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WHAT MAKES A BETTER BRAND?
WHAT
MAKES
A BETTER BRAND?
A better brand is made for the people.
Every organisation is made of people, and to serve people – so every organisation’s brand should fully embrace (and be fully compatible with) the nuanced, contradictory, messy, soulful, glorious, textured and emotive nature of people.
But – because we all spend our days surrounded by brands, making choices informed by brands, and relying on brands – people are experienced and brand literate enough to tell the difference between meaningful humanity and the soulless performance of it.
How do you build the former, and avoid the latter? By starting with one key insight...
Every organisation is made of people, and to serve people – so every organisation’s brand should fully embrace (and be fully compatible with) the nuanced, contradictory, messy, soulful, glorious, textured and emotive nature of people.
But – because we all spend our days surrounded by brands, making choices informed by brands, and relying on brands – people are experienced and brand literate enough to tell the difference between meaningful humanity and the soulless performance of it.
How do you build the former, and avoid the latter? By starting with one key insight...
A brand is not a person…
but a better brand is built
a bit like one.
Here are the five principles, inspired by people, that make for a better brand:
GUTS
The guts of a better brand allows it to stand out and shatter preconceptions.
Is willing to reckon with the problems and unmet needs of its audience, people and community.
Is willing to reckon with the problems and unmet needs of its audience, people and community.
Is willing to reckon with the problems and unmet needs of its audience, people and community.
Is willing to reckon with the problems and unmet needs of its audience, people and community.
Faces and addresses those problems head-on.
Faces and addresses those problems head-on.
Faces and addresses those problems head-on.
Faces and addresses those problems head-on.
Breaks out of category conventions, and rises above the sea of monotony.
Breaks out of category conventions, and rises above the sea of monotony.
Breaks out of category conventions, and rises above the sea of monotony.
Breaks out of category conventions, and rises above the sea of monotony.
Challenges the assumptions and norms of its industry and wider society.
Challenges the assumptions and norms of its industry and wider society.
Challenges the assumptions and norms of its industry and wider society.
Challenges the assumptions and norms of its industry and wider society.
Embraces tension and conflict in creative work – venturing well beyond comfort zones, and being willing to make enemies in order to make fans.
Embraces tension and conflict in creative work – venturing well beyond comfort zones, and being willing to make enemies in order to make fans.
Embraces tension and conflict in creative work – venturing well beyond comfort zones, and being willing to make enemies in order to make fans.
Embraces tension and conflict in creative work – venturing well beyond comfort zones, and being willing to make enemies in order to make fans.
Mind
The mind of a better brand allows it to invent new, better ways forward.
Has transformational guiding ideas at its heart.
Has transformational guiding ideas at its heart.
Has transformational guiding ideas at its heart.
Has transformational guiding ideas at its heart.
Contributes beautifully and beneficially to the world.
Contributes beautifully and beneficially to the world.
Contributes beautifully and beneficially to the world.
Contributes beautifully and beneficially to the world.
Thinks big, imagines new futures and creates something that doesn’t exist.
Thinks big, imagines new futures and creates something that doesn’t exist.
Thinks big, imagines new futures and creates something that doesn’t exist.
Thinks big, imagines new futures and creates something that doesn’t exist.
Looks beyond the world of brand, design and marketing for research + inspiration history – to culture, other creative realms and science.
Looks beyond the world of brand, design and marketing for research + inspiration history – to culture, other creative realms and science.
Looks beyond the world of brand, design and marketing for research + inspiration history – to culture, other creative realms and science.
Looks beyond the world of brand, design and marketing for research + inspiration history – to culture, other creative realms and science.
Embraces beneficial new technologies and new ways of thinking about brand.
Embraces beneficial new technologies and new ways of thinking about brand.
Embraces beneficial new technologies and new ways of thinking about brand.
Embraces beneficial new technologies and new ways of thinking about brand.
Heart
The heart of a better brand allows it to connect authentically with people and inspire them to action.
Is a movement – that its participants should be able to wear (literally or metaphorically) with pride.
Is a movement – that its participants should be able to wear (literally or metaphorically) with pride.
