Build a brand that drives your business.
Helder is a Berlin-based brand & design agency. From brand strategy and naming to brand design and rollout, we help ambitious companies build brands that stand out.
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100+ Brand Projects
For companies looking for more than just a new logo.
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Brand Frame®
Our method makes brand strategy clear, practical and actionable.
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From Workshop to Rollout
We don’t just build brands—we help teams bring them to life.
What challenge are you facing?
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Your business has grown, but your brand hasn’t.
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You have too many sub-brands, and no one knows what each one stands for.
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Your new product needs a name and a distinct identity.
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Your offering is difficult to explain and isn’t understood by the market.
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Your brand looks different across every touchpoint.
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After a merger, multiple brand identities exist side by side.
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You have designs, but no system—every team creates its own templates.
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Performance marketing becomes more expensive because your brand lacks differentiation.
Strategy. Design. Rollout.
Helder is a brand & design agency based in Berlin. We build brands for scale-ups, founder-led businesses and mid-sized companies—from brand strategy and naming to brand identity and rollout across communications, websites and internal touchpoints.
Every project starts with the Brand Frame®—our proprietary framework that brings together your brand essence, purpose, positioning, values and value proposition on a single page. Created in a facilitated workshop with your decision-makers, it becomes the central reference for everyone working with the brand.
Our work doesn’t stop with the guidelines. After launch, we help teams put the brand into practice through templates, training and ongoing support. Most brands don’t fail because of strategy—they fail because of inconsistent execution.
Our services
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Brand Strategy
We develop brand strategies that sharpen your positioning, create differentiation and make communication more effective.
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Brand Naming
Brand and product names that express your identity and are legally protectable and available.
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Brand Design
We create distinctive brand identity systems that express what your brand stands for and resonate with your market and audience.
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Brand Communication
We bring your brand to life across every touchpoint—from social media posts to town hall meetings.
Build your brand in three steps with the Frame Your Brand Method
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Brand Workshop
Together, we define your brand identity and strategy, including positioning, purpose, ambition, values and value proposition.
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Brand Design
We translate your strategy into a distinctive brand—from naming and messaging to visual identity and implementation across every touchpoint.
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Brand Launch
Launch a brand that reflects your business, resonates with your audience and is ready to scale.
The Elements of the Helder Brand Frame®
The Helder Brand Frame® is our proprietary brand framework. It brings every essential element of a brand strategy together on a single page, creating a clear foundation for consistent decisions, communication and growth.
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Competence
The unique value your brand delivers—and how it stands apart from competitors.
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Brand Core
The defining strength of your brand: the one quality that makes it memorable and distinctive.
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Brand Values
The principles that guide how your brand behaves and delivers on its promise.
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Brand Mission
The promise your brand makes by connecting your customers’ challenges with your solution.
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Ambition
A clear goal that defines where your brand is heading and what it aims to achieve.
Success Stories
Leading tech and lifestyle companies that trust us with their brands.
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E-Commerce · Market Leader · Brand Development
From Online Store to Interior Brand
An unstructured portfolio of sub-brands became a scalable brand system.
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Hospitality SaaS · Scale up · Rebranding
From Delivery Service to Hospitality Platform
SimplyDelivery became SIDES — a brand built for the entire hospitality ecosystem.
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Packaging · Enterprise · Product Brand
Turning Glass into Progress
A brand identity for a new generation of lightweight returnable glass bottles.
Branding for Your Industry
Stand out from the competition with branding tailored to your market and audience.
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E-Commerce Brands
Turn online stores into brands customers recognize, remember and recommend.
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Lifestyle Brands
Turn great products into brands people want to identify with.
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B2B Brands
Turn complex offerings into brands that build trust and simplify buying decisions.
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Software as a Service
Turn functional tech into brands with distinctive names and compelling identities.
Why Helder
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Built for Scale-ups & SMEs
Lean, collaborative processes designed for founder-led businesses and growing teams.
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A Transparent Process
No black box—just a proven, iterative approach with clear decisions at every stage.
