With the Brand Thinking paradigm, we aim to go beyond the boundaries of traditional ways of thinking and adapt to changes more quickly. As outlined by Vieira & Perry, it allows us to reduce and focus all problems on a single core principle: the brand. Filtering problems through the lens of the brand unites all levels, giving meaning to both mission and vision. Brand Thinking becomes holistic through the internal organisation of the paradigm into three systems: Strategy, Design, and Growth.
The Strategy System is understood as the foundation of a brand. It serves as a guidepost, prompting us to ask whether the brand’s values, personality, and guiding paradigm are well articulated and understood.
The Design System encompasses both the external and internal aspects of a company. It represents what people—employees and customers alike—see and experience. From expression to corporate identity, the Design System acts as a compass, constantly questioning whether it clearly reflects the Strategy System.
The Growth System identifies what works within the brand and its products. It helps gather feedback on which parts of the system are reliable and which areas need adjustment. The insights gained allow for optimisations in both the strategy and design.
We use Brand Thinking as an educational framework to equip our graduates, as future brand managers, with the ability to think about brands in a new way and to use them as a problem-solving tool. By placing the brand back at the centre, we transform it into an empowering instrument, merging the company and its brand into a cohesive entity.