Is a movement – that its participants should be able to wear (literally or metaphorically) with pride.
Is a movement – that its participants should be able to wear (literally or metaphorically) with pride.
Has its authentic humanity shining through.
Has its authentic humanity shining through.
Has its authentic humanity shining through.
Has its authentic humanity shining through.
Is consistent in its values, and consistent in what that means for its behaviour in the world.
Is consistent in its values, and consistent in what that means for its behaviour in the world.
Is consistent in its values, and consistent in what that means for its behaviour in the world.
Is consistent in its values, and consistent in what that means for its behaviour in the world.
Connects its organisation to people, and compels those people to feel, think and act.
Connects its organisation to people, and compels those people to feel, think and act.
Connects its organisation to people, and compels those people to feel, think and act.
Connects its organisation to people, and compels those people to feel, think and act.
Demonstrates real empathy for (and understanding of) its audiences.
Demonstrates real empathy for (and understanding of) its audiences.
Demonstrates real empathy for (and understanding of) its audiences.
Demonstrates real empathy for (and understanding of) its audiences.
soul
The soul of a better brand allows it to reward deep engagement and drives uncommon loyalty.
Is of exceptional quality, owing to careful attention to detail and world-class craft.
Is of exceptional quality, owing to careful attention to detail and world-class craft.
Is of exceptional quality, owing to careful attention to detail and world-class craft.
Is of exceptional quality, owing to careful attention to detail and world-class craft.
Radically lives its ideals to the fullest extent – going hard, and leaning in.
Radically lives its ideals to the fullest extent – going hard, and leaning in.
Radically lives its ideals to the fullest extent – going hard, and leaning in.
Radically lives its ideals to the fullest extent – going hard, and leaning in.
Is rich in meaning, with depth to be discovered.
Is rich in meaning, with depth to be discovered.
Is rich in meaning, with depth to be discovered.
Is rich in meaning, with depth to be discovered.
Brings its Brand Idea to life in innumerable small and bespoke ways (potentially including things like Easter Eggs, entertaining small print, in-jokes, etc).
Brings its Brand Idea to life in innumerable small and bespoke ways (potentially including things like Easter Eggs, entertaining small print, in-jokes, etc).
Brings its Brand Idea to life in innumerable small and bespoke ways (potentially including things like Easter Eggs, entertaining small print, in-jokes, etc).
Brings its Brand Idea to life in innumerable small and bespoke ways (potentially including things like Easter Eggs, entertaining small print, in-jokes, etc).
Integrates the work of amazing collaborators who live up to its high standards (illustrators, photographers, type designers, etc).
Integrates the work of amazing collaborators who live up to its high standards (illustrators, photographers, type designers, etc).
Integrates the work of amazing collaborators who live up to its high standards (illustrators, photographers, type designers, etc).
Integrates the work of amazing collaborators who live up to its high standards (illustrators, photographers, type designers, etc).
body
The body of a better brand allows it to stand the test of time.
Shuns restrictive boxes, emphasising cohesion over consistency.
Shuns restrictive boxes, emphasising cohesion over consistency.
Shuns restrictive boxes, emphasising cohesion over consistency.
Shuns restrictive boxes, emphasising cohesion over consistency.
Has longevity owing to built-in adaptability and flexibility.
Has longevity owing to built-in adaptability and flexibility.
Has longevity owing to built-in adaptability and flexibility.
Has longevity owing to built-in adaptability and flexibility.
Fully integrates interactivity and motion.
Fully integrates interactivity and motion.
Fully integrates interactivity and motion.
Fully integrates interactivity and motion.
Shows up powerfully and effectively at every point the brand interfaces with people, no matter the form or situation.
Shows up powerfully and effectively at every point the brand interfaces with people, no matter the form or situation.
Shows up powerfully and effectively at every point the brand interfaces with people, no matter the form or situation.
Shows up powerfully and effectively at every point the brand interfaces with people, no matter the form or situation.
Is able to evolve as culture shifts and the needs of people change.
Is able to evolve as culture shifts and the needs of people change.
