The Concept of Growth and the Role of Consulting
Renato explains the integration of marketing, sales, and branding, detailing the business diagnostic process.
In a discussion on corporate strategy, Renato breaks down the true meaning of growth and critiques superficial marketing deliverables. The conversation details his investigative consulting methodology and internal process organization.
Renato, a consultant at Gargalos Invisíveis, spoke with Bruno Gimenes on Marketing - The Podcast about the practical definition of growth and how consulting must investigate the root causes of operational bottlenecks in business. The full episode in the video above also covers other topics related to channels and management.
The pillars of business growth
When defining growth, Renato clarifies that the term means business growth and should not be reduced to off-the-shelf market formulas. In the methodology applied across his projects, sustainable company progress relies on three central pillars: marketing, sales, and branding. This structure is supported by three operational levers composed of people, processes, and platforms.
"Growth, at the end of the day, is business growth. So how do you do it, and what strategies do you use to grow a business? In my consulting work for companies, we primarily look at three pillars: marketing, sales, and branding," Renato states. For him, the lack of an integrated vision prevents executives from understanding the actual factors holding back corporate expansion.
The balance between branding and performance
Renato points out that there is a proliferation of agencies taking superficial approaches, advising clients simply to increase paid media budgets whenever sales drop. The consultant cites a case where he zeroed out a client's digital ad spend without seeing any drop in results, discovering that the underlying problem was brand positioning rather than ad distribution.
"Branding combined with performance is what actually works. You cannot ignore performance, but you cannot solely rely on performance either. Otherwise, the moment you run out of gas, everything stops," Renato notes. The structural repositioning allowed the company to consistently recover its sales.
Diagnostics and investigative methodology
Renato compares consulting work to an ongoing investigative process designed to uncover problems that leaders themselves fail to see. Instead of prescribing standardized tools or services, the priority lies in conducting diagnostics through in-depth interviews with executives, sales leaders, and frontline teams, alongside market desk research.
"Consulting work is investigative. I joke that I'm the Sherlock Holmes of companies because I go in to investigate what is actually happening," Renato explains. He recounts a recent project where he interviewed dozens of employees across a large corporation to map communication bottlenecks and compile a 26-page analytical diagnosis before initiating any practical interventions.
Management rituals and meeting efficiency
The conversation also touches on internal meeting and process organization. Renato and Bruno agree that generalizations about corporate productivity harm organizations. For Renato, structuring rituals with clear agendas and set schedules prevents unnecessary costs associated with idle teams in conference rooms, without succumbing to the illusion that all complex decisions can be resolved via quick messaging or emails.