01 Colours
Primary Palette
Coral
#E64F61
Primary accent
Charcoal
#3C3C44
UI text, dark panels
Near Black
#1D1D1B
Logo fill only
Cream
#F9F9F6
Primary background
Dusty Pink
#FFF0F4
Section backgrounds
Gray
#959595
Secondary text, rules
White
#FFFFFF
Cards, contrast
Illustration Accents
Mint
#6FD9B5
Illustrations only
Lavender
#D4C5E0
Illustrations only
/* Confirmed CSS custom properties — from site stylesheet */ --clr-red: #E64F61; /* Coral — primary accent */ --clr-dark-grey: #3C3C44; /* Charcoal — UI text, dark panels */ --clr-off-white: #F9F9F6; /* Cream — primary background */ --clr-pink: #FFF0F4; /* Dusty Pink — section backgrounds */ --clr-muted-grey: #959595; /* Gray — secondary text */ --clr-white: #FFFFFF; --clr-black: #000000; /* Logo fill (from SVG source — distinct from UI charcoal) */ logo fill: #1D1D1B;
02 Typography
Headlines

Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro
Medium
48–60pt

Brand strategy
is business strategy.
Section Headers & Intros

Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro
Medium Condensed
Uppercase · 18–28pt

Why B2B Brands Fail to Land
Labels & tags use the same cut
Body Copy

Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro
Light
16–17px screen
Line-height 1.75

Most B2B tech companies approach brand the wrong way round. They start with the logo. They argue about colours. They commission a values workshop that produces three inoffensive words nobody can remember. Then they wonder why nothing sticks.

The problem isn't execution. It's that brand was never treated as strategy in the first place.
Labels & Tags

Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro
Medium Condensed
Uppercase · 10–11px
Tracking 0.12–0.14em

Brand Strategy Report Positioning Section 01
Captions & Footnotes

Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro
Light
10–11px
Color: Gray

Source: Good Brand Consultants research, 2024. All positioning statements are developed from primary client interviews and competitive analysis. Not for redistribution without permission.
In Context

Full hierarchy
applied together

Brand Strategy  ·  Report
Most B2B brands fail before they start.
The problem isn't the logo. It's that strategy was never treated as the brief. Companies commission brand work and wonder why it doesn't hold — because positioning was the missing ingredient the whole time.
Good Brand Consultants · goodbrandconsultants.com
/* Typeface — three cuts */ --font: 'Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; /* Headlines — Medium */ font-weight: 500; font-size: 48–60px; letter-spacing: -0.025em; /* Section headers / intros — Medium Condensed */ font-weight: 500; font-stretch: condensed; text-transform: uppercase; /* Body copy — Light */ font-weight: 300; font-size: 16–17px; line-height: 1.75;
04 Imagery
Photography

Style

  • Candid professional workspace — not posed or staged
  • Warm, natural tones — not over-processed or heavily filtered
  • Human-focused — people working, thinking, collaborating
  • Relaxed and authentic — confident but not corporate stiff
  • Shallow depth of field preferred — subject in focus, context soft

What to avoid

  • Stock photography clichés — handshakes, pointing at whiteboards
  • Over-lit, over-saturated images
  • Abstract tech imagery (circuit boards, glowing networks)
  • Formal headshot style for team photography
  • Heavy colour grading or stylised filters
Illustration

Style

  • Hand-drawn or digital flat style — clean outlines, minimal depth
  • Simple, uncluttered forms — abstract figures, hands, devices
  • Approachable and modern — never cartoonish, never clip art
  • Used to explain concepts, not decorate pages

Illustration palette

#6FD9B5 ⚠

#D4C5E0 ⚠

#A0A0A0 ⚠

#FFFFFF

Client logo usage
  • Always shown unaltered — no recolouring, scaling distortion, or effects
  • Used as credibility evidence alongside case study content
  • Displayed in monochrome or original colour depending on layout context
  • Never used in a way that implies endorsement beyond the client relationship
05 Visual Elements
Numbered Section Markers
1
2
3
4
5
Dividers & Rules
Section Heading
Colour Panels
Callout — Coral

Positioning work has to come before identity work. Not alongside it.

Dark Panel

Positioning clarity is a commercial outcome.

Not a marketing exercise. The identity just makes the thinking visible.

Dusty Pink Panel

Secondary section backgrounds and supporting content — softer alternative to cream.

White Card

Content cards against cream backgrounds. Thin 1px border. No border-radius — sharp corners throughout.

06 Containers
Background Modes
Light

White background. Default card surface against cream. 1px border.

Cards, callouts, content areas
Cream

The default page background. Warm, never pure white.

Page background, document base
Dusty Pink

Secondary surface — softer, used for supporting sections and alternating layouts.

Section alternation, secondary callouts
Dark

High-impact. Used for hero areas, positioning statements, key framework panels.

Hero, positioning platform, page header
Coral

Used sparingly — cover pages, hero callouts, primary CTA backgrounds. Never as a large neutral surface.

