“During our quest for understanding the company, its clients, and the context in which they connect, we need to be in all communities, but to be part of none.”
— Andrei Carcea, Studio kort

Branding is of a complex nature, intertwined with marketing, design, psychology, and even finance. There are many ways to practice quality branding, but also just as many interpretations of it. Different companies and agencies have hand-picked branding characteristics that suit them and their needs, based on their region of operations and market climate. As there is little formal education on branding around the world, the discipline has evolved inhomogeneously.

Signs have shown that, even though practitioners approach and refer to certain branding elements differently, there are lines of agreement in their ways. Some agencies make efforts in teaching their clients about brand strategy while others adapt to the client’s perception and incorporate strategy in identity design services. There’s a difference in form, but function is the same.

Brandingmag decided to consult branding practitioners from different regions on the state of branding in their home markets — perceptions, struggles, opportunities, and solutions. For the very first edition, we’ve approached agencies from some of the emerging markets of Europe, agencies that show a high level of understanding and ethics in countries still heavily influenced by corruption: Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Belarus.

Interested in learning more?
Download the new State of the Brand: Dawn of Europe, available here.