Why do businesses need brand strategy? It seems like a hard-sell for most of brand strategists out there.

Branding presents a great opportunity to think more broadly and holistically about a company.

Branding isn't just a marketing function; it also encompasses internal communications, HR, recruiting, company culture, and customer experience.

Many organisations still function in silos, where the marketing department handles visuals and communications. However, we’re now seeing everything blend across these silos — the roles are getting more “blurry”.

As a marketing director, you're responsible for training, communications, and customer engagement, leaving you feeling overwhelmed. What used to be clearly defined is now more organic, and I sense both confusion and excitement — it's a two-sided coin. The CEO may insist that this is all branding, adding to the marketing director's already heavy workload. This is a naive approach to branding. Branding shouldn’t just be an afterthought or something someone else handles.

Companies need a business strategy, complete with plans, KPIs, targets, and tasks to exist. And you also need a brand strategy that weaves seamlessly into your business strategy.

If your aim is to be the lowest-priced supermarket, every decision should align with that goal. You must delve into the core of your brand and ask: Is this true to the personality of our brand and our brand narrative? Does it align with the character we're developing alongside our business strategy? Is our story true to our actions?

Speaking of supermarkets, you were a brand manager at Krónan, one of Iceland's leading supermarket chains. Can you share some highlights?

Being a part of the rebranding team of Krónan was so much fun and that project will always have a special place in my heart! People talk about Krónan, and how the strategy became more environmental. It wasn’t really a formal strategy at first — it was more about listening to the customers and working hard on making Krónan relevant (again). Waste, whether with staff or food, was a big problem.

It started as an economical idea: we had to be more efficient with managing time and staff, so Krónan could keep its promise of being a low-price supermarket. Today, people see it as a strategy, but it wasn’t then; the key was listening to the “demands” of the customers and the society: acknowledging the problem, asking for help, involving everyone, and being creative in finding the solutions.

What I learned from working at Krónan is that the willingness to change has to come top-down but the success of those changes relies on cooperation, clear brand narrative and support from managers.

The key is to find the courage to start, even if you don’t know if it will work, and give it time. That kind of mentality was really valuable in Krónan - and probably is still.

Can you describe your role as a brand strategy consultant and what you bring to the table?

Branding can become too complicated if not handled right. People understand it but don't always prioritise it because it’s a long-term thing. In the day-to-day, immediate tasks take precedence.

Most companies I work with understand the value of branding. They want to make room for it in their schedule, but it often gets pushed aside.

I see myself as providing creative space for them. Everyone is creative, but you can’t be creative with five meetings a day and no time to think. Or if you're constantly managing a team, attending conferences, and balancing other tasks.

Creativity needs room to breathe.

I’ve offered this service for years now —helping companies make space in their schedule for creativity. It’s like going to the gym or therapy; you know you need to do it, but it’s hard to prioritise. But when done right, branding becomes easier, and everything else starts to fall into place.

I’ve seen companies struggle with decisions as small as whether to buy branded pens. It might sound silly, but if you don’t know who you are as a brand, every decision becomes a huge debate. For example, should we send staff to service stations wearing uniforms? These small decisions become overblown if you haven’t established a clear brand identity.

But when you have that clarity, creativity flourishes. Suddenly, you’re getting suggestions from your team about new ideas. That’s when I get excited because the brand is alive inside the company. The culture becomes the brand, and vice versa.

Take NOVA, for example. They’ve stayed true to their party-disco vibe for years and built a strong brand culture around that. Their consistency has made them successful.

For many branding doesn't go beyond a logo. How do you help Icelandic businesses understand the role of brand strategy?

I always say that your most valuable asset in your company is your people. After that, it’s your physical presence, which includes your shop where customers see you and your online platforms. You have control over these mediums and can use them to communicate your purpose: Are we loud or gentle? Are we good neighbours? Are we role models in our industry? Are we still relevant? This is about expanding your perspective and practising what we preach as an organisation. Every small detail matters.

It’s crucial for organisations to incorporate this mindset into their brand strategy. The key to effective communication lies in understanding what kind of brand you are, starting with your staff.

If your frontline employees understand the level of service they’re offering, that message needs to be communicated clearly. This includes everything from clothing and music to human behaviour in how you direct and train your team.

Consider a company rebranding with an Icelandic name to provide customers with an authentic experience. This is a fantastic strategy because visitors to Iceland want to connect with local culture, not be reminded of something generic or globally recognisable.