Report covers, key callouts, accent moments
/* Container usage rule */ /* Coral and Dark are high-impact — use sparingly, not as default surfaces */ /* Cream → Light card is the default pairing throughout */ /* Dusty Pink alternates with Cream for visual rhythm in long layouts */
07 Spacing
Scale — 8px base unit
--space-1 4px
Icon gaps, tight internal spacing
--space-2 8px
Component grid gap
--space-3 16px
Internal card padding (tight)
--space-4 24px
Between related elements
--space-5 32px
Card padding, subsection gap
--space-6 48px
Between sections (tight), card padding (generous)
--space-7 64px
Horizontal page margin
--space-8 80px
Between major sections
--space-9 96px
Section vertical padding, hero areas
/* Spacing tokens */ --space-1: 4px; --space-2: 8px; --space-3: 16px; --space-4: 24px; --space-5: 32px; --space-6: 48px; --space-7: 64px; --space-8: 80px; --space-9: 96px;
08 Components
Buttons & CTAs Tags & Labels
Brand Strategy B2B Tech Positioning VMV 8 min read
Pull Quote

The companies that treat brand as strategy don't just look better — they win more, retain more, and hire better. It compounds.

/* Button — shared base */ font-weight: 500; font-stretch: condensed; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0.10em; text-transform: uppercase; padding: 14px 28px; border-radius: 0; /* sharp — no radius */ /* Primary */ background: var(--coral); color: var(--white); /* Secondary */ background: transparent; border: 1px solid var(--charcoal);
09 Diagrams & Frameworks
VMV Pyramid

VisionWhere we're going

MissionWhat we do and for whom

ValuesHow we behave and decide

Usage rule

The VMV pyramid is the foundational framework used across all brand strategy engagements. Vision at the apex — aspirational and directional. Values at the base — the behaviours that make the vision credible.

Positioning Flow
1

Customer insightWhat does the customer actually need?

2

Positioning statementWhat is the single most important thing we can say?

3

Proof pointsWhat evidence makes this credible?

4

So what?Why does this matter to the buyer, right now?

Brand Architecture
Parent Brand — Good Brand Consultants
Service Line ABrand Strategy
Service Line BBrand Architecture
Service Line CBrand Expression

Simple, monolithic architecture. Parent brand leads. No sub-brands or independent product brands unless strategically justified.

Positioning Platform
For companies that

Need to stop sounding like everyone else in the category.

Good helps B2B tech companies build the strategic foundation that makes brand work commercially — not just visually. Positioning first. Identity follows.

10 Brand Don'ts
Logo misuse
✕ Don't stretch or distort

The wordmark has fixed proportions. Never scale axes independently.

✕ Don't place on busy backgrounds

Logo always on flat, single-colour backgrounds from the approved palette.

Colour misuse
✕ Coral as a large background

Body text here

Coral is an accent. Used sparingly for callouts and covers — never as a neutral body background.

✕ Wrong typeface

Brand strategy is business strategy.

No serif typefaces. Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro only — in the correct cut for each role.

✕ Off-palette colours

Only approved palette colours. No ad hoc colour introductions outside the brand system.

Voice misuse
✕ Performed warmth

"We are so thrilled and excited to share our passion for helping amazing brands achieve their full potential on this incredible journey together!"

If it reads like a LinkedIn influencer wrote it, cut it.

✕ Academic register

"The multifaceted nature of brand equity necessitates a holistic approach to strategic positioning frameworks within the B2B technology ecosystem."

If you wouldn't say it in a client meeting, don't write it.

11 Voice & Tone
The three targets

Useful.

Diagnoses a real problem. Doesn't gesture at answers — provides them.

Readable.

Short sentences. Varied rhythm. Never verbose to signal intelligence.

Actionable.

The reader leaves with something to do or something to reframe.

Signature moves
Direct opener with puncture
Yes, a post from a brand consultancy about how to keep your brand project on track. Now, the easy post would be about hiring us to get it done. Easy but not useful.
Aside as punchline
Take a whisky website and swap the logo with another and see if it feels right. (Spoiler: it'll feel fine.) That's the problem with brands that rely on aesthetics over positioning.
Reframe ending — the standard
Ditch the brand purpose.
Be purposeful in your responsibilities.
Anti-patterns
Avoid Do instead
Circular paragraphs — same point multiple waysSay it once, cleanly, and move on
Verbose language to signal intelligenceCut it. Shorter is smarter
Performed warmthPull back — real warmth doesn't announce itself
"Here's the thing" and similar throat-clearingDelete. Start with the thing
Summary endings that recapExtend or reframe instead
Academic register — long words, passive voiceWrite like you'd say it in a client meeting
12 Digital & Social
LinkedIn — primary channel
Post format
  • Opening line does the work of a headline — no easing in
  • Short paragraphs — one idea per block, white space between
  • No hashtag stacks — one or two relevant tags at most, at the end
  • Ends on a reframe or a question — never a CTA disguised as an insight
  • 150–300 words for standalone posts; longer for articles
Voice on LinkedIn vs. Journal
  • Same voice — direct, dry, useful — but posts are punchier and more immediate
  • Journal articles go deeper; LinkedIn posts make one sharp point
  • Personal perspective visible — "we" and "I" are both fine contextually
  • No performance of authority — the work speaks
LinkedIn post specimen

Most B2B brands don't have a creative problem.

