Branding Frankfurt - Brand Development from the Ground Up

mindmelt is an owner-managed branding agency in Frankfurt - with over 60 projects since 2002. We build brands for mid-market and B2B businesses: from positioning and naming through to logo design and a finished brand manual. Brand consultancy, to us, isn't a design project. It starts with a harder question - what your business actually stands for, and how to make that land.

Szene eines Workshops mit Auswahl eines möglichen Logos

What Sets Branding Apart from Corporate Design

Corporate design puts an existing brand into visual form - logo on business cards, colours on the website, typefaces in the presentation. Branding comes first: it defines what your brand actually is, before anyone thinks about how it looks. In B2B, that's less about emotion and more about clarity. What makes you different, and why should anyone choose to work with you?

At mindmelt in Frankfurt, branding covers positioning, naming, brand essence, tone of voice and visual identity. Developing a brand strategy doesn't require agency frameworks. It requires honest answers to concrete questions. We only start designing once it's clear what your business stands for, who your clients are, and what sets you apart from the competition.

In practice, the distinction is straightforward. If you commission a corporate branding design project, you already have a brand and need a visual system to match. If you commission a branding project, you have a business and need a brand. We do both - but they're two different projects with two different starting points.

Four Phases of Brand Development

From the first question to the finished manual. Every phase delivers a clear output.

Positioning

A working session with senior leadership. Brand core, target audiences, competitive landscape. The output: a positioning document that drives every decision that follows. Timescale: 1-2 weeks.

Naming and Tone of Voice

Company name, tagline, core messages, verbal style. For new businesses: full naming process with trade mark search. For established brands: sharpen the verbal identity. Timescale: 1-2 weeks.

Visual Identity

Logo, colour system, typography, imagery. We develop 3-5 concept directions rooted in your positioning, then refine iteratively until you have a clear final direction. Typically 2-3 weeks.

Brand Manual

One document, every rule: logo, colours, fonts, tone of voice, real-world examples. So anyone in the business can use the brand correctly - no agency required. Delivery: one week.

We don't design in a vacuum

Every branding project at mindmelt starts with a workshop. Not because it's trendy - because no one knows your business better than you do. We ask the right questions. You provide the answers. That's how a brand gets built.

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What a branding project with mindmelt covers

A branding project goes deeper than a logo brief. It covers four areas, each building on the last.

Positioning. Who you are, who you work for, what sets you apart. In a workshop with your leadership team, we pin down your brand core, target audiences and competitive differentiators. No buzzword bingo, no agency frameworks - just concrete answers to concrete questions.

Naming and verbal identity. As a naming agency, we run the whole process. No name yet, or the old one no longer fits? We develop it, including a DPMA trademark check. Tone of voice, strapline, key messages. How does your brand speak? Authoritative or approachable? Technical or plain-English?

Visual identity. Logo, colour system, typography, imagery. Built on positioning, not the designer's personal taste. Three to five concept directions, refined iteratively.

Brand manual. Everything in one document: logo usage, colours, fonts, tone of voice, dos and don'ts. So everyone in your business applies the brand correctly - with or without an agency.

If you're looking for personal branding, we're not the right fit - we do corporate branding. The brand of your business, not your personal profile.

When Branding Makes Sense

You're launching a business and need a credible presence from day one. You're merging two companies and need a single, coherent identity. Your business has moved in a new direction and the old look no longer fits. Or your clients simply can't articulate what sets you apart from the competition.

In all these situations, a new logo won't cut it. You need a brand. That's a branding project.

60+

Branding
Work

Years of
Experience

12+

Industries
Served

100%

Your files,
your property

Branding Case Study: Tech Start-up, Frankfurt

The situation: A 15-person SaaS start-up with a finished product and no brand to speak of. A working title as their company name, a PowerPoint logo, no business collateral - and investor meetings just around the corner.

What we did: Ran a positioning workshop with all three founders. Led a naming process, including a DPMA trademark search. Developed four logo concepts. Built out a full visual system - colour palette, typography, imagery. Designed the business collateral and a 30-page brand manual. Completed a pitch deck in the new branding.

The outcome: Brand ready in six weeks. Investor meetings held with a polished, consistent identity. Seed round closed successfully. The founders put it well: "The branding was the moment we finally understood what our brand actually stood for."

All projects

A brand isn't a logo. A brand is a promise made visible.

What does branding cost at mindmelt?

A branding project at mindmelt builds on the corporate design and covers positioning, naming and brand strategy. Logo Only from £1,900. CD Starter (logo + stationery) from £3,900. Full Corporate Design with style guide from £7,900. Branding projects including a positioning workshop, naming and a complete brand manual are priced individually - typically from £8,000.

How long does a branding project take?

4 to 8 weeks. Positioning takes 1-2 weeks, naming 1-2 weeks, visual identity 2-3 weeks, brand manual 1 week. What affects the timeline: how quickly you give feedback, and whether a naming process is needed.

Can mindmelt build the website to match the branding?

Yes. Most of our branding clients go on to commission the website as well. It avoids a handover between agencies and ensures the brand looks exactly the same on the site as it does in the manual. That said, it's entirely optional - we supply files any other agency can work with straight away.

What's the difference between branding and corporate design?

Branding builds a brand from the ground up. Corporate design turns an existing brand into a visual system. If you already know who you are and just need the visuals, a corporate design project is the right call. If you're still working out what you stand for, start with branding.

Does mindmelt handle trade mark registration?

Yes. We run a DPMA search to check whether the name is registrable as a word mark. A patent attorney handles the actual filing - we'll recommend one if you don't already have someone. Or we can stay involved through to registration.

Who owns the brand after the project?

What does a rebrand cost?

Who builds your brand

mindmelt is an owner-managed agency based in Frankfurt am Main, Zeil 46. We build brands for mid-market and B2B businesses - from positioning and naming through to logo and brand guidelines. Over 60 projects since 2002. Owner: Ingo Krumm.

A brand isn't the logo. It's every impression your business leaves - whether you planned it or not.

You speak directly with the person who knows your project and works on it. Not someone who manages it from a distance.

Phone: 069 21936250 ·

Get in touch

Discuss a branding project

A quick call is all it takes. We'll work out whether branding, rebranding or a corporate design refresh is the right move. You'll have a written response within 48 hours.

Call us on 069 21936250

All Corporate Design Services from mindmelt

Corporate Design - A complete overview of our corporate design services.

Print Materials - Stationery, brochures and printed collateral in your corporate design.

PowerPoint & Presentations - Master slides built to your corporate design.

Updated: May 2026