Independent Marketing Consultancy

Where telco
expertise meets
strategic clarity.

Senior marketing leadership for technology and telco brands entering, scaling, or repositioning in European markets — without the overhead of a full-time hire.

Maja Knezevic
Founder · Strategy Sculpt

23 years across

Nokia
Samsung
Huawei
HONOR
23
Years in telco marketing
4
Global brand leaders
15+
European markets
10+
Years bridging East–West
Strategy session
Technology market
Brand launch event
Mobile technology
What I do

Services built on
real market experience.

Every service I offer comes from having done it — not just advised on it — across four of the world's most demanding technology brands.

Brand Strategy
01
Brand Strategy
Positioning, identity, and perception work for brands that need to earn trust in unfamiliar markets. Especially suited to Chinese technology brands entering Europe.
PositioningPerception auditsBrand architecture
PR & Communications
02
PR & Communications
European media relations built on genuine journalist relationships — not just press releases. I help brands understand how editorial independence works and how to earn it.
Media strategyPress relationsCrisis comms
Go-to-Market Strategy
03
Go-to-Market Strategy
End-to-end market entry planning for brands launching in European markets — from audience mapping and channel strategy to launch execution and performance tracking.
Market entryChannel planningLaunch execution
Influencer Management
04
Influencer Management
Strategy and management for influencer programmes in European markets — identifying the right voices, building authentic partnerships, and measuring real impact beyond reach.
Influencer strategyPartnership mgmtPerformance tracking
Event Management
05
Event Management
From MWC presence to regional brand activations — strategic event planning that goes beyond logistics to build the right impressions with the right people.
MWC strategyBrand activationsEvent ROI
Fractional CMO
06
Fractional CMO
Senior marketing leadership on a retained, part-time basis — for companies that need strategic direction without the cost of a full-time executive. Fully remote. 2–3 days per month equivalent.
Monthly retainerStrategic advisoryRemote-first
About

I've been inside
the rooms where
these decisions
get made.

I started my career at Nokia — certain I'd found my home. When that chapter closed, I stepped into a new world: Chinese technology companies navigating European markets. That pivot became a decade-long education in what it takes to build trust, presence, and growth across two very different business cultures.

"The brands that win in Europe aren't always the ones with the best products. They're the ones that understood the market before they entered it."
Read my Substack →
Maja Knezevic — Founder, Strategy Sculpt
Nokia
Nokia
Junior Marketing · Adriatics
Samsung
Samsung
Marketing Product Manager · Adriatics
Huawei
Huawei
Digital Lead · Adriatics
HONOR
HONOR
Marketing Lead · CEE
2025 →
Strategy Sculpt
Founder & Independent Consultant
Writing

Thinking out loud
on Strategy Sculpt.

I write about telco marketing, Chinese brand strategy in Europe, and the realities of senior marketing leadership. Published on Substack — free to read.

Becoming a Chinese Whisperer
How a career at Nokia ended — and what stepping into a Chinese company for the first time actually feels like from the inside.
Read on Substack
Turning the Tables: What Chinese Companies Can Expect in Europe
The cultural friction, hiring dynamics, and perception gaps that Chinese brands consistently underestimate when entering European markets.
Read on Substack
Big Idea Dominance: Balancing Expectations in Marketing
The GM wants the big idea. HQ wants the global campaign. Sales wants something else entirely. Here's how to navigate it.
Read on Substack
Work portfolio

Campaigns that
moved the needle.

Five case studies from 23 years across Nokia, Samsung, Huawei, and HONOR — each one a real brief, a real solution, and a measurable result.