They have a strategy problem that shows up in their creative.

The brief says "highlight our differentiators." The differentiators are the same ones every competitor claims. The creative does its best with what it has. The ad scores one star.

Fix the positioning. The creative fixes itself.

#B2BBrand #Positioning

Image treatment
Text-based tiles

Brand strategy is business strategy.

Dark or Coral bg, single statement, no decoration.

Coral accent tiles

Remarkably opinionated.

Used for quotes, key stats, and personality moments.

Photography

Candid workspace
Warm tones
Human-focused

Same photography rules as print — authentic, not staged.

What to avoid on social
Avoid Why
Emoji-heavy postsUndermines the direct, no-nonsense voice
"Excited to announce…"Performed enthusiasm — start with the thing, not the feeling
Hashtag stacks (5+)Looks desperate for reach, dilutes the message
Motivational quote tilesGeneric content — Good should have an original point of view
Engagement bait ("Agree?")Contradicts the brand personality — don't fish for validation
Stock imagerySame rules as print — authentic photography or text tiles only
13 Messaging
Primary tagline

B2B Brand Strategy & Positioning

Core belief

We believe that brand strategy is business strategy.

Personality line

Remarkably opinionated. Surprisingly good company.

Key themes

Brand as business strategy

Not a marketing exercise. Not a rebrand. The commercial lever that makes everything else work harder.

B2B brand is underinvested

Companies at Series B and beyond still treating brand as a budget line item rather than a strategic priority.

Creativity matters in B2B

77% of B2B ads score one star. The ones that don't are the ones that understand brand.

VMV as foundation

Vision, Mission, Values. Everything else — architecture, positioning, identity — builds from here.

14 Services
01

Total Brand Review

Audit of the full brand — strategy, architecture, identity, and activation.

02

Brand Strategy (Foundations)

VMV, positioning, and brand platform — the strategic base.

03

Brand Architecture & Naming

Portfolio organisation and naming systems that scale.

04

Product Positioning

Positioning for specific products or solutions — built from customer insight.

05

Creative Brand Expression

Visual identity and creative direction — the brand made visible.

06

Brand Clarity Report

Rapid diagnostic — a defined starting point for brands that need clarity fast.

15 Documents & Printed Materials

Screen sizes (px) and document sizes (pt) are not the same unit. Web body copy is 15–16px. Document body copy is 10pt. Never copy a px value into a pt field — the result will be oversized and unprofessional.

Document Type Scale
Role Cut Size (pt) Notes
Cover title Medium 26–28pt Cover page only
Cover subtitle Light 13–14pt Cover page only
Section heading (H1) Medium 13pt Before: 18pt · After: 6pt
Subsection (H2) Medium Condensed 10pt Uppercase · +0.1em tracking
Body copy Light 10pt Line-height 1.4–1.45
Labels / callouts Medium Condensed 8pt Uppercase · Coral
Captions / footnotes Light 8pt Gray
Table headers Medium Condensed 8–9pt Uppercase · Dusty Pink bg
Table body Light 9–10pt Charcoal
Page Setup

A4

  • 210 × 297mm
  • Margins: 2cm all sides
  • Body column: 170mm wide

US Letter

  • 8.5 × 11in
  • Margins: 0.8in all sides
  • Body column: 6.9in wide
Live Specimen — Document Page

Good Brand Consultants  ·  Proposal

The Objective

Phase One

To create a clear, credible and scalable brand presence that reflects the quality and rigour of your work — and converts increased visibility into meaningful conversations.

We've structured this as a focused first phase, prioritising what matters now without overbuilding. The emphasis is on clarity, credibility and speed.

Good Brand Consultants  ·  goodbrandconsultants.com  ·  Page 1

Web vs. Document — Side by Side

Web / Screen (px)

Heading

Subheading label

Body copy at 16px. Comfortable for screen reading. Would be massive in a Word document.

Caption at 11px

Document (pt)

Heading — 13pt

Subheading — 10pt condensed

Body copy at 10pt. Correct for a professional document. Tight, readable, precise.

Caption at 8pt

/* Word / Pages — document styles */ Body copy: Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro Light, 10pt, line-height 1.4 H1 heading: Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro Medium, 13pt H2 subheading: Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro Med Cond, 10pt, uppercase Labels: Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro Med Cond, 8pt, uppercase, tracking 0.1em Captions: Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro Light, 8pt, #959595 Cover title: Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro Medium, 26–28pt Cover subtitle: Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro Light, 13–14pt /* Page setup */ A4 margins: 2cm all sides US Letter: 0.8in all sides Body text: Charcoal #3C3C44 — never pure black Body background: White #FFFFFF — Cream for cover/section openers
Human Machine