What I do

Strategy & intelligence

Social media strategy, influencer and creator strategy, PR strategy, cultural research and trend intelligence, content strategy and editorial planning, go-to-market strategy for new markets and platforms. Social media, influencer, agency and competitor audits.

Team & agency setup

Running agency tenders and selection processes, briefing and onboarding new agencies, defining workflows between brand and agency teams, building internal social and content team structures, and hiring recommendations. For brands that need the right infrastructure in place before strategy can land.

Brand & talent collaborations

Connecting brands with the right creative talent, artists and collaborators. Identifying emerging voices and cultural figures relevant to your brand world. Developing the creative concept and strategic rationale for the collaboration.

Cultural and artistic fashion painting of Prada shoes by Laura Gulshani reflecting the work of Marieke Neleman, creative strategist and cultural curator based in Berlin.

Creative direction & production

Creative direction for campaigns and social content, content ideation and creative concepts, brand and creator guidelines, copy and visual direction.

Workshops & education

Workshops on Substack, TikTok, influencer marketing and crisis communication. Strategic onboarding for social and content teams. Speaking on culture, brand strategy and the creator economy.

Values & crisis communication

D&I and sustainability communication strategy. Crisis communication and reactive marketing. Stakeholder management and corporate communications support.

How I work

Good strategy isn't just about having the right answer. It's about understanding what someone actually needs, which isn't always what's in the brief. I read the room: with some clients that means competitive deep-dives and a rigorous framework; with others it means creative inspiration and a clear point of view. I also think one step ahead, which means I'll flag the implementation gap before it becomes a problem, or suggest the talent your agency didn't think of, or name the cultural movement that's relevant to your brand right now.

After 16+ years working across fashion, beauty and lifestyle, I know what's shifting in culture before it's obvious, and I know how to make that useful for brands.

If you'd like to talk, reach me directly at marieke@mariekeneleman.com.