
What some say
Michael Jordan once said: “Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships.” I feel very grateful of teaming up with so many inspiring minds and diverse teams around the world. Here are some of them. Thanks for your kind words.
“The quality of his work was first class. This enabled us to deliver a comprehensive strategy to a tier one client.”
“A fast thinker and a truly creative mind, always looking for the new and unseen.”
“Working with Marco is just a pleasure. He is a genius when it comes to strategy.”
“Marco brings a strong creative mind to the table, paired with killer business acumen.”
„A visionary and progressive mind. He combines smart strategic thinking with a great sense for outstanding creative work.”
“Marco has done a fantastic job in capturing the complexity of the APF – that will allow us to clarify our future positioning.”
“He has a broad experience across industries and disciplines, and a passion for people, brands and unexpected business solutions.”
“One of the hungriest and most committed people I’ve ever met. His belief that meaningful strategies are those that create value is inspiring.”
“Not only is he a savvy strategic thinker, but also a very nice person who is fun to talk to.”
“His view on innovative business models combined with the knowledge to build and develop brands has given the right drive.”
“Inspiring, humble, and fun. He makes people, teams and projects better. One of my favorite all-round pros with broad and deep knowledge.”
“Someone who is able to map the unmapped – and inspires others to follow.”
“Two skills inspired me: simplifying complexity and turning an uncertain future into exciting strategic perspectives.”
“Marco is one of these super rare pros who are hard to find: he is creative and strategic both ways. A true hybrid.”
“Marco has shown a deep understanding of our client’s business challenges and turned it into real opportunities through reasonable strategic advice.”
“A quick thinker. He grasps a strategic task and at the same time his brain is already looking for solutions.”
“An absolute engaged and inspired strategist. Always on fire, very focused and result-oriented. Our collaboration was very flexible and reliable.”
“His strategic thinking is sharp and is creative approach inspiring – a combination that is rarely found. He brings passion, curiosity and playfulness into each project.”
“Clear, smart, open-minded, a good listener, a consultant, fast, intelligent, helpful, empathic, structured, and highly creative. Always on my wishlist.”
“Marco has got a very sharp mind combined with the ability to reveal business issues and turn them into strategic solutions.”
“Marco is a brilliant strategist. His strategic vision was always incredibly clear which created an inspiring direction for the team.”
“A fresh mind and exceptional attentiveness to detail combined with great expertise.”
“A solid strategist with a strong creative lead, a driving force in proactive thinking with a wide range of skills. Someone who brings energy and passion to the table.”
Education
To my mind, one of the best ever-written statements is: „Stay hungry, stay foolish.“ It reminds me not to remain in the comfort zone of the status quo. Instead, it challenges me to stay curious, to aspire for more and to keep on growing.
BA
Bachelor of Arts
Marketing
2011
MA
Master of Arts
Cultural Management
2013
PGD
Postgraduate Diploma
Futures Studies
2021
+
Various
Trainings
on-going
The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.
The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.
Albert Einstein
As a curious and critical mind, I aspire to rethink the status quo. Because “We’ve always done things this way” might be neither the smartest possible answer nor the most thriving mindset. Together with forward-thinking partners and ambitious clients, I help to reimagine the world of tomorrow: how cultures and human behaviors shift, how business models and market landscapes evolve, and how circumstances and environments change.
As a consultant, I work on the edge of strategic, creative, and futures thinking. I combine the intelligence and acumen of business and brand strategy, with the intuition and unruly power of creative thinking, and ultimately with the unlimited spirit of imagination, inspired by bold futures thinking and backed by sound foresight. I am confident that this mighty blend enables us to solve almost any strategic challenge of the modern age – and leads us the way to a brighter and more inspiring future.
Hybrid Thinking
Strategy x Creativity x Futures
The sweet spot of strategy x creativity x futures brings intelligence x intuition x imagination together. This is what I call ‘Hybrid Thinking’ – the combination of different schools of thought and different ways of thinking, cross-fertilizing each other. This combination intends to create true momentum for brands and real business impact. It’s all about making businesses and brands the best they can be – whatever ‘best’ means.
How to get there? I believe that incremental changes can keep you in the game for a time, but these times require bold thinking and iconic moves to stay in or even ahead of the game in the long run. Because someone else is already rethinking your category and attempts to redefine it. So it might be a good idea to invent the future before they do.
