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TBA Branding Model

Modelo de Branding TBA (Think, Be & Act)

Emilio Llopis · Brand consultant and lecturer (GLR Partners, EDEM Escuela de Empresarios) · 2023

Introduction
Sustainability Built Into the Brand

Emilio Llopis Sancho, a branding consultant and lecturer, introduced the TBA model of sustainable branding in the May 2023 issue of Harvard Deusto Business Review (Llopis Sancho, 2023). TBA stands for Think, Be, Act. The three phases take a company from analysis through implementation to action on a sustainable brand (Llopis, 2024a). Llopis starts from a simple rule, "without profitability there is no sustainability" (Llopis Sancho, 2023; translated). He no longer sees sustainability as a choice for brands but as a strategic need. In his view, companies gain an edge when it becomes part of the brand's identity and value proposition (Llopis Sancho, 2023; Llopis, 2024a). His book Marcas buenas, buenas marcas works through the model step by step and adds company examples such as Ecoalf, Sacyr and Vicky Foods (Llopis, 2024b).

The Model

TBA Branding Model: three numbered circles Think (Business Strategy), Be (Brand Strategy) and Act (Brand Experience); Think branches into Outsight and Insight, Be leads to a ring with Value Proposition, Positioning, the Identity blocks and Brand Essence at the centre, Act branches into Internal & Employer Branding and Stakeholder Brand Experience
Redrawn after Llopis (2024b, figure "Modelo TBA de Branding Sostenible"), labels translated from the Spanish original.

Elements

Definitions follow Llopis (2024a) for the three phases and Galué (2025), a post on Llopis's website, for the six identity blocks. Both are in Spanish, so quotations are translated. Element names are the labels of the model figure (Llopis, 2024b).

Three Phases

  • 01

    Think

    Think is the analysis phase. Before a company changes its brand, it checks where it stands. That means how customers behave, what competitors do, what regulators demand and how the company itself affects its surroundings. Its main result is an ESG roadmap (environmental, social, governance) that later sustainability decisions refer back to (Llopis, 2024a). In the figure, Think is the business strategy step, headed "understand what we can be" (translated), and splits into Outsight (customers, stakeholders, context, competition) and Insight (brand audit, strategy, ESG roadmap, product and service, CEO commitment) (Llopis, 2024b, figure).

  • 02

    Be

    Be is the phase in which the brand itself changes. Sustainability moves into its core, meaning identity, value proposition and positioning. Llopis calls this a deep transformation. The brand states its commitment in its mission and in what customers get from it. It still has to be relevant and different from others, and it has to match the values it promotes (Llopis, 2024a). In the figure, Be is the brand strategy step, headed "define what we want to be" (translated). A ring holds the value proposition (functional and emotional benefits, reason to believe) and the positioning, with the identity inside (Llopis, 2024b, figure).

  • 03

    Act

    Act is the delivery phase. Customers and other stakeholders should meet the sustainability commitment wherever they deal with the brand, from communication to customer experience (Llopis, 2024a). Llopis singles out greenwashing as the key danger, so a brand should announce only what it can keep (Llopis, 2024a). In the figure, Act is the brand experience step, headed "decide how we will achieve it" (translated), with Internal & Employer Branding and Stakeholder Brand Experience as its two branches (Llopis, 2024b, figure).

Six Identity Blocks

  • 04

    Customer & Stakeholder Insights

    This block (Clientes y stakeholders insights) asks the company to know its customers and other stakeholders well, including what they need and what they aspire to (Galué, 2025).

  • 05

    Expression

    Expression (Expresión) covers what people can see and touch of the identity. Galué words the block as "expression, facts and symbols" (translated) (Galué, 2025).

  • 06

    Personality

    Brand personality (Personalidad de marca) is the style and tone the brand shows in its dealings with others (Galué, 2025).

  • 07

    Internal Culture and Values

    This block (Cultura interna y valores) covers the values and culture inside the company, which steer what it does (Galué, 2025).

  • 08

    Mission, Vision, Purpose

    Together, mission, vision and purpose (Misión, visión y propósito) answer why the brand exists, a reason meant to inspire and give direction (Galué, 2025).

  • 09

    Brand Essence

    The essence (Esencia de marca) is the one central idea that sums up everything the brand stands for (Galué, 2025). In the figure, it sits at the centre of the identity (Llopis, 2024b, figure).

Source

  1. Galué, D. (2025, January 22). ¿Qué Diferencia Hay entre Marca, Imagen de Marca, Identidad de Marca y Branding? [What Is the Difference Between Brand, Brand Image, Brand Identity and Branding?]. Emilio Llopis. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://emiliollopis.es/diferencias-marca-imagen-de-marca-identidad-de-marca-y-branding/
  2. Llopis, E. (2024a, September 11). La Sostenibilidad en el ADN de la Marca: El Modelo TBA de Branding Sostenible [Sustainability in the DNA of the Brand: The TBA Model of Sustainable Branding]. Emilio Llopis. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://emiliollopis.es/sostenibilidad-en-el-adn-de-la-marca-branding-sostenible/
  3. Llopis, E. (2024b, November 19). Comunicación de Sostenibilidad. Cómo Hacerla, Claves y Ejemplos [Sustainability Communication: How to Do It, Keys and Examples]. Emilio Llopis. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://emiliollopis.es/comunicacion-de-sostenibilidad-claves-y-ejemplos/
  4. Llopis Sancho, E. (2023, May). La Sostenibilidad en el ADN de la Marca: El Modelo TBA de ‘Branding’ Sostenible [Sustainability in the DNA of the Brand: The TBA Model of Sustainable Branding]. Harvard Deusto Business Review, (333). This is the originator's first publication of the model; only its opening is freely accessible and is cited here. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.harvard-deusto.com/la-sostenibilidad-en-el-adn-de-la-marca-el-modelo-tba-de-branding-sostenible
  5. Llopis, E. (2024c). Marcas Buenas, Buenas Marcas: Cómo Incorporar la Sostenibilidad en la Marca y Diferenciarse en el Mercado [Good Brands, Good Brands: How to Build Sustainability Into the Brand and Stand Out in the Market]. LID Editorial. This book is the originator's full account of the model; it is not freely accessible, so this profile draws on the substitute sources listed above.

Part of the Brand Identity Model Atlas. The atlas underpins the Brand-Building Canvas: a practical one-page brand identity and strategy framework for building, auditing, and repositioning brands. Download the PDF or PowerPoint template, or compare all brand identity models in the overview.