Helping brands, marketing and marketers to flourish in the real world

Real World Planning is a brand strategy and market research consultancy run by Helen Weavers. I draw on years of real world experience to combine insightful strategic planning with imaginative market research and inspiring training and workshops

I can offer a fresh, grown-up, actionable perspective on your business, brand or communications challenges and give your team the skills to move forward faster.

Helen Weavers

“Helen is an amazing talent: she manages to combine robust, comprehensive analysis with big-brand thinking and insights. It’s rare to find a planner who excels at both ends of the spectrum”

Thinking harder and digging deeper

I get to better insights, articulate things memorably and suggest interesting solutions

If you lack resource or want a fresh perspective, I push harder to get to the heart of the problem and find new ways through.

Whatever the situation I believe in providing ‘real world’ thinking: grounded and useful, not abstract or overly intellectual.

Strategic consultancy

With respect to all kinds of brand or business issues but typically brand positioning, brand growth, communications development and ESG strategy

Market research

Conducting qualitative research (including for creative development), commissioning quantitative research or reviewing existing data

Training and workshop facilitation

Devising and running enjoyable, productive workshops and training sessions tailored to your exact needs

Communications effectiveness

From assessing communications effectiveness to writing awards entries (especially IPA Effectiveness Awards). I have been a winning author, coach and judge

“Helen has the chameleon-like ability to become a team member instantly and has the experience and gravitas to engage with clients and help us deliver compelling answers to any brief”

Drawing on 30+ years of real world experience

I have worked with a huge range of brands, categories and organisations – and their agencies – in the UK but also in Europe, especially Scandinavia

I worked as a planner and planning director in advertising agencies for the first part of my career, in London (BBH, RKCR, MCBD) and Sydney.

And in 2023-4 I spent 18 months back in advertising, at New Commercial Arts running the Sainsbury’s account, which has been a great opportunity to get bang up-to-date with comms development in today’s complex and fragmented media environment.

In between and since then I’ve worked independently and relish the greater variety of brand and business challenges that allows me to get stuck into.

I’ve been around for long enough to be very grounded in the real world of what actually works and what normal people are really like, but also very aware of the massive difference made by creativity and ideas.

“Helen has never failed to deliver top quality consumer insight that helps us to mobilise people to take up sustainable behaviour. She is down-to-earth, great fun to work with and really feels like one of the team. We try to make a point of never working with anyone else!”

Working with all kinds of brands and organisations

I find any brand or category interesting, but have particular experience in the FMCG, retail and hospitality sectors. I typically work on brand positioning/strategy, communications development and ESG/sustainability strategy, but also on all kinds of other challenges (large and small).