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Brand Flower

Markenblume

Dietrich Identity · Brand and Corporate Identity Consultancy · 2018

Introduction
A Clear Hierarchy of Brand Values

The Brand Flower is the brand model of Dietrich Identity, a consultancy for brand and corporate identity. In the agency's words, a brand model describes the essence of a brand and is the basis for its positioning and communication (Dietrich, 2021). The agency uses the flower to record the result of a values process in identity-based brand management, the subject of an article series on its website (Lenz, 2021). The idea behind it is a clear hierarchy of values: one core in the middle, three brand values around it, and three facets that make each value concrete (Dietrich, 2021; Lenz, 2021, "DID Markenmodell"). A post on the agency's blog from December 2018, quoted on the same page, already describes the flower with core, values and facets, at that time with four values (Lenz, 2021, "Trackbacks & Pingbacks"). Dietrich Identity sees the clear and simple model as particularly suited to medium-sized companies and corporate brands, and for the agency, brand management also means reducing a brand to the essentials (Lenz, 2021, "DID Markenmodell").

The Model

Brand Flower: three overlapping circles, each a brand value, around the brand core where all three overlap, with the brand facets written along the outside of each circle
Source: Lenz (2021, "DID Markenmodell"), Dietrich Identity; the German labels are translated in the redrawing. Below it, the same figure redrawn in the Atlas style.

Elements

Definitions follow Lenz (2021) and the glossary entry by Dietrich (2021), both on the website of Dietrich Identity. Quotes are translated from German.

Brand Flower

  • 01

    Brand Core

    The brand core (Markenkern) sits in the middle of the flower, where the three brand values overlap. It "symbolises the most important value" (translated). It identifies the brand to the outside world and sets it apart from competitors more strongly than anything else (Dietrich, 2021; Lenz, 2021, "DID Markenmodell"). Not every value has to be distinctive on its own: the core, which sums up the ultimate benefit of the brand, can create the brand's uniqueness (Lenz, 2021, "Markenwerte sinnvoll definieren").

    EMUGE-FRANKEN: The maker of threading, gauging, clamping and milling tools sells in almost 50 countries and has a tool range of some 110,000 items. It chose "diverse" (vielfältig) as its brand core. The word covers the range of products and advice, testing, customer care and quality assurance, up to regrinding and recoating services (Lenz, 2021, "DID Markenmodell", example 2).

  • 02

    Brand Values

    Three brand values (Markenwerte) surround the core. They describe the brand's attitude and reflect the inner culture and strengths of the organisation (Lenz, 2021, "DID Markenmodell"). Each value has to be genuine, that is, lived and experienced in behaviour; relevant to internal and external target groups; and concrete, meaning vivid, clear and open to little interpretation. Values that meet these criteria act as a compass for the tone of internal and external communication and guide the corporate culture (Dietrich, 2021; Lenz, 2021, "Markenwerte sinnvoll definieren"). Dietrich Identity holds that three such values give a company enough room for its identity (Lenz, 2021, "DID Markenmodell").

    kbo (Kliniken des Bezirks Oberbayern): The group of psychiatric and neurological hospitals in Upper Bavaria has the values diverse (vielfältig), close (nah) and secure (sicher) around the core reliable (zuverlässig). Staff find security in the size of the group, more than 100,000 patients use the diversity of its medical facilities, and closeness grows from the bond between patients and the people who care for them (Lenz, 2021, "DID Markenmodell", example 1).

  • 03

    Brand Facets

    Each brand value has three brand facets (Markenfacetten) (Dietrich, 2021). They complement the value and describe it in more detail. With them, the values become "tangible, understandable" and guide behaviour (translated) (Lenz, 2021, "DID Markenmodell").

    EMUGE-FRANKEN: The value close (nah) is spelled out by the facets sales, advice and reliability; precise (präzise) by quality, processes and control; innovative (innovativ) by technology, passion and individuality (Lenz, 2021, "DID Markenmodell", figure for example 2).

Source

  1. Dietrich, F. (2021, May 27). Markenmodell [The Brand Model]. Marken- und Corporate-Identity-Glossar, Dietrich Identity. Retrieved October 7, 2026, from https://www.dietrichid.com/marken-und-corporate-identity-glossar/markenmodell/
  2. Lenz, A. (2021, June 30). Identitätsbasierte Markenführung – 4. Die Markenwerte [Identity-Based Brand Management – 4. The Brand Values]. Dietrich Identity. Retrieved October 7, 2026, from https://www.dietrichid.com/wissensartikel/identitaetsbasiertemarkenfuehrung_markenwerte/