7 January 2005
MetaDesign Strengthens its Strategic and International Profile with Acquisition of brandware partners

MetaDesign has acquired brandware partners, a brand consulting firm based in London and Berlin, effective 1 January 2005. The firm’s founder and managing partner, Angela Knewitz, 38, will join MetaDesign as international brand consulting director.

With this acquisition, MetaDesign has not only enhanced the strategic expertise of its brand consulting team, which now numbers ten specialists, but has also highlighted its positioning as a European corporate identity agency with German roots. The acquisition reflects the agency’s intention to gain more international business. Rather than setting up new offices outside Germany, though, MetaDesign plans to put greater emphasis on international orientation when selecting new staff. "It’s essential for us that our staff think in an international context and that our work meet the growing requirements of globally active companies," says consulting director Arne Brekenfeld.

Over the last five years, brandware partners has devoted itself to strategically linking corporate identity and brand strategy and transferring the results to the worlds of communication and design. The firm’s expertise and experience can be seamlessly integrated into the corporate identity process at MetaDesign, on both conceptual and methodological levels. Angela Knewitz has many years of experience working primarily in an international context. brandware partners will bring a noteworthy base of clients to the agency.

According to MetaDesign management board member Arne Brekenfeld: "With the acquisition of brandware partners, MetaDesign will not only gain valuable brand strategy expertise, but also a true expert and personality with Angela Knewitz."

Angela Knewitz adds: "An ever greater number of perceptual and design factors must be considered when creating company, brand and product identities. MetaDesign's positioning statement -"Visible strategies" - sums up what brand consulting must achieve today. This is why MetaDesign is an ideal partner for me. I’m looking forward to expanding its strategic and international profile in our work together."