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Beyond the Brand Launch
Brand Frame®, templates, training and practical tools to help your team apply the brand every day.
| Helder | Industry Standard | |
| Process | Transparent, iterative and modular. You decide which modules to implement—and when. | Branding is often offered as a fixed package with limited visibility into the process. |
| Team | You work directly with a dedicated team experienced in both brand strategy and design. | Larger agencies often rotate team members and points of contact. |
| Focus | We specialise in strategic brand development and bring 20 years of combined branding experience. | Branding is often just one service within a broader agency offering. |
| Strategy | Every project is grounded in strategic brand work, including audience, competitor and market analysis and positioning. | Branding often starts directly with visual concepts or moodboards before the strategic foundations are clearly defined. |
| Method | The Helder Brand Frame® brings the five essential elements of your brand identity together on a single page. | Long strategy decks and overly complex models make practical application more difficult and inefficient. |
| Design | Our design process is iterative and shaped by your feedback. You choose between two distinct design systems. | Often, only one design direction is presented, leaving limited room for influence. |
| Transparency | We openly share our processes and methods and provide templates, videos and practical tools for everyday brand management. | Methods and ways of working are often not shared with the client. |
| Client Feedback | A 100% client recommendation rate, detailed case studies and authentic client testimonials. | Client opinions and concrete project insights are often only available to a limited extent. |
What happens after the brand launch
A new brand is not the end of the process—it is the beginning. Most brands do not lose consistency during the project, but in the twelve months that follow, as teams change, new channels are added and ownership becomes unclear.
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Brand Enablement
Training, templates and videos that help your team apply the Brand Frame® with confidence.
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Brand Retainer
Dedicated monthly support for communication design, new touchpoints and the ongoing evolution of your brand.
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Brand Sparring
Regular strategy reviews with your marketing team to keep your brand aligned with your business.
Knowledge is part of our work
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YouTube Channel
Videos on the Brand Frame® and brand strategy for founders, marketers and design teams.
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Templates & Strategy eBook
Workbooks, templates and practical resources to help your team build and manage brands.
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Brand Wiki
Over 50 branding and design terms explained in a clear and practical way.
Thinking about repositioning your brand?
Let’s talk for 45 minutes—no strings attached. We’ll discuss your current situation, goals and what a successful branding project could look like
FAQ
What is Helder?
Helder is a brand & design agency based in Berlin. We build brands from strategy and naming to brand identity, rollout and implementation across every touchpoint. Founded by Dr. Birgit Joest and Maurits den Held, we have delivered more than 100 branding projects.
What makes Helder different from other branding agencies?
Three things. Every project starts with strategy—not moodboards. We use the Brand Frame®, which captures an entire brand strategy on a single page instead of a lengthy strategy deck. And we openly share our methods, enabling teams to manage their brand long after the project is complete.
What types of companies do you work with?
We primarily work with founder-led businesses, scale-ups and mid-sized companies, typically with 20 or more employees. Our clients are mainly in e-commerce, lifestyle, B2B and B2B SaaS. We’re the right fit when decision-making is fast and leadership is actively involved in the branding process.
What services does Helder offer?
Our services include brand audits, brand strategy, brand architecture, workshops, naming, brand messaging, brand identity, brand guidelines, web design and ongoing communication design across digital and print.
What is the Brand Frame®?
The Brand Frame® is our proprietary framework that brings together your brand essence, purpose, positioning, values and value proposition on a single page. Developed during the brand workshop, it becomes the strategic foundation for design, communication and marketing.
How does a branding project work?
Our process consists of four phases. We begin with a Brand Workshop to define your strategy using the Brand Frame®. Next, we develop your brand identity, including naming, messaging and two distinct design directions. We then support the rollout across every touchpoint and, if required, continue with long-term brand management.
How long does a branding project take?
It depends on the scope. A brand audit typically takes two to three weeks, while a brand strategy usually takes four to six weeks. A complete branding or rebranding project generally takes between three and six months. At the beginning of every project, we create a realistic roadmap together.
How much does a branding project cost?
