Why the strongest corporate brands don’t feel corporate at all

Professional services are built on trust and expertise. But look at most of their brands and you’ll see sameness: safe logos, cautious language, polished but predictable design. In a market where clients want connection, that approach no longer works.

The intention may be to project professionalism, but the result is sameness.

How we got here

For decades, reputation, referrals and legacy carried firms. Law, accountancy and consultancy businesses built credibility over years, even centuries. These foundations still matter, but they rarely deliver growth on their own.

Tradition explains why so many firms look and sound alike. Playing it safe feels low-risk. Consistency shows you belong. Formality signals authority. All useful cues – but none creates distinction.

US ad innovator Howard Gossage once said: “People don’t read advertising. They read what interests them.” The same is true of brands. And this is where the opportunity lies.

No more stuffed shirts

Corporate branding used to be about control. Fix the logo, lock down the colour palette, keep the language formal. Professionalism was equated with impersonality.

That worked when authority and hierarchy shaped decisions and facelessness was read as strength.

But times have changed. Professional services need to shift from safe, formal, cookie-cutter branding towards something more human, honest and distinctive if they’re to make meaningful connections with modern audiences. Only then can they thrive. 

Clients and talent want to know the people behind the business, understand their values and see what they stand for.

So what does a brand that’s human, honest and distinctive actually look like? Enter the ‘uncorporate corporate brand’.

This doesn’t mean being casual for the sake of it. It means being human without losing professionalism. Strong uncorporate corporate brands share four traits. They’re:

• Honest. If your language could belong to anyone else, it isn’t saying enough about you.
  
• Human. Qualifications matter, but perspective is what people remember.
  
• Flexible. A brand should be consistent, not rigid.
  
• Clear. Jargon and over-polish hide the point.
  
  

A brand built on these principles doesn’t replace reputation, referrals or legacy – it amplifies them. It confirms trust after an introduction, makes history relevant to today and gives clients a reason to care.

A case in point

When we worked with law firm Thackray Williams, their brand was ‘neat(ish)’ and respectable, but didn’t reflect their greatest strength: their people.

We landed on a simple truth: ‘Law firms don’t solve problems, people do.’ That idea became the foundation for a new identity. Out went the boilerplate. In came straightforward language and hand-cut illustrations that brought warmth and personality to complex legal topics.

The result wasn’t just a new look. It was a shift in how the firm presented itself: open, relatable and memorable – while still celebrating their legacy and professionalism.

Why this matters now

The market has moved on. Clients want openness and relatability. They want to know who they’re dealing with and why it should matter to them. Brands that keep hiding behind distance and formality risk being left behind.

You don’t need to abandon your values or start making TikTok videos to stand out. But you do need to drop the mask.

In a world of templated sameness, the real risk isn’t being unprofessional – it’s being forgettable. It’s time for professional services to stop branding like it’s 1999 and start showing up like they mean it.

Because people don’t build relationships with logos. They build them with people.