Consumer Brand Growth Consultants

Julian Nelmes has spent nearly three decades helping consumer brands connect with people, build recognition, and create commercial growth through strategy, creativity, and design thinking.

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Since receiving the International Society of Typographic Designers iSTD Award in 1996, Julian’s work has focused on understanding what makes brands culturally relevant, commercially effective, and emotionally memorable. His experience spans global FMCG corporations, challenger brands, retail, hospitality, lifestyle, and emerging consumer businesses, always with a focus on how branding influences behaviour, perception, and long-term value.

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Over the years, Julian has worked across projects connected to some of the world’s most recognised consumer brands, including The Coca-Cola Company, Max Factor, Malibu, B&Q, Baby Organix, Panda Pops, Boddingtons, Ruddles, Ringwood Brewery, and New Forest Ice Cream, alongside modern growth brands such as Hair Syrup. His experience extends beyond visual identity into brand positioning, packaging, customer perception, retail presence, and commercially led creative strategy.

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What makes Julian’s perspective different is that it is not built solely from consultancy or agency experience. Alongside advising brands, he also founded and developed his own premium rum company, giving him first-hand understanding of the realities consumer brands face, from product development and packaging to customer engagement, distribution, digital growth, and market positioning.

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That experience created a deeper commercial understanding of how brands succeed in the real world. Not simply how they look, but how they compete, scale, adapt, and build loyalty in increasingly crowded and fast-moving markets.

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In 1999, Julian founded Facelift Design, building a consultancy focused on combining creativity with commercial thinking. Over time, his work evolved beyond traditional design into broader consumer brand strategy, digital ecosystems, growth consultancy, and AI-supported insight — helping brands navigate changing consumer behaviour and emerging technologies while maintaining strong identity and clarity.

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Today, through Intaface® and Selling Ideas®, Julian’s focus remains centred on helping consumer brands evolve for a new era, where culture, commerce, digital experience, AI, and brand perception are more connected than ever before.

His approach combines:

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30 years of consumer brand experience

Deep understanding of FMCG and lifestyle markets

First-hand founder and operator experience

Commercially driven creative thinking

AI-enhanced strategic insight

Brand growth through culture, design, and customer understanding
 

Because successful consumer brands are not built by design alone.

They are built by understanding people, behaviour, relevance, and what makes consumers choose one brand over another.