Strategy is the Art
of Embracing
the Unknown

25A0 is unicode for black square and a research office at the intersection of strategy, aesthetics, and technology.

We conduct commissioned and self-initiated ventures and projects, partnering with clients that are driven by curiosity, vision, and impact.

Ventures

Strategic Foresight

Deutsche Telekom AG

Europes biggest telco wanted to identify emerging trends at the intersection of art and technology. We conduct seminars, a podcast, and a publication exploring weak signals in art and tech.

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Brand Strategy / Portfolio Integration

Carlsberg

Carlsberg acquired the German beer brand Wernesgrüner. We help to maintain the brand’s local authenticity while preventing brand cannibalization within the existing portfolio.

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Brand Strategy / Organizational Development

Schmitt + Sohn

Schmitt + Sohn, a family owned enterprise in its 6th generation, needs to update its brand. We develop the strategic framework and install a new department.

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Strategic Narrative / Award Logic

Polyton

POLYTON is a new platform and music award to highlight the social impact of pop music. We create the strategic narrative and the participatory award mechanism.

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Systemic Change

European Commission

The “Agents of Transformation” project bridges the gap between the next generation in arts and design and European policy making. We connect students with high-level decision-makers in politics and industry.

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Brand Strategy

Volkswagen Group

The biggest automaker in the world converges the separate software divisions from its brand portfolio in a new companywide department. We develop the strategic framework with a focus on employer branding.

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Employer Branding Strategy

Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric reshapes its employer value proposition in the DACH region. We provide the strategic direction and create alignment across the board.

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Organizational Transformation

Reeperbahn Festival

The leading international music festival evolves from an annual event series to a holistic music platform. We develop and implement the strategic framework for this transformation.

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Growth Strategy

Krautreporter

A young online publisher with an industry-leading business model faced challenges in user acquisition and retention. We developed a purpose-driven loyalty strategy that led to sustainable growth.

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Brand Strategy

TD Reply

A marketing innovation consultancy transforms its business model and service portfolio. We develop a purpose-driven new brand identity and restructure their service offerings.

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Journal

Interface Critique

Interface Critique is an academic platform, that facilitates trans-disciplinary dialogues about human-computer interaction.

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Partners

 

If you want to know more or request a case study, please get in touch:

hello@25a0.com

Cases

Krautreporter

Challenge

A young online publisher with an industry leading business model was looking to take its magazine to the next level.

After establishing the magazine successfully and sustainably in the national media landscape, it faced challenges in growth, retention, and user acquisition due to algorithmic adjustments in social media feeds.

Iterated purpose map with annotations
Three course network dinner with the client at Galeria Santa Lucia
Initial collaborative purpose mapping results
Offsite workshop for the whole editorial team at Galeria Santa Lucia

Approach

We conducted an offsite purpose workshop with the whole editorial team and additional staff to sharpen the identity and narrative of the magazine, to uncover potential to reach a broader audience and to explore new user acquisition approaches.

Poster with new purpose, mission, vision and values as well as resulting projects for editorial, product and design
Documentation of the purpose-driven communication strategy in form of a brochure with detailed roadmaps and project descriptions.
Summaries of the new purpose, mission, vision and values

Measures

Editorial

Based on the refined purpose, we identified numerous editorial measures to convey the new narrative to the existing and new readership, including introspective content pieces, deeper and more visible reader integration and a dedicated community management to connect the magazine with a broader cultural fabric.

Product

We developed concrete measures for a loyalty strategy to foster viral effects, laying out the steps and milestones for a customer referral program and integrating already existing communicative measures and events under a shared perspective to enhance the word of mouth amongst the highly loyal readership.

Design

We laid out the roadmap for a rebranding, including brand character, landing page redesign, visual guidelines for editorial images, and the integration of offline activities.

Results

Six years after its founding and after huge losses in the last four, Krautreporter finally reached a self-sustaining business in 2021, enabling the organization to expand its offering while providing security and safety for its staff.

Next Case

TD Reply