Welcome to DLKR’s Brand Playbooks
Your brand isn’t working as hard as your product.
You’ve built something people love. Sales are solid. But your brand? It’s a patchwork of decisions made under pressure — a logo from a freelancer, messaging that sounds like everyone else, no real story holding it together.
You know that brand matters. But most brand strategy advice is either too abstract to act on or too generic to matter. You don’t need more theory. You need to see how it’s done.
This publication is for DTC founders who want to learn brand strategy by watching it in action.
Who am I?
I’m DLKR — a brand strategist who helps DTC founders build brands that actually work. Positioning that cuts through noise. Identity that sticks. Storytelling that earns trust and drives growth.
I'm a British-Australian based in Tokyo for 30 years — far from the echo chambers of US marketing. I've helped build brands ranging from those that were just emerging all the way through to global household names.
What you get
Free
I publish brand playbooks weekly — complete brand concepts built from scratch for real product categories across different industries. You'll see exactly how positioning, identity, and storytelling come together — and what that process actually looks like when it's done well.
No theory. No jargon. Just a working demonstration you can learn from immediately. Each playbook includes an audio voiceover for when you’d rather listen. Full archive access included.
Paid
Everything free subscribers get, plus:
The Strategic Brand Playbook — my full DTC growth framework as ebook, audiobook, and course
Founder community chat — ask questions, get feedback, connect with other founders doing this work
Deep-dive podcast episodes — I answer member questions on brand strategy in detail
A year costs about the same as two coffees a month. Most readers expense it under “training” or “professional development.”
Inner Circle
Everything free and paid subscribers get, plus a monthly 1:1 strategy call with me — including a recording and action plan.
A year costs less than a single month of most advisory retainers.
Want to work together?
I also work directly with founders on brand strategy — from a quick async review to full storytelling production.
Let’s connect
Email: hi@thedlkr.com
Daily brand insights: Substack Notes / Instagram / TikTok / X
