Notes on How We Build Meaningful Brands

We recently spoke with Mindsparkle in an interview to talk about ourselves, something we rarely do. While you can read the profile here, we’d like to take the opportunity presented here to expand on some of the thoughts, shaped for anyone curious about how we approach brand strategy, identity design and long-term brand building from Singapore. These are the principles behind how we work and why our brand consultancy continues to partner with responsible, forward-thinking businesses across FMCG, lifestyle and emerging categories.

““Today we’re much more focused on working with ethical and responsible businesses; especially challenger brands bringing new types of value to people.””

The developed world has more than it can ever need. What we as people need is not more but better goods; not marginally better, but better in every sense of the word. Being able to work with brands that deliver real value excites us, because the stakes are high and if they win, people benefit from having truly alternative options. Many of these entrants, though, face significant obstacles to go to market, needing strong FMCG brand strategy and identity development, sharper thinking and design that can outmanoeuvre the incumbents.

““A clear no-go is when a client wants to mask an inferior or harmful product with branding. We simply can’t endorse such efforts that put the public’s trust at risk.””

Strategic branding only works when the product stands on its own merit. Branding cannot fix what is fundamentally unsound, and the most honest decision is often to step aside. This refusal aligns with our view on why premium has, in many categories, become an empty label when not supported by real value.

““Singapore’s domestic market is very small, so most businesses here naturally think beyond the country from day one.””

Working in a small market has taught us to build brands that travel, brand identities that can hold their own without having to worry too much about localisation. This shapes how our team approaches brand strategy in Singapore, developing meaning for brands that can resonate with people across borders and cultures. In the brand identity systems we create, we bring brands to life in characterful ways, unique to themselves with personality that attracts people regardless of market geography.

““The work has to make sense and connect with people. Not everything needs to be loud or shiny.””

Connection is not a function of spectacle but of relevance, clarity and restraint. We prioritise creating work that serves real needs, expressing the brand with restraint, which earns attention and cultivates relationships through its meaning and values. This is the foundation of our people-first approach across brand strategy, design and creative direction.

““We also rely much more on primary research now; having that foundation helps us address our clients’ business concerns…””

No one truly knows what the public is thinking, especially for a brand that has stood the test of time. Around boardrooms, our clients know very well what is selling and what is not performing, but no one knows for certain how customers feel about the brand and what friction they encounter. Having primary research grounds everyone in a few truths, allowing us to align on ways forward and, at the same time, keeps the work we do honest.

““The goal is to create a brand identity that’s contemporary but strong enough to last beyond the moment.””

Chasing trends can offer a shortcut to fitting in or becoming relevant overnight, but often at the cost of longevity. A brand that intends to endure needs a world built around its own authenticity instead. In a world short on attention, it is counterintuitive, but the world is also craving meaning, so these are two extreme constraints to contend with. Ultimately, trends come and go with increasing speed, and building a brand with an identity that will go out of style in a year is definitely shortsighted. This is closely tied to how we think about voice, which remains one of the most reliable markers of a brand’s long-term character.

““Internally we’re a flat transparent structure; with clear communications and trust as key pillars… There’s a lot of discussion, reflection, and shared responsibility between us and the client.””

This environment, which we seek to establish quickly, facilitates and supports the kind of alignment that allows projects to deepen rather than fracture. We’re thankful that our clients prefer this way of working too, and the results from such strong collaborations are self-evident. While these days people are always in a rush and AI has been very helpful in supporting that, taking a bit more time to get deeper work done has helped our clients achieve more and circumvent longer-term issues speed glosses over.

This is the foundation of our people-first approach across brand strategy, design and creative direction.

You can read the full MindsparkleMag interview here.