25A0 is unicode for black square and a brand strategy shop at the intersection of research, art and business.
We design strategic moves with tangible business results for clients that are driven by curiosity, vision and impact.
Innovation requires Continuity.
Transformation and change do not happen over night.
That is why we don’t work against time.
Apathy enables Tyranny.
Not deciding is the worst decision.
That is why we support and inform decision making processes.
Simple is not easy.
Information overload is difficult to tackle.
That is why we structure complexity to say it simple.
Leadership today requires empathy and shared visions.
We enable brands and organizations to render their progress meaningful for everyone by curating strategy from within.
Read moreMaking sense of the world requires more than quantification.
We combine a broad range of qualitative and investigative approaches with a high sensitivity for culture and everyday life.
Read moreIdeas aren’t worth much without execution.
We bridge the gap between strategic oversight and operative baseline hands-on – with design, production, development and implementation.
Read moreA german automaker converges the separate software divisions from its brand portfolio in a new companywide department.
A leading international music festival evolves from an annual event series to a holistic media platform.
A young online publisher with an industry leading business model takes its magazine to the next level.
A marketing innovation consultancy reshapes and aligns its service portfolio and brand identity.
An academic journal addresses the conditions and contingencies of applications and apparatuses.
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A german automaker converges the separate software divisions from its brand portfolio in a new companywide department in order to turn its core business around and shift from automotive manufacturer to a software driven company.
In close collaboration with Design Studio YUKIKO, we developed the strategic framework for the employer and OEM brand of this new division.
Based on the overall group strategy, interim results from c-level workshops and in close dialogue with the brand team, we built an agile strategic framework that took the complexity and changing conditions of the surrounding corporate politics into account.
Minimum Viable Brand
We created working definitions before naming and structures have been fixed to hit the ground running once the board decision was made. We defined all relevant strategic pillars (purpose, brand values and brand character, corporate and organizational culture, vision and current strategic focus), referring narratives, communication guidelines and personae within an agile framework that allowed us to switch between a fundamental, an operative and a purpose-driven strategy.
Benchmarking and Guiding Stars
We conducted a qualitative competitive benchmarking of employer value propositions across the direct and indirect competition, analyzing channel, character and content. This led us to identify the sweet spot to position the brand character and tonality. We sketched guiding stars for organizational culture based on self-management, wholeness and purpose, with concrete applications for recruitment and onboarding, leadership style, time management and other fields of work.
Strategic Integration
We integrated the brand strategy into the department and overall group strategy, linking models and logics, developing storylines and structuring narratives to align and synchronize goals and visions across divisions and structures.