“There are nine questions that help you define your brand’s identity. Answer them and you will have a brand with a clear identity core that works as a stepping stone for communicating and telling your corporate brand's story. The outcome? Well, that is a more authentic brand”, says Mats Urde.
At the centre of the model lies the Identity Core. What are the core values and what does the brand promise? When using the Matrix Mats explains that we can use the panes in triplets, either diagonally, vertically or horizontally, but the center piece is always the Identity Core.
The book is based on a number of real cases, where companies or organisations like IKEA, Volkswagen,Trek Bikes, the Nobel Prize Foundation, and Falu Rödfärg identified a problem and used the Matrix as a tool to find a solution and reach a result. In all of them Mats Urde was directly involved and helped them get ahead by using the matrix model.
One such case is about Bona, a family-owned business based in Malmö, that produces products for wooden floors.
It starts with a flooring contractor in Bremen who orders five sanding machines from the company. The quantity raises eyebrows at Bona, and it turns out he doesn’t intend to use them for sanding wood floors but rather for renovating vinyl floors.
“They work incredibly well—faster, cheaper, and more sustainable,” the craftsman said.
Bona is inspired by this discovery, realizing that vinyl flooring represents a fantastic opportunity. Since there’s far more vinyl flooring than wood flooring, it opens up an entirely new market.
This prompts a strategic question: Should Bona create a new brand/company or integrate this under their existing brand, known for wood floor treatments? At that point Bona made use of the Matrix model.
When introducing a new offer, it’s critical to revisit core competencies before positioning the new product and promise. The result was a strategic shift for the company. In the end, Bona intended to use its wood heritage as a stepping stone into the new vinyl floor renovation business.
In the book Mats Urde takes an in depth look at this case and discusses the process and how he worked with the company through coaching and workshops.
In brief, the nine panels of the Matrix help define and align identity. In Bona’s case they first had to agree on their current identity and then look towards the future and embrace the new vinyl business. After answering the Matrix’s questions, the communications and storytelling layer activates and is guided by identity, and the last layer, the reputation, is the outcome. A favorable image and a clear position.