HONOR Magic 7 Lite campaign
HONOR
Magic 7 Lite Co-marketing Campaign with Retailer
HONOR needed to launch a new handset together with retailer Gigatron in an innovative way that created digital content and pushed sales simultaneously. We organised a customer event at a soccer club, producing 15+ video and static content formats showcasing the phone's durability across both brands' social platforms.
Result
Unorthodox content gained massive reach and engagement. Magic 7 Lite became the best-selling phone in Gigatron stores during the launch period.
Huawei Tech Genius influencer programme
Huawei
Tech Genius — Internal Influencer Programme
Huawei needed deeper consumer connection in Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. Standard tech influencer reviews weren't creating genuine engagement. We created an internal brand character — Tech Genius — producing extreme product tests and vlogs, backed by a community hub and service centre website.
Result
First programme of its kind in the region. Built a loyal Huawei fan community. Tech Genius became the brand's face across offline and online, driving both awareness and demand with no comparable precedent in the category.
Celebrity influencer brand cooperation
HONOR
Celebrity Influencer Brand Cooperation
In 2024, HONOR needed to reposition from urban youth to the premium segment. The brand required an ambassador who could drive consideration of the Magic Series flagship products. We partnered with Nataša Bekvalac (871K followers), targeting efficient reach, brand awareness, and premium content creation.
Result
Delivered efficient reach and brand-building among premium-segment audiences. Positioned Magic Series as a credible aspirational device alongside a trusted regional celebrity voice.
HONOR N50 online launch
HONOR
HONOR N50 Launch Campaign — COVID Edition
HONOR's first handset launch as an independent brand coincided with COVID restrictions on offline events. We created an online Talk Show with a tech journalist host, the GM, a top influencer, and a product trainer — supported by targeted media placements and lifestyle magazine fashion editorials.
Result
47,000+ views in 5 days. The unconventional format generated organic coverage across tech, mainstream and lifestyle media far beyond standard livestream launches of that period.
HONOR Telenor fitness campaign
HONOR × Telenor
Social Campaign — Magic Watch 2 & Band 5
The goal was to raise awareness of HONOR's wearables in Telenor stores. In cooperation with Telenor's marketing team, we launched a social challenge inviting users to share their workouts, amplified by fitness influencers during the gym-closure period of COVID.
Result
Wide audience activation during lockdown. High creative entry volume, strong reach via influencers, and overwhelmingly positive sentiment across both brand channels.
HONOR brand strength Serbia
HONOR — Serbia
Brand Strength — #1 in Europe
Sustained brand-building across multiple campaigns and strategic partnerships to drive measurable improvement in brand health metrics — balancing global brand consistency with local market activation across Serbia and the Adriatic region.
Result
Brand Awareness: 92% → 93% in two quarters. Brand Consideration: 28% → 30% in six months. Serbia ranked #1 in Europe and top 3 globally for HONOR brand strength and market share.
47K+
Views in 5 days
HONOR N50 launch
#1
HONOR brand strength
in Europe — Serbia
15+
Content formats
per campaign
Ways to work together

Find the engagement
that fits your needs.

From retained strategic leadership to fixed-scope projects, training workshops and speaking — here is how we can work together.

Fractional CMO
A part-time, retained marketing director role for a company that needs senior strategic leadership without a full-time hire. You bring the brief — I bring the strategy, direction, and execution oversight. Fully remote, available to a small number of clients at a time.
Market Entry Strategy
Fixed-scope consulting projects: brand audits, go-to-market plans, PR strategy frameworks, and competitive positioning. Delivered in 4–8 weeks, fully remote. Particularly suited to Chinese technology brands planning or beginning European expansion.
Brand & Communications Strategy
Positioning, identity, and perception work for brands that need to earn trust in unfamiliar markets. European media relations built on genuine journalist relationships — not just press releases. Includes crisis communications and brand architecture.
Influencer & Campaign Strategy
Strategy and management for influencer programmes in European markets — identifying the right voices, building authentic partnerships, and measuring real impact. Also covers broader campaign strategy from concept through to performance review.
Corporate Training Workshops
Half or full-day workshops for European teams being onboarded into Chinese companies, or Chinese HR and communications teams preparing for European hires. Delivered remotely or on-site. Tailored to the organisation's specific context and challenges.
Not sure which format fits? Let's talk — most engagements start with a single conversation.
Get in touch
Get in touch

Let's talk about
your brand.

Whether you're a Chinese technology brand planning European expansion, or a company that needs senior marketing leadership — I'd like to hear about what you're building.

💼
LinkedIn
Maja Knezevic
✍️
Substack
Strategy Sculpt
✉️
Email
majaknezevic35@yahoo.com