Karl Grøndal (KGS founder) has over the decades of working as a designer, strategist and researcher, developed a coherent brand building framework - Construct™

The basic premise is that branding is strategic culture creation.

In our post-modern hyperculture, personal and social identity is no longer inherited or divinely ordained but an individual and ongoing project of creating oneself. In this process, brands are essential building blocks.

“From the idea that the self is not given to us, I think there is only one practical consequence: we have to create ourselves as a work of art.” - Michel Foucault.

Consumers do not respond to brands wanting to just sell stuff, they respond to brands providing meaning. Today’s consumers dont want generic services and products, but authentic and relevant offerings.

When the audience can mirror their core values and ideologies in the brand, when their dreams are woven into the brand’s mythologies, and when the brand’s products become part of their personal aesthetics and communal rituals - a deep sense of belonging and shared identity is created.

A meaningful and relevant brand experience converts to costumer loyalty and brand equity in the marketplace.

A relevant, authentic and attractive brand will build cultural capital, authority and influence over time. This will give the brand a status of cultural innovator and originator, a position that can pay dividends for decades, think: Levi’s 501, Disney’s early films like Snow White, Bang & Olufsen’s innovative design language from the 70s or Ferrari’s racing heritage.

To add to your understanding of brands and design take the KGS-U courses where we’ll deep dive into the theory and real life examples explaining how to built strong brands and design icons.

KGS helps ambitious startups, corporations and other organisations design better brands.

• Brands that are relevant, authentic and influential.

• Brands that are crafted with skill and care across all touchpoints - from products to rituals and spaces.

• Brands with a unique market position and identity.

• Brands customers and employees can use to construct and perform their personal identity.

• Brands designed to generate cultural authority and capital over time.

Research

KGS conducts multi-layered research to gain a deeper understanding of the brand itself, the target audience, the competitive landscape and the cultural context within which the brand seeks influence.

Brand platform

KGS co-develops the foundational brand beliefs and core narratives for the brand with the client. The brand platform acts as the wellspring of meaning content for all physical expressions of the brand, i.e. products, marketing, rituals and spaces.

Brand strategy

KGS helps the management, product and marketing teams develop an integrated brand strategy where beliefs, narratives, products, rituals and architectural spaces becomes aligned to form a coherent brand, designed to deliver on cultural and commercial objectives.

Co-branding

KGS helps create mutually beneficial co-branding partnerships across industriels and cultural spheres.

Visual identity

The visual brand identity - logo, colours, fonts and other graphic elements - is often considered the entire brand identity. KGS works from a more holistic perspective where the visual identity is part of a wider brand identity which encompasses all brand touchpoints, such as products, retail spaces, rituals, services and so on.

Digital design

As a digital interface is often the first touchpoint - and sometimes the only touchpoint - through which the consumer will experiences your brand, it has to be crafted to perfection. First impressions matter.

KGS will make sure your digital brand experiences are seamless, engaging and memorable.

Industrial design

When designing new products - or entire product design languages - KGS always aims to build future icons. Products that will help drive brand recognition, meaning and value for years to come. Products that are intuitive, beautiful and manufactured to leave a minimal environmental impact.

Architectural design

KGS designs brand spaces such as shops, offices and exhibitions.

The ambition is always to design brand places that express the brand beliefs through a distinct aesthetic language and atmosphere. Architecture anchors the brand to a place - a ritual site where brand beliefs can be enacted.

Ritual design

KGS designs rituals for internal and external brand building.

Rituals are an underrated and underutilized brand strategic tool and expression for creating meaning, identity and belonging. Normally we consider rituals as something belonging to ancient cultures or the realms of religion, but our entire existence is guided by rituals. Rituals are stylized, repeated, symbolic actions we perform to:

• Structure and bring continuity to our lives.

• Enact beliefs, turning ideals into tangible actions.

• Enable transitions and transformation.

• Share communal knowledge across time.

• Express and affirm social identity and belonging.

• Build and maintain community.

KGS works with a network of specialists to ensure each product, service or space is designed to the highest industry standards.

The KGS network includes:

• Engineers

• Developers

• Model makers

• 3D artists

• Illustrators

• Photographers

• Artists

• Service designers

• Motion designers

• Architects

• Constructing architects

• Anthropologists

• Circular design specialists

KGS offers two workshops: “Brand Building” and “Iconic Design” for academic and commercial clients.

The general content is the same as the KGS-U online courses, but the courses can be be tailored to your needs. We can work with your specific brand strategic objectives or align the courses with general learning goals in an academic context.

The recommended maximum is 30 participants per workshop.

Workshops can be conducted in either Danish or English.

Get in touch to learn more.