Find out what's true first. Then decide what to say.
Everything you'd want to know before writing the first email: who's behind this, what each engagement includes, what it costs, and how it runs.
It started with research, not a swatch book. As a consumer insights researcher at MTS Bank in Moscow, I ran moderated hall tests, built a five-stage customer journey map and benchmarked the product against five-plus competing platforms. The findings changed the product — and engagement rose 15% after launch. Before that, at O+K Research, I ran full-cycle market research projects for several brand clients, from brief to final report.
The foundation underneath is a sociology degree from Novosibirsk State University, with economics and statistics, and the Inside LVMH Certificate in Creation & Branding. Both point at the same question: why people choose what they choose, and what a brand has to be for them to choose it on purpose.
Here's the part that isn't on a CV. Almost everyone doing this work well is doing it for companies that already have a marketing department. The businesses that need a clear position most — the ones still deciding what they are — usually get a logo and a font pairing instead of an answer. Studio Dudin exists to close that gap: research-first strategy, sized for a small business.
Three things every engagement runs on.
Clarity
You never leave a session more confused than you came in. Strategy that can't be said in one sentence isn't finished.
Candor
If your idea doesn't hold up, you'll hear it from me before you hear it from your customers.
Craft
Every deliverable is a document you can use, written in plain language, with the evidence behind every claim.
Pick the depth that fits where you are.
Not sure what a Positioning Audit reads like? See published examples — same format, real companies.
Positioning Audit Start here
A fast, honest read of where your brand stands today — and exactly what's costing you clarity.
- Competitive scan
- Audience read
- Messaging gap analysis
- 45-minute working session
- One-page action plan
Brand Strategy Core
Positioning, message architecture and brand voice — built to survive contact with real customers.
- Stakeholder interviews
- Competitive & market research
- Positioning statement
- Messaging framework
- Brand voice guide
Brand Platform
Strategy plus the verbal and visual direction to carry it — ready to hand to a designer, a developer or your own team.
- Everything in Core
- Visual identity direction
- Brand guidelines document
- Launch messaging kit
Brand Advisory
A monthly strategy call, a positioning review for each new launch, and quick answers by email within two business days.
Every price above is what you pay — no add-ons that surface later.
The same method, self-serve.
For founders who want to do the first pass themselves before hiring anyone.
Positioning in a Weekend
Three worksheets, five AI prompts and a five-second test: one position that survives testing, in a weekend.
Get it on Gumroad →AI Prompt Pack for Founders
28 tested prompts across audit, positioning, meaning, messaging, naming and launch.
Get it on Gumroad →The Brand Strategy System
The full method, self-serve: eight modules from audit to launch, a 69-page PDF, a Notion template and fillable canvases.
Get it on Gumroad →The System + 1:1 Positioning Call
Everything in the System, plus a 45-minute session with me to pressure-test your positioning.
Get it on Gumroad →The €5.99 and €29 purchases count in full toward the System. The System and the System + Call count in full toward a Positioning Audit (€1,200) if you book one within 90 days.
What happens when we work together.
The first call — free, 20 minutes
You tell me what's going on, I ask sharp questions, and we work out whether this is a Positioning Audit, a Brand Strategy Core, or something else. If it's not a fit, I'll say so.
Scope & kickoff
A one-page agreement: scope, price, timeline, no legalese. A 50% deposit starts the work; the rest is due on delivery. Then a short written intake, so I'm not asking you things you've already told me.
The work
Research first — competitive scan, audience read, stakeholder interviews where the package includes them. Then synthesis. You see a working draft partway through, not a reveal at the end.
Delivery
Actual documents, not a slide you'll open once: positioning statement, messaging framework, voice guide — per package. Plain language, ready to hand to a designer, a developer or your own team.
After
A 30-day question window after delivery, at no extra cost. Want ongoing input after that? That's what Brand Advisory is for.
Questions people actually ask.
Why should I trust a studio that's brand new?
You shouldn't take it on faith. That's why the Work page publishes real, checkable audits instead of mockups — you can read exactly how I think before you pay for anything.
What if I don't like the direction you come back with?
Brand Strategy Core and Brand Platform both include a draft review before anything is final, plus revision rounds — you react to the thinking while it can still change. The Positioning Audit is shorter, but the working session is a conversation, not a handoff.
Do you design logos or build websites?
No. Brand Platform sets the visual direction — palette and typography direction, a logo brief — so a designer can execute it correctly. I set the direction; I don't produce the final assets.
I'm not in Italy. Can we still work together?
Yes. Everything runs over video calls and email. Milan is where I'm based, not a requirement.
Can I start small and go bigger later?
Yes. Starting with the Positioning Audit and moving into Brand Strategy Core is the most common path, and the Core builds on what the Audit already found. If you start with the self-serve System, what you paid counts toward the Audit within 90 days.
What if it's not a fit after the first call?
Then I'll say so directly, and it costs you nothing. The first call is free precisely so finding out isn't expensive.
