About us

Brand Ethos helps spirited organisations describe what they do better, so they can do more

Welcome. A bit about us

We’re an award-winning brand and design consulting firm that likes to do things that make a difference.

We work with brands with big ideas and a commitment to making the world a better place.

We act with optimism, passion and humility. And we always guarantee a warm welcome.

Some things we’re not about. We’re not about jargon, over-promising, or recycled thinking.

We won’t say we can do something we can’t nor do work we don’t believe in.

And we will never budge in our commitment to inclusive, accessible design.

What we enjoy doing

We work with people and organisations who do something positive in the world. These are the things we enjoy doing to help them do that.

Strategy Getting you where you want to be

Brand strategy and purpose No hyperbole. No jargon. Just straightforward, usable plans to help you reach your goals. Clear purpose that's believable, achievable and relatable.

Brand audit Seeing the lay of the land, what the design challenge is. What's good. What could be improved. How we can do this together.

Discovery projects Research that looks at what you don't know and through the eyes of those people who matter most to you. Finding the inconvenient truths and learning from what has gone before.

Desk research Never underestimate the value of what you already know, seeing it through a different lens and the eyes of your audiences.

Values and ethos workshops Workshops that are fun, informative and constructive. Articulating your culture and beliefs that bring you together.

Brand modelling and architecture Bringing everything into one place, creating an architecture that works for your audiences as much as for you.

Naming Brand names, programme names, place names. Our expert naming partners guide you with creativity to achieve an ownable name.

Brand propositions and messaging Helping you get to the place where you tell a universal story that right for who you are talking to.

Verbal identity Working with you to develop a distinctive brand language and tone of voice as strong as a differentiated visual identity.

Immersion workshops We need to get to know you, so sometimes that needs more than a kick-off meeting. Immersion workshops help us discover the real you.

Content strategy and publishing Content is brand, it is said. We create strategies that are understandable and, most importantly, usable, to support your business objectives and give your brand authority.

Customer and member journeys How people experience you is how they will talk about. We make sure your brand experiences are worth talking about.

Design Design to get you noticed

Logos, symbols and icons Stand out logos with great animations. Symbols and icons to help your audiences navigate your content better.

Visual identity We create distinctive brand identities with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity, with guidelines that are easy to follow and implement.

Campaign branding and execution Whether your championing your cause, promoting your awards, or getting your name out there, we devise integrated campaign identities for implementation.

Volume and student recruitment branding Effective recruitment campaigns based on comprehensive audience insights and 'stand-in-their-shoes' inspirations.

Graphic design, infographics, motion graphics Design collaborations for eye-catching, stimulating and beautiful content.

UX design, IA, UI design Insight-inspired digital experiences. With our partners we create intuitive websites, apps and e-learning.

And more What we do with our partners

Video, animation and filmmaking Memorable motion experiences for promotions or campaigns, brand launches or e-learning.

Qualitative and quantitative research People-driven insights are at the heart of everything we do and our research that offers actionable insights.

Audience segmentation Behaviour-driven segmentation to inform messaging and brand experiences.

Digital product and service design Optimising digital technologies to align brand and business goals with user needs.

Website build and technical consulting Pixel-perfect development, instinctive, accessible experiences and comprehensible technical advice.

Brand language and copywriting Distinctive verbal identity and training. Copy that sings.

Employee engagement From onboarding to e-learning, employee communication to drive change.

Placemaking consulting Working with developers and placemakers to create creative communications around the regeneration of places.

Evaluation Measuring the effectiveness of what we do is the first question we ask. We want you to be able to do more.

What we value — our ethos

This is our ethos. Like us, it’s straightforward.

In everything we do, we strive to do three things. To be curious, to keep it simple and to be true.

If you share these values, let’s talk. We’d love to work with you.

We’re enthusiastically interested in our world, our clients’ and their customers’. Curiosity gets us to truth, however inconvenient. We never forget that assumption is the mother of all cock-ups.

Simplicity is our heart. Keeping it simple embraces accessibility and positivity. Yet, being simple isn’t simplistic. It’s hard work. We generate universal ideas founded on truths and insight, that are executed beautifully.

We all know honesty is the best policy and we’re a lot happier for it. So we seek truth out. To be true we’re open, transparent, joyful, fair and inclusive. Our collective approach means team-working comes naturally.

Keeping our process simple

Most projects or client relationships follow a process with a beginning, a middle and an end.

We don’t claim to having a silver bullet. It’s no more than common sense and hard work. We keep it simple. And we know it works. We start with positivity and an open mind. We use our imagination. We adapt and rethink depending on what we find. We deliver what works best.

Discovery of the great and the good, and the foul and the failing. But above all, we find out what people believe to be true, even if it’s not.

We use research imaginatively to see things differently so that you see the world through their eyes, in their shoes.

We ask how you would like to be overheard. If someone was talking about you, what would you like them to be saying? What images would you like in their head?

Our aim is to give meaning to your brand that is believable, achievable and relatable. Something that gets you talking so that it will get them talking, too.

This is where we make strategy real (life). Not humdrum, but full of possibility. Turning your brand idea into designs with longevity, using words with integrity. Together we’ll create distinctive experiences that people want to talk about.

And by people, we mean everyone, because we design habitually with accessibility and inclusivity in mind. You are an original. Why shouldn’t your brand be, too?

Who we are

When we started in 2013 we were driven by the desire to work alongside people who make society a better place. That still holds true today.

Our clients put purpose before profit. For them, kindness is a competitive advantage. They love what they do, and we love helping them do more of it.

As a team we might be small but what we achieve in partnership with our clients makes a huge difference, here and across the world.

Our team

Helping clients describe better what they do so that they can achieve more is what Peter does best. Here to make a difference.

Peter Mills

Brand strategist, ethos champion

Interpreting strategic ideas into compelling creative expressions is Lisa’s thing. Her curiosity keeps things fresh, her experience keeps them simple. Design for all is her passion.

Lisa Cromer

Design director

Karen is a Los Angeles-based graphic designer with an interest in how design can help solve real-world problems making a meaningful, positive impact.

Karen Davison

Designer and illustrator

Carol brings intelligence and creative energy to all her projects. A background of leading communications in some of the UK’s top charities and public sector organisations.

Carol Grant

Associate consultant

Karen’s strength is bringing strategic focus to organisations. She is experienced at working at the highest levels in organisations to deliver lasting change.