What Create Meaning does

Create Meaning GmbH is a Berlin-headquartered, multidisciplinary consulting studio founded in 2015 by Managing Director Steffen Stäuber that serves purpose-driven companies, foundations, and entrepreneurs. Its offering is structured around seven interconnected service lines — Strategy, Branding, Communication, Experience, Innovation, Leadership, and Speaking — delivered through a seven-stage co-creation process (Question, Explore, Connect, Imagine, Transform, Inspire, Integrate) that runs from purpose definition through implementation. The studio targets change makers in food, finance, and social-enterprise sectors, with named engagements including Veganz (brand transformation, Future Marketing Award 2020), Sagana (brand identity redesign, reported 30% growth and team doubling), BASE, MyTinySecrets, and Green Monday.

The firm operates on a project-based professional services model, with revenue generated through consulting and design fees against engagements delivered on a project basis rather than recurring subscription or SaaS pricing. Delivery is executed by a small in-house core (approximately 6 named professionals) supplemented by a curated external network of 19 individual experts and 12 partner companies (including jovoto, IXDS, Eaternity, Beluga, Pure Story, and Majormajor Design Co.), which allows the studio to scale capacity without permanent headcount expansion. The firm runs two physical locations — Berlin as headquarters and Stuttgart as a design office — and has delivered work across Germany, Switzerland, and Hong Kong.

Create Meaning is privately held, bootstrapped, and has not raised outside institutional capital. Distribution relies on direct client engagement, speaking engagements, an Insights content platform, and organic social channels; there is no productized platform, no software offering, and no proprietary technology stack. Senior mentorship is provided by an advisory board including Simon Hampel, Kyle Slabb, and Dr. Franziska Blindow-Prettl. The firm is GDPR-compliant.

Name

Create Meaning

Legal name

Create Meaning GmbH

Website

https://createmeaning.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Create Meaning is a Berlin-based multidisciplinary consulting studio that supports purpose-driven companies, foundations, and entrepreneurs through integrated strategy, branding, communication, experience design, innovation, and leadership services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (54143), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems (BPAFAEAC)

Keywords

• Purpose consulting
• Brand strategy
• Organizational transformation
• Leadership development
• Design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services including strategy development, transformation design, leadership coaching, and organizational development. Services are delivered from inception to implementation through direct client engagement.
2. Design Services: Brand design, visual identity, packaging design, communication design, and experience design services. Integrated design offerings that combine purpose with visual execution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Create Meaning is a multidisciplinary consulting studio that sells purpose-driven strategy, branding, communication, experience design, innovation, and leadership development services to organizations. Engagements run from inspiration to implementation, combining designers, strategists, entrepreneurs, coaches, and consultants in a co-creation process to deliver transformative consulting and design work for change makers, foundations, and purpose-driven companies.

Product overview

Create Meaning is a multidisciplinary consulting studio offering an integrated set of services from inspiration to implementation. The core offerings include seven interconnected consulting services: Meaning (purpose definition), Strategy (future planning and capability building), Branding (visual identity and brand design), Communication (copywriting and campaigns), Experience (customer experience design), Innovation (ideation and concept development), and Leadership (coaching and culture transformation). The company also provides Speaking Engagements and publishes Insights (thought leadership content). Case studies in Branding and Communication demonstrate their approach through named client projects such as Sagana (brand identity redesign) and Veganz (brand relaunch).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Meaning Consulting Purpose definition service that helps organizations define and elevate their essence internally and externally to grow with purpose and have positive impact. Targeted at leaders and teams seeking to articulate meaningful purpose.
• Strategy Consulting Tailored strategy development and capability building to help clients act confidently in pursuit of their goals. Targeted at purpose-driven organizations, foundations, and tech startups.
• Branding Services Design of meaningful brands combining purpose, visual identity, product, service, environments, and experience. Targeted at organizations seeking meaningful brand identity and positioning.
• Communication Services Copywriting, campaigns, and brand activation to unlock meaningful ideas, messages, and information. Targeted at brands seeking impactful communication.
• Experience Design Building unique brand experiences that create stronger bonds between clients and their target audiences. Targeted at organizations seeking differentiated customer experiences.
• Innovation Consulting Co-navigating the unknown, generating new-to-the-world ideas, and building out concepts with clients as partners. Targeted at organizations seeking breakthrough innovation and ideation support.
• Leadership Development Growing the confidence of leaders to drive change by unleashing individual potential and transforming culture. Targeted at executives and leadership teams.
• Speaking Engagements Presentations on topics of meaningful impact, purpose, and business transformation delivered to corporate boards, schools, conferences, and event audiences worldwide.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and key mentor.

• BelugacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch & Ideation partner. Beluga conducted anthropological field studies and qualitative interviews with potential customers for client projects, including Veganz and Sagana case studies.
• Proud HumanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategy & Storytelling Studio partner contributing to brand development and narrative work.
• jovotosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIdeation & Innovation platform partner for collaborative innovation projects.
• Pure StorysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransmedia Storytelling partner for narrative content development.
• PanthalassasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIdeation & Content partner for creative development.
• Majormajor Design Co.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign & Communication partner contributing to brand and visual identity work.
• hellofarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign & Communication partner for visual design and communication solutions.
• IXDSsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation & Strategy partner for strategic consulting engagements.
• Vast ForwardsupportingTechnology or IntegrationDevelopment partner for web and digital platform development, including Sagana website.
• rlevancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategy Consulting partner for strategic advisory work.
• Museum für WertesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulture Transformation partner for organizational culture work.
• rlonsupportingTechnology or IntegrationProduct Design partner for product design and development.
• Simon Hampelkey mentorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentor for conscious leadership and systems change topics. Works closely with Create Meaning on the SARSEN venture.
• Kyle Slabbkey mentorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous wisdom keeper from Bundjalung tribe, Australia. Applies aboriginal knowledge and ancient systems thinking to meaningful impact work.
• Dr. Franziska Blindow-Prettlkey mentorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO of PPF with 25+ years in private equity, hedge funds, and financial engineering. Provides expertise in investing and building sustainable, scalable businesses.
• EaternitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Veganz to introduce world's first holistic sustainability score on products, bringing transparency to environmental impact.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Siegel+Gale: Brand strategy and design firm known for 'simplicity' positioning, combining brand strategy, naming, and visual identity. Direct overlap with Create Meaning's brand strategy and naming engagements (e.g., Sagana naming).
• Pentagram: Multidisciplinary design partnership with partners leading strategy, identity, and experience design engagements. Closely mirrors Create Meaning's partner-led multidisciplinary consulting studio model, especially for integrated brand projects.
• Fuseproject: Yves Béhar-led design studio blending brand, product, and experience design with purpose-driven clients. Comparable integrated model and emphasis on purpose-led brand work for mission-aligned companies.
• IDEO: Pioneering design and innovation consultancy that integrates strategy, design, and organizational transformation. Closely comparable to Create Meaning's integrated 'purpose + strategy + design + leadership' offering and similar target buyer (purpose-driven leaders and Fortune 500 boards).
• Bruce Mau Design: Design and transformation studio offering brand, strategy, and large-scale change programs (e.g., 24 Principles). Mirrors Create Meaning's emphasis on purpose-driven transformation and integrated design + strategy + leadership work.
• thinkPARITY (formerly Purpose): Purpose-driven strategy and brand consultancy working with companies, foundations, and campaigns on social impact narratives. Highly comparable to Create Meaning's 'Change Makers & Purpose-Driven Companies' segment and integrated strategy + branding model.

Broad incumbents

• Wolff Olins: Global brand consultancy combining brand strategy, visual identity, and organizational purpose work for large corporates. Comparable to Create Meaning's brand and purpose work but with a much larger bench and global offices.
• Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and design network combining brand strategy, identity, and experience. Overlaps with Create Meaning's branding and communication services but at enterprise scale with global offices.
• frog (Capgemini Engineering): Global design and innovation strategy firm now operating inside Capgemini, offering strategy, brand, and experience design to enterprise clients. Overlaps with Create Meaning's strategy + branding + experience work but at significantly larger scale and broader scope.

Others

• B Lab (B Corporation): Non-profit network certifying and supporting B Corps; not a direct competitor but the core ecosystem player for Create Meaning's purpose-driven buyer base. Comparable in serving the same client cohort and shaping the purpose-driven business agenda.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/create-meaning
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearecreatemeaning

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Create Meaning