Is able to evolve as culture shifts and the needs of people change.
Is able to evolve as culture shifts and the needs of people change.
Brands have the power
to change lives, industries
and cultures.
Brands have the power to change lives, industries
and cultures.
We've helped brands:
GIVE THE PEOPLE
WHAT THEY DESERVE
If you think your brand could be better, then please reach out – we’d love to chat about what we might build together.
Acknowledgement of Country
The For The People team are spread across the world – but the majority of us currently live on the land known most commonly today as “Australia”. This land has been home to designers, artists, storytellers and planners for tens-of-thousands of years – so our time contributing to these crafts constitutes only a near-infinitesimally small fraction of that history. It’s with profound admiration and deep respect, then, that we acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of this country and extend that respect to Elders past and present. They shaped (and continue to shape) the history of this land, they cared for (and continue to care for) its natural environment, and they never ceded its sovereignty. It always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
Acknowledgement of Diversity
All fields are improved by diversity – but that's especially true for creativity. We welcome everyone – the neurodiverse, members of the LGBTQI+ community, all (legal working) ages, all ethnicities, all genders, parents, those from unconvential educational backgrounds, people with disability – because we believe both our work and our workplace are improved by diversity of thought and perspective, which can only truly come from diversity of culture and experience. Having said that, we also know we can't simply reap the benefits of diversity without reckoning with the inequities so often suffered by less represented communities. We work to be mindful of our biases, to incorporate proactive representation into our processes, and elevate marginalised voices in our work. It's a forever-ongoing–and–improving process – but it's non-negotiable when you're building an agency that's For The People.
Designed and built by For the People ©2025
Acknowledgement of Country
The For The People team are spread across the world – but the majority of us currently live on the land known most commonly today as “Australia”. This land has been home to designers, artists, storytellers and planners for tens-of-thousands of years – so our time contributing to these crafts constitutes only a near-infinitesimally small fraction of that history. It’s with profound admiration and deep respect, then, that we acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of this country and extend that respect to Elders past and present. They shaped (and continue to shape) the history of this land, they cared for (and continue to care for) its natural environment, and they never ceded its sovereignty. It always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
Acknowledgement of Diversity
All fields are improved by diversity – but that's especially true for creativity. We welcome everyone – the neurodiverse, members of the LGBTQI+ community, all (legal working) ages, all ethnicities, all genders, parents, those from unconvential educational backgrounds, people with disability – because we believe both our work and our workplace are improved by diversity of thought and perspective, which can only truly come from diversity of culture and experience. Having said that, we also know we can't simply reap the benefits of diversity without reckoning with the inequities so often suffered by less represented communities. We work to be mindful of our biases, to incorporate proactive representation into our processes, and elevate marginalised voices in our work. It's a forever-ongoing–and–improving process – but it's non-negotiable when you're building an agency that's For The People.
Acknowledgement of Country
The For The People team are spread across the world – but the majority of us currently live on the land known most commonly today as “Australia”. This land has been home to designers, artists, storytellers and planners for tens-of-thousands of years – so our time contributing to these crafts constitutes only a near-infinitesimally small fraction of that history. It’s with profound admiration and deep respect, then, that we acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of this country and extend that respect to Elders past and present. They shaped (and continue to shape) the history of this land, they cared for (and continue to care for) its natural environment, and they never ceded its sovereignty. It always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
Acknowledgement of Diversity
All fields are improved by diversity – but that's especially true for creativity. We welcome everyone – the neurodiverse, members of the LGBTQI+ community, all (legal working) ages, all ethnicities, all genders, parents, those from unconvential educational backgrounds, people with disability – because we believe both our work and our workplace are improved by diversity of thought and perspective, which can only truly come from diversity of culture and experience. Having said that, we also know we can't simply reap the benefits of diversity without reckoning with the inequities so often suffered by less represented communities. We work to be mindful of our biases, to incorporate proactive representation into our processes, and elevate marginalised voices in our work. It's a forever-ongoing–and–improving process – but it's non-negotiable when you're building an agency that's For The People.
Designed and built by For the People ©2025