Led the research, architecture and governance behind Wärtsilä's brand, from a 23-company benchmark that fed 2026 strategic planning to the frameworks 70+ markets now work to.
Wärtsilä — Developing a Strategic Brand
Wärtsilä — Developing a Strategic Brand
SECTOR
MARINE & ENERGY · GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL
CLIENT
WÄRTSILÄ
ROLE
Senior Brand Specialist · Creative Lead, Global Brand
LOCATION
Helsinki, Finland
SECTOR
MARINE & ENERGY · GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL
MARINE & ENERGY · GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL
CLIENT
WÄRTSILÄ
WÄRTSILÄ
LOCATION
Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki, Finland
CONTEXT
Wärtsilä operates across marine and energy in 70+ markets, with 190 years of history and a brand expressed by many hands. The same brand looked and sounded different from one market to the next.
Wärtsilä operates across marine and energy in 70+ markets, with 190 years of history and a brand expressed by many hands. The same brand looked and sounded different from one market to the next.
ROLE & RESULTS
I reviewed ten years of the company's content, then built the research and systems on top of it. That started with competitive intelligence — benchmarking 23 companies across eight brand touch-points — and became a set of operating models the wider team could use: a creative process framework, a production method, and a shared visual language grounded in service design.
The benchmark fed Wärtsilä's 2026 strategic planning. The frameworks reduced external production costs by 32% while raising delivery quality across international markets.
I reviewed ten years of the company's content, then built the research and systems on top of it. That started with competitive intelligence — benchmarking 23 companies across eight brand touch-points — and became a set of operating models the wider team could use: a creative process framework, a production method, and a shared visual language grounded in service design.
The benchmark fed Wärtsilä's 2026 strategic planning. The frameworks reduced external production costs by 32% while raising delivery quality across international markets.
Brand Strategy
Brand Strategy
Brand Strategy
Brand Strategy
Brand Architecture
Brand Architecture
Brand Positioning
Brand Positioning
Competitive Intelligence
Competitive Intelligence
Service Design
Service Design
Brand Governance
Brand Governance
Stakeholder Facilitation
Stakeholder Facilitation
THE CREATIVE PROCESS FRAMEWORK
THE CREATIVE PROCESS FRAMEWORK
Six Stage Operating Model
Six Stage Operating Model
Visual process diagram to improve different department run campaigns. A six-stage operating model from problem discover through delivery, giving brand work a shared path from brief to finished asset. Cross collaboration with Brand designers
Visual process diagram to improve different department run campaigns. A six-stage operating model from problem discover through delivery, giving brand work a shared path from brief to finished asset. Cross collaboration with Brand designers
BRAND STRATEGY
Brand Touchpoint & Campaign Benchmarking
Brand Touchpoint & Campaign Benchmarking
The Brand Touchpoints is a study of 23 competitors across eight brand touchpoints, mapping how the category shows up and where open ground may be.
The Campaign benchmarking is a read of competitor brand films across energy and marine. Plotting the distinctness agains production approach.
The Brand Touchpoints is a study of 23 competitors across eight brand touchpoints, mapping how the category shows up and where open ground may be.
The Campaign benchmarking is a read of competitor brand films across energy and marine. Plotting the distinctness agains production approach.
SERVICE DESIGN
(Double Diamond Approach) Visual Work as a Design Problem
Brand Touchpoint & Campaign Benchmarking
Branded media sits at the end of the chain from brand strategy to brand image, which is usually where it gets handled as execution. Running it as a double diamond instead, two rounds of divergence and convergence with co-creative workshops in the middle, makes the visual output the result of a design process rather than a request.
Branded media sits at the end of the chain from brand strategy to brand image, which is usually where it gets handled as execution. Running it as a double diamond instead, two rounds of divergence and convergence with co-creative workshops in the middle, makes the visual output the result of a design process rather than a request.
POSITIONING & BRAND ARCHITECTURE MAPPING
POSITIONING & BRAND ARCHITECTURE MAPPING
Positioning Branded Visual Needs
Brand Touchpoint & Campaign Benchmarking
Almost every competitor in the set is repositioning upward, away from the equipment supplier label. Wärtsilä's claim to that ground is structural rather than aspirational, with services at 52% of net sales. The visual function had to make the same move.
Positioning framing places branded visual needs where service design, creative direction, and stakeholders overlap, which separates visual identity and brand expression as a strategic function and photography and video as operational execution.
Almost every competitor in the set is repositioning upward, away from the equipment supplier label. Wärtsilä's claim to that ground is structural rather than aspirational, with services at 52% of net sales. The visual function had to make the same move.
Positioning framing places branded visual needs where service design, creative direction, and stakeholders overlap, which separates visual identity and brand expression as a strategic function and photography and video as operational execution.
CREATIVE PRODUCTION FRAMEWORK
CREATIVE PRODUCTION FRAMEWORK
The Waterfall Model
The Waterfall Model
A tiered content model that matches production investment to purpose and needs. Done so hero work sets bar and the everyday output would stay on-brand and at volume.
A tiered content model that matches production investment to purpose and needs. Done so hero work sets bar and the everyday output would stay on-brand and at volume.
BRAND EXPRESSION
BRAND EXPRESSION
Development Walkthough & MBA Work
Development Walkthough & MBA Work
MBA thesis was done for the company, utilizing Service Design methods to explore the legacy companies forms of visual content and how it was effecting Brand Expression at the company.
MBA thesis was done for the company, utilizing Service Design methods to explore the legacy companies forms of visual content and how it was effecting Brand Expression at the company.