Ready to stand out & grow?

We’re Katie and Lauren, two passionate marketing specialists based in Manchester who work with organisations of all shapes and sizes. We help our clients achieve their ambitious goals and stand out in their crowded markets.

If you’re looking for clarity, direction and confidence in your brand and marketing activities, let’s chat.

Get in touch

Hello & Welcome to The Piñata Lab

We’re ready to liven up your brand and marketing.

With 30 years of combined experience in strategic marketing, we’ve led successful teams and departments to achieve big results.

Our expertise spans a wide range of sectors, including professional services, beauty, wellness, health and fitness, utilities, solar energy, construction, life sciences, technology, not-for-profit and more.

We’re passionate about making great marketing accessible to everyone, not just the biggest brands with the biggest budgets.

If you want to make a change (and fast), we can get you moving in the right direction in just 6-8 weeks.

Read to get started?

Brand & Marketing Services

Every organisation is different, so there's not a one-size-fits-all approach. That's why we shape our brand and marketing services to meet your specific needs. Here are some of the ways we can work together:

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Fractional Head of Marketing

Senior-level marketing expertise and direction for a fraction of the time, at a fraction of the cost. With ongoing support, we'll help you get the most from your marketing, putting your strategy into action and bringing it to life. Ongoing retainers are scalable.

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Brand and Positioning Strategy

This strategy defines exactly who you are, what you stand for, who you're targeting and how best to differentiate yourself in the market. It helps you make confident decisions, connect with your audience and build a brand that moves you closer to your goals.

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Messaging Guidelines

In line with your brand strategy, we'll craft engaging messaging to capture attention and drive action. Guidelines cover both overarching and tailored messaging for your audience segments, ensuring all stakeholders are pulling in the same direction.

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Marketing Strategy

A tailored marketing strategy helps you focus your time, energy and budget on the activities that drive results. It ensures you show up in the right places and speak to the right people at the right time. Ultimately, it helps you win new customers and retain existing ones.

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Strategic Marketing Projects

We also work with businesses and agencies on a project-by-project basis. Whether it's a full research and recommendations project or you need an extra pair of experienced hands during a busy period, we can step in and support for as long as needed.

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Training and Support

Through interactive sessions, drop-in clinics, mentoring and speaking, we can help your team (or clients) get the most from their brand and marketing. We also provide internal communications support to ensure strategies and guidelines are understood and embraced by everyone.

Are you…

Looking to make your mark in a crowded market?

Unsure how to get the most out of your marketing efforts?

In need of a fresh perspective or clarity on your brand and marketing strategy?

Working on a unique project that requires specialist expertise or an extra pair of hands?

Wanting to connect with your target audience more authentically?

Looking to take a more strategic approach to marketing to achieve your goals?

If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of the above, we could be a perfect fit. Whether you’re just starting out, well-established, or anywhere in between, we can help transform your marketing challenges into opportunities for growth.

Get in touch

Why work with us?

Working with The Piñata Lab (Katie & Lauren) gives you access to a wealth of brand and marketing experience across a wide range of industries. During our combined 30+ years of experience, we have developed a unique approach that we tailor to every project and client.

Clients often choose us because we deliver creative brand and marketing services faster and more cost-effectively than typical agencies. We quickly get to know your industry and are able to support you every step of the way. We love marketing, and nothing brings us more joy than nurturing brands and helping clients grow their businesses.

Happy Clients

We love working with wonderful clients on their unique challenges and goals. We work across many different industries, bringing a fresh perspective and the assurance that we're not working with your competitors.

Are you ready to get started and join our list of happy clients?

“We initially engaged the Pinata Lab to refine our brand and messaging strategy and alongside the fantastic work they’ve done in achieving this, they have gone above and beyond in supporting our team in the process. We have extended our work with them to now put that strategy into action and alongside being so lovely to work with, they are clearly experts in their fields – they really know their stuff! I cannot recommend working with Katie and Lauren enough, they have made this process so smooth and also exciting!”

Kate Childs

Director of Fundraising & Communications, Walking With The Wounded

“The Pinata Lab delivered detailed, high-quality strategic marketing work that positively impacted our business. Their thorough research and strategic thinking helped us identify valuable marketing opportunities that aligned with our business objectives and reached our target audience in an impactful way.”

Victoria Pawsey

Global Director, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

” I highly recommend Katie and Lauren. Our partnership began when in the middle of a major brand consolidation: a complex, high-stakes project that was delivered on time, with full alignment across teams.

More recently, they’ve led some excellent work on customer communications. They’re a brilliant duo: intelligent, driven, and always focused on getting the job done. A great fusion of strategy, planning, AND execution.”

Paul Sinclair

Chief Brand and Marketing Officer, Verastar (Clear Business)

“I have worked with The Piñata Lab for the last year on 2 significant projects; their dedication and attention to detail are fantastic. As soon as I discussed what I required, they really got the brief and executed each element of the project with exceptional quality and ahead of time.

The Piñata Lab are easy to work with due to their friendly and professional nature. The work is accurate, and they really tailor it to the audience that is reading it. I would not hesitate to recommend The Piñata Lab for any brand and marketing work and I look forward to when we work together again in the future.

Nicola John

Managing Director, UAP Limited

“From the initial meeting to the final delivery I was extremely impressed with how easy and transparent Lauren and Katie were to deal with. They very quickly dialled in and understood the company culture and had a notable understanding of the industry, and were very well-researched. This was clear when they delivered our new brand strategy. I would highly recommend The Pinata Lab for any business.“

Chris Hawling

Commercial Director, Aztec Solar Energy Ltd

“The Piñata Lab exceeded our expectations! They took the time to deeply understand our business and crafted exceptional brand messaging. The workshop was great, communication was seamless, and they’ve truly elevated how we present ourselves. Highly recommend!”

Daniel Quigley

Operations Lead, Dove Cleaning

“Following a workshop, The Piñata Lab provided us with a detailed brand strategy and a top-level marketing plan. These became the framework for our day-to-day activities and allowed our team to have a clear and concise understanding of who we are, what we stand for, and who our target audience is. We highly recommend The Piñata Lab, especially to new businesses or those looking to take a new direction.”

Tracy Johnson

Founder & CEO, Circle of Trust

“After being in business for 5 years, I was struggling to define my brand for my floral design business and reach my ideal clients. Katie and Lauren were instrumental in transforming my approach. They analysed my business thoroughly, helping me identify my ideal client and develop a authentic brand voice. Thanks to their expertise, I now have a clearer direction and feel more confident in presenting my unique floral designs to potential clients.”

Poppy Emuss

Founder, Poppy Wild Floral

“Katie and Lauren are truly fantastic to work with. They recently helped us craft a brand strategy for our business, and we couldn’t be happier with the result. The strategy is exceptionally well thought out and detailed—they clearly know their stuff. They’re also an absolute dream to collaborate with. We’re beyond happy and will definitely be working with them again in the future.”

Dee Darcy

Founder, Utter Creatives

“Rad Chat is a small, niche company founded by two therapeutic radiographers, and when it came to marketing, we had no idea where to begin. With big plans ahead, we knew we needed expert help—and that’s where the fantastic team at Piñata Lab stepped in. They did an incredible job of truly understanding the core of our business and developing a brand and marketing strategy that perfectly aligns with our vision. Working with them has been a seamless experience. Highly recommended!”

Joanna McNamara

Co-Founder, Rad Chat