Visuals also play a significant role. After 20 years in graphic design, I've learned that symbols, colours, and stylistic choices convey a lot about a brand's values—whether it’s perceived as high-end, trustworthy, or the opposite. Unfortunately, many companies fail to align their visuals with their deeper mission.

What's your process?

When I analyse a company, I’m curious about its customers, staff, and its role in the community. I always start with the same questions: “Are you relevant?” If no, then why not? If yes, then how can we grow from there to keep on being relevant?

I'm always asking questions like a five-year-old: "But why?" That's the key to a good brand strategy—asking the leadership and employees why they want to do something and why they want to differentiate. In my experience, there’s usually a small group in management who understands the company's strategy, but the rest of the employees often don't. Start by communicating within your organisation.

Iceland is a small village—about 10% of the population will know what’s going on in your organisation if you just keep your employees informed.

Many brands claim they want to disrupt the industry or change the world, but their branding (the visuals, what you choose to say, to focus on, your partnerships, the ecosystem you're building) doesn’t reflect that ambition.

What you say, focus on, and do—those partnerships and ecosystems—must support your mission and be on brand. To put it straight: just be authentic and do what you say you are.

We've spoken a lot about why companies should take brand strategy seriously. Let's change the tone. Where do you find your insights?

I'm really curious. I’ve loved watching TV since I was two or three years old—I'm a TV nerd. I read everything—books, biographies, and about people, cultures, and different periods in history. I have a master's degree in comparative literature, and I always have five or six books on my table. If I had all the time and money in the world, I'd study everyday life. To me, it’s a mix of anthropology, literature, and history.

For brands, staying relevant is key. How can you do that? By being really curious about your society and community. If you offer something that feels out of touch, customers won’t relate to it or find it useful in their everyday lives.

Where do you stand on the long and short of it? Marketing vs branding?

Building a strong brand is challenging because it requires balancing short-term actions with long-term goals. I choose to look at branding as a narrative. If the organisation were a book, the brand would be the genre, and marketing would represent the individual chapters that bring the story to life.

But there has to be a clear connection between the book and its readers, just as the chapters of a book must align with its genre. To answer your question, I believe all short-term (marketing) decisions should fit within the brand strategy and be measurable. For every short-term action, start by asking two questions: 1) Is it on-brand (in character)? 2) Can we measure its impact?

What brands in Iceland excite you the most right now?

I really like índo bank because they’re very clear in their message and practice what they preach. They genuinely want to help people save money, not just act like a traditional bank. They're more focused on saving and helping people invest, which is refreshing.

It is great to be a a disruptor, you can challenge the giants and say, "I’m not going to do things the usual way."

What’s challenging for most companies is getting through the clutter, the attention span of audiences is so short these days.

Svens, the shop selling nicotine pouches, is standing out because of its visuals—the Swedish guy in a sweater, named Svens—and their focus on one specific product for tobacco users. I think it's clever, and the branding works well for their niche, even though I don't think their products are good for the community.

Do you see any demographics underserved by companies in Iceland?

There are lots of demographics that are underserved: the elderly, pet owners, dog owners, and mixed families. I mean divorced families that have formed new households with their own consumption patterns—six kids at home one week, just two grownups the next.

This amazes me. How do you provide services like electricity, flexibility, groceries? So many things... it makes you think.

In California, for example, you see puppy burgers, puppuccinos, dog kindergartens. Needs are building up.


You say in your LinkedIn bio that "Waste is failure of imagination". What does this phrase mean to you?

Waste is expensive — time, resources, and products. I get so sad when I witness waste, especially when people are doing something that doesn’t create long-term value or companies are focusing on things that are no longer relevant.

I believe we all are creative — and we have to think out of our “silos” and try to minimise waste. And using our imagination will be even more important if we look to the challenges of the 21st Century!

You can see when something isn't built on a solid foundation, and you can often see what caused it: people starting over again and again. I see this a lot in brand building—new people come in, throw everything out, and start from scratch. I think it’s a waste - and sometimes the only reason is “fixing” the surface without spending time to find the root cause.

Creativity sparks when resources are limited and we face challenges.

Today all businesses should aim to be a part of the circular economy. If we spend time producing something, it should have long-term value.

I think it’s exciting because, with room for imagination, everything is possible.

Find out more about Tóta on her website.

Want to be interviewed about all things branding?
Email me: s.graudt@gmail.com