If you want to learn more about my understanding of strategy, creativity, and futures, keep on reading. Otherwise feel free to jump forward to my Services or to my Work.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Leonardo da Vinci
Today, we live in a world which some characterize as being VUCA: volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. In this world, business models are changing dramatically. Organizations from all industries, sizes, regions and cultures are increasingly faced with ‚wicked problems‘: problems that are simply too complex to be solved. Instead, these kind of problems can be tackled, tamed, and ideally managed. Translating those wicked problems into manageable challenges, and ultimately into valuable strategic solutions, which not only address current issues but rather focus on future opportunities, is the ultimate sign of sophistication. Strategy always deals with the tensions between today and tomorrow. Strategy is: moving from today’s problems to tomorrow’s possibilities. From what is to what if ..?
Strategy
Strategy
Creativity
Creativity
Strategy alone can’t win. It can’t inspire people, it can’t move people. What it needs to make an iconic move: game-changing creative thinking. Strategy is good in defining the right playground and the right direction, but only creativity adds the punch to it. To frame it with the words of Lee Clow from The Disruption Company TBWA: “Don’t do the right thing.” Instead: “Do the brave thing. The thing that troubles your sleep. The thing with the million unknowns. Do the brave thing.” Obviously: creativity is not the safe bet. But it challenges the status quo and aspires to invent something novel. It means to discover new and unknown territories: “Do the thing that disrupts. Do the thing that does not just defy the status quo but reshapes it.” That’s why I absolutely believe in the creative impetus of strategic thinking. The mantra for each strategy should be: no vision is too bold. Because in these rapidly shifting times, iconic moves are the most reasonable ones.
Strategy should be creative to move people. But is this really enough? I don’t think so. Great strategy is imaginative. It follows a future-first approach. And it not just moves people but it moves people forward. It anticipates opportunities that don’t yet exist – and it gives the right direction to reach them. From a today’s perspective, the future is not the future but multiple ones. It’s an unknown space. Anything is possible, anything can happen. We can shape it. Reshaping the future requires two skills. First: understanding what’s going on in the world. Sense making of major shifts. Sound foresight with comprehensive trend watching helps us to gain a critical knowledge of what might happen in the future. It’s about potential. Secondly, reshaping the future requires a visionary and inventive mindset that defines what’s desirable and how to make it happen. Or to quote the unmatched Walt Disney: “If you can dream it, you can do it.” I believe: futures thinking makes strategy bold. It has the power to leverage momentum and shape the zeitgeist of tomorrow. It puts progressive businesses at the forefront of tomorrow’s zeitgeist.
Futures
Futures
Strategy Services
I offer a wide spectrum of strategy services, from discovery to doing, from where to play to how to win. All services can be booked separately as individual modules or as a comprehensive strategy package. If you are not decided yet where to start, what to do, and where to strive for: let‘s have a chat and book a Strategy Sparring Session.
What else I do
Over the years, I’ve done lots of different stuff with passion and purpose: I facilitated countless workshops in all varieties. I gave keynotes about creativity near the northern polar circle at the Arctic Design Week and about the power of momentum at the global gathering of futurists at PRIMER. I mentored top talents from German Universities in collaboration with the GWA as well as upcoming Sri Lankan strategists at the Miami Ad School. I launched blogs about the creative industries in the Baltics and about my sabbatical in Down Under. I trained the strategy department from Jung von Matt in futures thinking and I contributed a chapter to a book named Beyond Storytelling, published by Springer Science. I represented the state Baden-Württemberg aka THE LÄND at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity in 2021 and 2022. And I did some more stuff.
Things happening
Stories I’d like to share
Lectureship Strategic Brand Management
Back to the roots again. I am looking forward to teaching Strategic Brand Management again this semester at my old university, the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW). Three full-packed days between brand value, brand positioning and brand management with inspiring cases from around the globe and 25 young talents. I look forward to passing on my experiences and to have an enriching exchange.
Category: Lecturing
Topic: Strategic Brand Management
Institution: DHBW Heidenheim
Start-up BW: Female Founders, let’s go!
According to current figures from the startup association, the proportion of female founders fell to just 18.8 percent. Time to act. With the highly relevant topic of female entrepreneurship, the city of Heidelberg was once again recognized as a start-up-friendly municipality according to the competition “Start-up BW Local”. I had the pleasure of accompanying the city of Heidelberg's application in close cooperation with the University of Heidelberg and the Rhein-Neckar Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK).
Category: Strategy Project
Partner: none
Client: Stadt/Universität Heidelberg, IHK
What is a modern administration?
How does a city administration have to change today? We look back on a comprehensive and participatory strategy process over the last few months: brand, competitive and trend analysis, interviews, focus groups, online panel and workshops. The result: a solid strategic basis for the Heidelberg city administration, consisting of vision, mission, values, value proposition and narrative. Now we are starting the next phase: creative development and internal implementation. Stay tuned.
Category: Strategy Project
Partner: none
Client: Stadt Heidelberg
Marco Ruckenbrod
Strategy Consulting for Tomorrow
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