Management consulting
Marketing, delivered the management consulting way
We stay focused on marketing for SMEs and approach it as a management consultant would: agreed objectives, a clearly defined method and project, and independent judgement.
In short. Management consulting is the consulting approach Studio Salatino applies to marketing for SMEs: objectives agreed before we start, a clearly defined method and project (phases, activities, deadlines, responsibilities), independence and transparency. The Studio is a member of APCO, the Italian Professional Association of Management Consultants, and draws on its guidelines.
For us, management consulting is a way of consulting, not a separate field: our work is still marketing, and we set it up the way a management consultant would. That means working alongside decision-makers to analyse problems, choose solutions and lead change, without taking the company’s place.
We draw on the APCO guidelines, the Italian Professional Association of Management Consultants of which we are a member, to shape our relationship with clients, and we translate them into a defined engagement, a declared method, independent judgement and care for confidentiality. The result is marketing that serves the company’s objectives and that the company knows how to manage.
How we work
Four principles behind every engagement
Agreed objectives
We start from what the company wants to achieve: objectives, scope, timescales and costs are defined before we begin and set out in writing in the proposal.
Defined method and project
Clear phases, activities, deadlines and responsibilities, with project management holding it all together and a document to approve at every stage.
Independence
We don’t run campaigns and we don’t take a percentage of the budget: our judgement doesn’t depend on what we sell.
Transparency and confidentiality
Documents, KPIs and variances always available in the client area; company data are treated confidentially and used only for its programme.
The project
A project with clearly defined ways of working
Every engagement follows the same framework, adapted to the company’s size and objectives.
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1
Defined engagement
Objectives, scope, activities, timescales and costs in a proposal you sign online.
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2
Analysis
The marketing audit: data, channels, customers and competitors, with KPIs and evidence.
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3
Planning
Positioning, measurable objectives, prioritised actions and a budget for approval.
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4
Coordinated execution
Your in-house team and suppliers work to a single plan, with clear deadlines and responsibilities.
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5
Monitoring
Regular reports with KPIs and variances against the plan, plus course corrections.
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6
Skills transfer
Method, data and documents stay with the company: the team becomes more self-sufficient.
Where it applies
The same approach, across the three stages of marketing
Marketing strategy
Giving marketing a direction.
We start from business objectives and data: positioning, and the markets and customers to focus on, with measurable objectives and a calculated baseline.
The result is a strategy that management can read, discuss and approve.
Plans and processes
Turning strategy into clear activities.
We draw up marketing plans with actions, priorities, budgets and indicators, and help your team set up clear processes: who does what, by when, and with what expected outcome.
We coordinate your in-house team and suppliers through project management, without running the campaigns ourselves.
Process innovation
Introducing new tools and methods, methodically.
When innovation is needed (new channels, tools, Artificial Intelligence), we treat it as a measured project: objectives, testing, evaluation of results and lasting adoption in the team’s work.
Experience and sectors
Our way of working stems from more than a decade of experience on the part of our founder, Domenico Salatino, across a wide range of competitive scenarios and company sizes.
Our method is founded on the transferability of skills: we apply proven approaches to our core sectors, rigorously adapting them to new contexts and fast-changing markets as well.
Core sectors
- Healthcare – Clinics and personal care services
- Hospitality – Accommodation and tourism services
- Retail – Retail and Distribution
- Agri-food – Agricultural Production Companies
- Real Estate – Brokerage and Property Investment Companies
- Building – Construction, building and infrastructure
- Telecoms and IT – Infrastructure and SaaS solutions
- Professional Services – Consulting Services and Professional Firms
Frequently asked questions
Management consulting: your questions answered
What does management consulting mean for Studio Salatino?
It is the way we work. Our field remains SME marketing, but we approach it as a management consultant would: we agree the objectives before we start, set the work up as a project with phases, activities, deadlines and responsibilities, and measure the results. We don’t take the company’s place: we work alongside it so that it can make decisions based on the numbers and build its own skills.
Do you deal with the company’s entire organisation?
No. We stay within marketing: strategy, plan, processes and coordination of the people who carry it out. Where marketing touches other functions (sales, administration, product), we work with the relevant managers, without intervening in the overall organisation.
What role do the APCO guidelines play?
The Studio is a member of APCO, the Associazione Professionale Italiana Consulenti di Management (the Italian professional association of management consultants), and draws on its guidelines to shape the client relationship. In practice, this means: a written engagement, agreed objectives and scope, independent judgement, confidentiality and a declared method.
How do you set up a project?
In steps: discovery call and questionnaire, marketing audit, strategy and plan, coordinated implementation, monitoring with reports. Each step has a document you read and approve in your client area, and project management (ISIPM-BASE® certification) keeps activities, deadlines and responsibilities under control.
How do we get started?
With an online discovery questionnaire and a 45-minute discovery call, both free of charge: they help us understand your situation and whether our support is the right fit. You then receive a proposal setting out activities, timescales and costs, which you can sign online.
Which sectors do you work with?
Our core sectors are healthcare, hospitality, retail, agri-food, real estate, building, telecoms and IT, and professional services. Our method is built on the transferability of skills, so we also work in new fields.
First step
Let's talk about your business
Every partnership starts with a conversation. The first two steps are free and with no obligation: they help us understand whether our method is right for your business.
Prefer to write to us? info@studiosalatino.com