Brand strategy that gives you clarity.

Progress isn’t effortless. It’s built-in friction. And where there’s friction, there’s opportunity. We help businesses use it - to grow, to realign, to lead.

We work with CEOs, founders, PE firms, and agencies to bring clarity when it counts - whether you’re scaling, shifting, or trying to find your way out of the fog.

Our purpose is simple:
Turn complexity into clarity.
Turn clarity into momentum.

You won’t get off-the-shelf anything. You’ll get fearless thinking, sharp strategy, and traction that moves people - from the inside out.

We don’t just build brands. We make them matter.

Why Friction:

Great brands get lost all the time. Not because they’re broken—because they’re buried.

Buried under complexity. Internal noise. Vague positioning. Inconsistent messaging. And when that happens, no amount of marketing can fix it.

Friction exists to fix that.

We work with leaders who are growing fast, shifting gears, or finally admitting the story isn’t landing.

We bring clarity when it’s needed most. Strategy that bites. Messaging that sticks. Alignment that turns teams into believers—and brands into momentum.

We’re not here to impress you with slides. We’re here to cut through, sharpen the edge, and make sure your brand works as hard as your business does.

That’s how we turn friction into forward movement.

Let's connect

Selected Projects

The Alternative Dairy Co.

Sales grow to over $80 Million in 4 Years

Air Tahiti Nui

Reframing perception as a path to growth

Jettzy

From startup vision to global disruption

New Zealand School of Tourism

Positioned for growth, built for acquisition

Mataura Valley Milk

Developing a compelling value proposition for global dairy markets

The Steelworks
3/13 Coles Avenue, Mt. Eden
Auckland 1024, New Zealand
+64 9 35 85 692
colin@friction.co.nz
Linkedin

Based in Auckland New Zealand, I work with brands throughout Australasia, The Pacific and Asia.