Brand Architecture Agencies: 5 to Shortlist (2026)

Quick list

#	Agency	Known for	Best for
1	Koto	Flexible systems for giant brand families	Global companies with dozens of sub-brands
2	Vivaldi	Strategy-led architecture for complex portfolios	Corporations with overlapping product brands
3	Monigle	Architecture after mergers and growth	Health systems and service organizations that grew by acquisition
4	Fabrik	Consolidation and naming systems	Merging organizations and mid-sized portfolios
5	DPDK	Architecture plus identity and website	Groups bringing a few sub-brands under one roof

1. Koto

Website: koto.com
Location: Studios in Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York and Sydney
Guides: Brand Architecture
Visual Identity Design
Consumer & DTC
Signature project: Amazon identity system

Amazon’s family of brands runs from shopping and streaming to devices and cloud services. In its identity system, Koto grouped the sub-brands into "cohorts": families of like-minded brands that can share a style of expression while staying connected to the master brand. Entertainment brands, for example, can feel bold, confident and expressive, while others stay more restrained. It’s a model for portfolios too big for one rule to fit every brand.

Clients: Amazon, Workday, Talkspace
How they work: Multi-studio teams covering strategy, architecture, identity and digital
Budget signal: Enterprise
Skip if: You have one product and one brand. The approach is built for large families.

Last verified 2026

2. Vivaldi

Website: vivaldigroup.com
Location: New York, London, Hamburg, Zürich, Singapore
Guides: Brand Architecture
Brand Research & Audits
Professional Services
Signature project: Whirlpool: clear roles for five overlapping appliance brands

Vivaldi treats brand architecture as a business decision first. For Whirlpool it gave clear roles to five overlapping appliance brands, opening new growth with consumers and retailers. For hearing-care company Sonova, built through acquisitions, it shifted the portfolio to a customer-centric master brand, and for KitchenAid it simplified the line and piloted a premium sub-brand. Its published work also covers Siemens, Swiss Post, Dow Building Solutions and German bank Nord/LB.

Clients: Whirlpool, Sonova, KitchenAid, Siemens, Swiss Post, Nord/LB
How they work: Portfolio strategy, architecture, governance and migration planning
Budget signal: Enterprise
Skip if: You need a visual identity more than a portfolio strategy.

Last verified 2026

3. Monigle

Website: monigle.com
Location: Denver and New York
Guides: Brand Architecture
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Brand Research & Audits
Signature project: Prisma Health enterprise rebrand

When two health systems combined to form Prisma Health, Monigle created the new name, purpose, brand architecture, logo and design system that united them. For Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, renamed Northern Light Health, it delivered a full visual and verbal toolkit, including naming conventions used from outdoor signage to digital channels. Monigle’s strength is making architecture work in practice across thousands of locations, signs and staff.

Clients: Prisma Health, Northern Light Health, Sutter Health, UNC Health
How they work: Insights, strategy, architecture, identity and rollout programs
Budget signal: Enterprise
Skip if: You’re a startup with two products. The process is built for large organizations.

Last verified 2026

4. Fabrik

Website: fabrikbrands.com
Location: London
Guides: Brand Architecture
Fintech
Professional Services
Signature project: Amplius brand consolidation

When Longhurst Group and Grand Union Housing Group merged to form Amplius, Fabrik developed the complete brand consolidation strategy. The studio’s approach is pragmatic: some organizations need tight consolidation, others need deliberate separation, and the answer should follow how the business actually works. Its architecture work extends to naming systems, so new products and features fit the structure as they launch.

Clients: Amplius, Fincore
How they work: Brand architecture, strategy, naming, and verbal and visual identity
Budget signal: Mid-market
Skip if: You’re a global group with dozens of brands across many countries.

Last verified 2026

5. DPDK

Website: dpdk.com
Location: Rotterdam and New York
Guides: Brand Architecture
Climate & Energy
Visual Identity Design
Signature project: The COUNT Group

Energy company The COUNT Group had three sub-brands, COUNT Energy Trading, COUNT Energy Distribution and COUNT Westgass, and wanted to present itself as one industry leader. DPDK brought them together under a defined brand architecture, refreshed the identity and built a new website that shows each sub-brand’s offer within the group. It’s a good model for mid-sized groups where architecture, identity and website need to change together.

Clients: The COUNT Group
How they work: Brand architecture, identity and digital experience
Budget signal: Mid-market
Skip if: You need deep research and governance for a global portfolio.

Last verified 2026

What brand architecture has to handle

Which name leads.
Customers need to know who they’re buying from. Architecture decides whether the parent, the product or both appear first.
Acquisitions.
Every acquired company brings a name, a logo and loyal customers. Some should be absorbed, some endorsed and some kept separate.
Naming rules.
Without clear rules, every new product gets its own name. A naming system keeps the portfolio understandable as it grows.
Migration.
Moving customers from old names to new ones takes planning: signage, packaging, websites, contracts and search traffic all need to change.
Governance.
Someone has to decide when a new sub-brand is allowed. Without that, the portfolio drifts back to chaos.

Before you brief an agency

List every brand, sub-brand, product name and logo currently in use, including the ones nobody likes to admit exist. Gather data on what customers actually recognize. And involve the leaders of each business unit early, because architecture decisions affect their teams directly.

Each guide has its own shortlist, built around the studios that do that kind of work best.

Frequently asked questions

What is brand architecture?

The structure that defines how a company’s brands relate to each other: which is the master brand, which are sub-brands, and how products are named.

What are the main types of brand architecture?

A branded house uses one master brand for everything. A house of brands keeps each brand separate. Endorsed and hybrid models sit in between.

When do we need a brand architecture project?

After a merger or acquisition, when launching new product lines, or when customers and staff are confused by too many names.

How long does a brand architecture project take?

The strategy usually takes two to four months. Migrating to the new structure can take a year or more, depending on how many brands and markets are involved.

Should brand architecture come before a visual rebrand?

Yes, in most cases. Knowing which brands lead and which support determines how the visual system has to work.

The best brand architecture agencies

Quick list

What brand architecture has to handle

Which name leads.

Acquisitions.

Naming rules.

Migration.

Governance.

Before you brief an agency

Agencies for other branding needs

Frequently asked questions