As a guideline, brand audits start at €1,200, brand strategy at €20,000, brand messaging from €7,500, naming from €10,000 and brand identity from €18,000. A complete branding project typically ranges between €35,000 and €60,000, depending on scope and complexity.
Do you support implementation after launch?
Yes. We continue supporting clients after launch through team training, templates, monthly retainers for ongoing design work and regular brand reviews. We also help evolve websites, internal communications and new brand touchpoints over time.
Who have you worked with?
Our clients include benuta, SIDES, plentyONE, Ratepay, K5, Salesfive, synvert, VOOR, glims, ET Global, echovai (Vetropack), Expomobilia, KB Group and many other companies across technology, B2B, e-commerce and lifestyle. You can explore selected projects in our Success Stories.
Do you work internationally?
Yes. We work with companies across the DACH region as well as international brands with multilingual requirements. We create brand strategies and identities that work consistently across markets and countries.
How do we get started?
The first step is a free 45-minute discovery call. Afterwards, you’ll receive a modular proposal, allowing you to choose the services that best fit your needs. Many collaborations begin with a brand audit or strategy workshop before expanding into further branding work.
FAQ
What is Helder?
Helder is a brand & design agency based in Berlin. We build brands from strategy and naming to brand identity, rollout and implementation across every touchpoint. Founded by Dr. Birgit Joest and Maurits den Held, we have delivered more than 100 branding projects.
What makes Helder different from other branding agencies?
Three things. Every project starts with strategy—not moodboards. We use the Brand Frame®, which captures an entire brand strategy on a single page instead of a lengthy strategy deck. And we openly share our methods, enabling teams to manage their brand long after the project is complete.
What types of companies do you work with?
We primarily work with founder-led businesses, scale-ups and mid-sized companies, typically with 20 or more employees. Our clients are mainly in e-commerce, lifestyle, B2B and B2B SaaS. We’re the right fit when decision-making is fast and leadership is actively involved in the branding process.
What services does Helder offer?
Our services include brand audits, brand strategy, brand architecture, workshops, naming, brand messaging, brand identity, brand guidelines, web design and ongoing communication design across digital and print.
What is the Brand Frame®?
The Brand Frame® is our proprietary framework that brings together your brand essence, purpose, positioning, values and value proposition on a single page. Developed during the brand workshop, it becomes the strategic foundation for design, communication and marketing.
How does a branding project work?
Our process consists of four phases. We begin with a Brand Workshop to define your strategy using the Brand Frame®. Next, we develop your brand identity, including naming, messaging and two distinct design directions. We then support the rollout across every touchpoint and, if required, continue with long-term brand management.
How long does a branding project take?
It depends on the scope. A brand audit typically takes two to three weeks, while a brand strategy usually takes four to six weeks. A complete branding or rebranding project generally takes between three and six months. At the beginning of every project, we create a realistic roadmap together.
How much does a branding project cost?
As a guideline, brand audits start at €1,200, brand strategy at €20,000, brand messaging from €7,500, naming from €10,000 and brand identity from €18,000. A complete branding project typically ranges between €35,000 and €60,000, depending on scope and complexity.
Do you support implementation after launch?
Yes. We continue supporting clients after launch through team training, templates, monthly retainers for ongoing design work and regular brand reviews. We also help evolve websites, internal communications and new brand touchpoints over time.
Who have you worked with?
Our clients include benuta, SIDES, plentyONE, Ratepay, K5, Salesfive, synvert, VOOR, glims, ET Global, echovai (Vetropack), Expomobilia, KB Group and many other companies across technology, B2B, e-commerce and lifestyle. You can explore selected projects in our Success Stories.
Do you work internationally?
Yes. We work with companies across the DACH region as well as international brands with multilingual requirements. We create brand strategies and identities that work consistently across markets and countries.
How do we get started?
The first step is a free 45-minute discovery call. Afterwards, you’ll receive a modular proposal, allowing you to choose the services that best fit your needs. Many collaborations begin with a brand audit or strategy workshop before expanding into further branding work.
Transform now.
Book a call.
Dr. Birgit Joest
Founder & Strategy Director