Branding Studios you should know in 2025
Introduction
Branding is more than just a logo - it’s the voice, the narrative, the visual language, and the experience your audience remembers. In Israel’s competitive market, choosing a branding studio that aligns with your vision and goals can transform your brand from invisible to unforgettable.
In this post, I’ll share:
- Key criteria & red flags when selecting a branding studio
- What makes branding effective
- Real branding & creative studios in Israel you should know
- Tips for running a smooth collaboration
1. What to Look for When Hiring a Branding Studio
Red flags to watch out for:
- They provide only a logo (no strategic thinking).
- They don’t ask about your business goals, customers, or competitors.
- They offer a “one size fits all” visual formula.
- They don’t deliver documentation, templates, or guidelines for internal use.
- They avoid iteration or feedback - insist on one “final version”.
2. What Makes Branding Truly Effective
- Story & Purpose: Consumers connect with purpose. Your brand should communicate why you exist, not just what you do.
- Consistency Across Touchpoints: Whether on paper, site, social media, packaging or presentations, your brand should feel coherent.
- Distinctive Design Assets: A unique visual element (e.g. pattern, symbol, graphic motif) that becomes instantly recognizable.
- Flexibility & Modular Design: So it can adapt across different media, sizes, formats, and sub-brands.
- Clarity & Simplicity: A strong identity often emerges from clean, confident design rather than overcomplicated elements.
- Brand Governance: Having rules and guardrails helps ensure consistency as team members, vendors, or agencies use the brand later.
- Evolving Over Time: Brands need refreshes. A good studio plans for phased evolution, not a rigid “set and forget.”
3. Branding Studios You Should Know
Below are real studios / agencies in Israel (primarily Tel Aviv / national) with strong reputations in branding, creative direction, and digital. Check them out, examine their portfolios, and see which matches your style and needs.
1. Wayy Studio (Tel Aviv, Global)
wayy.studio
A branding studio turning startups into brands people love. Wayy combines strategic messaging, visual identity, and asset creation - from websites to decks to videos, to turn early and growth-stage companies into bold, memorable brands with emotional impact.
2. Catchword (Oakland, CA & New Jersey)
catchwordbranding.com
An award-winning naming and brand strategy consultancy. Catchword is especially valuable for early-stage B2B startups in need of standout names and verbal identity frameworks.
3. Wolff Olins (London, NYC, SF)
wolffolins.com
A globally recognized brand consultancy. While often working with large enterprises, they occasionally collaborate with ambitious startups, especially those reframing categories or building future-defining platforms.
4. Mekanism (San Francisco, NYC, Chicago)
mekanism.com
Mekanism sits at the intersection of creativity and strategy. Their integrated approach to brand storytelling, campaign development, and digital design makes them a strong partner for B2B startups looking to stand out in saturated markets.
5. Fable (Toronto)
fable.design
Fable blends storytelling and design into brands that feel human, even in technical spaces. Their clean aesthetic and systems thinking are ideal for startups wanting structure with soul.
6. Verve Agency (The Hague / Global)
verveagency.com
A digital-first branding studio focused on modern, scalable identities. Verve is well suited to startups preparing for global launches, and has experience in both B2B SaaS and digital product positioning.
7. How&How (London / Lisbon)
how.studio
A “think/do” studio with strong strategic depth. How&How works with mission-led startups and scale-ups, often helping reposition products with climate, health, or frontier tech applications.
8. Studio Mast (Denver)
studiomast.co
Studio Mast creates restrained, elegant brand systems for startups that need quiet confidence. Especially well-known for identity design, naming systems, and typography.
9. Focus Lab (Savannah, GA)
focuslab.agency
Focused on clarity, purpose, and long-term alignment, Focus Lab is a go-to partner for startups moving into growth stage. They publish educational content that helps demystify brand strategy, making them trusted by B2B teams around the world.
10. Monopo (Tokyo / London / Paris / NY)
monopo.co.jp
An independent creative studio that brings cultural insight and visual flair to startup brands. Monopo is great for B2B companies wanting an expressive or editorial identity that doesn’t feel corporate.
11. Studio Freight (New York)
studiofreight.com
A motion-forward, web-native studio that creates flexible, interactive brands. Their work is clean but energetic, suited for startups who are digital-first or product-led.
4. Tips for Running a Smooth Collaboration
- Share your internal brand brief early - including mission, values, target customers, competitive landscape, vision.
- Set phases & milestones - e.g. discovery → concept → refinement → final assets → rollout.
- Get “in progress” feedback — don’t wait until final. Ask for sketches, moodboards, drafts.
- Insist on a brand guideline package - assets, sizes, typography, color usage rules, dos & don’ts.
- Pilot in real use - apply new visuals to one medium (web, packaging, social) before full rollout to identify friction.
- Archive & handover tools - provide editable files (EPS, AI, Sketch/Figma), style sheets, asset libraries.
- Plan for evolution - agree on review points (e.g. annually) to refresh or extend the identity.