Brand strategy, not brand theory
A fractional CMO for business owners —
and an outside eye for family offices, VC and PE.
Senior marketing leadership without the full-time hire — and a sharper marketing read on the ventures you back.
What I do
Two ways to work together
Family offices, VC & PE
An outside eye on the ventures you back
A sharper marketing read — before more capital goes in, and after.
- Venture viability — stress-testing whether a venture’s marketing actually holds up
- A CMO inside the portfolio company — on the full mandate, a set number of days a week
- Business-to-brand coding — positioning, systems and agency set-up
- Board reporting — on pre-agreed mandates and KPIs
Business owners
A CMO, without the full-time hire
For family businesses planning their next chapter, and growth-stage ventures without a CMO.
- Positioning — and the consumer research that backs it
- Your marketing team — trained and sharpened, or built from scratch
- Agencies — the right one hired, and managed day to day
- Systems and reporting — to the board, on agreed KPIs
The engagement
How it works
Days a week
Fractional, not occasional. We agree the days a week the mandate actually needs.
Six months minimum
Long enough to build, not just advise. Short-term engagements start at six months.
Accountable to the board
I report to the board on pre-agreed mandates and KPIs — so progress is measured, not assumed.
Who I work with
Family businesses, growth ventures and the family offices, VC and PE funds backing them
Family business planning its next chapter
Growth-stage venture without a CMO
Family office, VC or PE fund backing a portfolio company
Founder team navigating a transition
Brand Couch, since 2020
Recent mandates
Retail
Fabindia
A retail footprint and topline growth project, expanding the brand into newer markets.
Hospitality · 43 years, 3,000+ keys
Ahuja Residency
Brand strategy, digital transformation and PR strategy — driving greater visibility and lead generation.
Real estate
MNB Buildfab
Brand positioning, channel engagement that converted unattached partners, and geo-targeted campaigns that generated apartment bookings.
As consultant · major accounts
RK Swamy
Strategic direction for Just Dial (a 12% increase in direct searches), Magicbricks (AI integration and a 4% share gain) and Axis Bank Premier.
Before Brand Couch
Results from work I’ve led
~5%
Market-share gain for Dabur Hajmola, reversing a decline
~12%
Lift in sales and consideration for Havells fans
Double-digit
Growth for SpiceJet after a brand revamp
First time
Samsung outsold Nokia
EFFIE Awards · Effectiveness
Silver & Bronze
Maggi
Rekindled brand loyalty
Silver
McVitie’s
Shifted health perception
Bronze
Havells
Transformed category context
Agency years
Brand experiences
Across JWT, Publicis, Cheil and Mullen Lintas — on brands including:
Founder, Brand Couch
Why Brand Couch
I’m Someshwar Mehra. After nearly two decades with global and Indian brands — Nestlé, Samsung, Havells, Dabur, SpiceJet, Pizza Hut and more — my own pivot came when I saw how many entrepreneur friends were building businesses without that kind of support.
Brand Couch is my answer to that. I step in as your CMO and bring the same thinking I used across those brands: competitive strategy, product and brand differentiation, defining brand DNA, product launches, consumer research and insights, and communication strategy.
Featured
Case studies
Independent thinking
From the blog
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