When working with your company’s identity, the critical question is not who you are. It is rather: How are you different from others in ways that make your signal rise above the noise?

Over 30 years of branding and marketing experience have taught me that identities formed in isolation — based on values and corporate statements — usually fall flat. Certainly for external audiences, but also internally, sometimes even for the branding team itself. Such identities tend to lack the energy a strong signal requires. They often fail to move.

Dynamic identities, on the other hand — those forged under pressure against competing forces — come to life. They stand out because they are more concrete and unique, but also because their framing as an opposing force itself makes them feel more surprising and alive. As a result, they become more consequential.

At Swerve, I help companies discover, develop and articulate their vital differences. Working directly with senior decision-makers, I shape these differences into consequential dynamic identities — sometimes as part of a larger process, sometimes as a focused intervention.

Fed up with branding work that’s perfectly aligned, thoroughly validated — but leaves your audience unmoved?

Send me an email or call +45 2172 0027

Positioning first

Unlike most branding processes, creating a dynamic identity doesn’t start with values or corporate purpose, vision or mission statements. It doesn’t aim for broad stakeholder alignment either. It begins by identifying potential “atoms” of differentiation — and then proceeds to develop and articulate these in contrast to competing positions.

The work is carried out in a deliberately small and carefully chosen group, reducing the risk of dilution through excessive consensus-building. The outcome is formulated to retain its force as it passes downstream to execution.

Language developed during the process and communication resulting from it is authored by me and protected from the standard ideas and generic terminology that dilute meaning and weaken differentiation.

Recent projects

Learn more about Tony Maxwell on LinkedIn