Strategic Contrast
When starting work on a new brand, or one that has outgrown its current identity, what key information serves as your starting point?
Although both processes belong to the same discipline, their underlying logic is fundamentally different because they originate from completely different starting points.
For a new brand, we first seek its essence, the reason why it exists in the first place. Here, it is crucial to identify a gap in the market for something that has yet to be articulated.
We do not simply ask the client what they want to sell, but what problem they solve and what concrete advantage they bring to the category. The focus is on defining an authentic character right from the start. The goal is to establish the brand from day one as a strategic pillar of the business.
For a brand that is in a growth phase or has already outgrown its identity, the task is not to overhaul it radically, but to redefine its relevance. These are usually companies whose business model has evolved, while their visual and verbal face remains trapped in the past. With such brands, we first identify that identity gap. Our task is to redefine the framework that no longer aligns with their business reality and to create a new system that can support their current complexity and ambition for the next ten years.
We do not engage in superficial cosmetics, but in repositioning that must justify the strength the business has already built.
In both cases, the foundation of everything is clear differentiation or, as we say internally, strategic contrast. Regardless of whether a brand is new or undergoing transformation, it needs to make a clear departure from its environment. Our job is to make that difference obvious and profitable.
People most often perceive a brand through its logo and visual identity. What does the process that precedes it look like?
When we talk about strategic branding, visual identity is actually the end of the process, not its beginning. Before we decide how a brand will look, we define what it actually is.
In this “invisible” phase, we first analyze the market, the business model, the existing offering and customer needs, then align the client’s business goals with what the market is truly missing.
We believe that good words lay the foundation of design. That is why, before visual identity, we build the verbal one- from brand naming and taglines to defining the tone of voice through which the brand will communicate.
Only when we find the point of strategic contrast and clearly understand what makes the brand unique do the visual elements step in to make that essence visible and memorable
What does the transition from the business analysis phase to creating a brand’s verbal and visual identity actually look like in practice?
In practice, strategy guides every creative decision. It determines the weight and tone each component of the brand should carry. For example, if a brand’s strength lies in quiet authority, the creative direction naturally moves toward minimalism and understated design.
Once the direction is clear, design doesn’t just happen as a stroke of pure inspiration, it serves as a precise manifestation of the brand’s defined character. It exists to visually reinforce what the business has strategically established as its edge. This is the transition from abstract thinking into a concrete experience that people can clearly see, understand and remember.
Based on your long-standing experience leading marketing departments in large systems, what do you consider to be the greatest value for the brands you work with today?
Working in large systems gave us the perspective of someone who understands how complex organizations operate and how much every strategic decision impacts profitability, operational efficiency and growth. That is why today we approach clients as partners who understand both the creative process and the realities of running a business.
Based on what criteria do you evaluate whether a visual identity is truly aligned with a brand’s strategy and business goals?
For us, design is a strategic tool, not a medium for personal artistic expression. We know we’ve succeeded not when a visual identity is merely aesthetically pleasing, but when it functions as a direct response to a specific business challenge. Alignment shows in consistency- from packaging to digital presence. If a brand’s visual expression communicates its strategic character and enables it to create the desired contrast in the market, then it has fulfilled its primary purpose: making the brand recognizable, relevant and ultimately, chosen.
What creates a clear line today between a brand that simply looks good and one that delivers real business results?
What sets them apart is strategic depth. It’s easy to create something visually appealing at first glance, but true strength lies in an identity that aligns with who the company or brand genuinely is. A strong brand doesn't blindly follow trends; it creates them or ignores them in favor of its own distinctiveness. As such, it cannot be merely a visual symbol, but rather a strategic asset that builds long-term market value by fostering trust, loyalty and clear differentiation.
Interview published by: InStore
Originally published on the InStore portal
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