01
Start with the business
The deliverable is a starting point. The business context tells us what to solve.
Strategic brand direction for consumer businesses
When the business is ready to grow, the brand needs to grow with it.
Merit helps consumer businesses make the brand decisions behind new products, repositioning and the next stage of growth. In practical terms, we help you decide what your brand needs to say, look like and do next.
01Business
02Brand
03Product
04Growth
The situation
Start with the business decision.
Choose the situation closest to the change in your business. Each points to a different strategic question and a different path forward.
Best fit
Explore the engagement
Expansion
Define how a new product, category or portfolio opportunity should relate to the existing brand.
Why the decision matters
A visible request is only one part of the decision.
A new product can change the role of the parent brand, the product range, the audience and the place the business wants to own.
Merit starts with the business change, then decides what needs to be built.
- 1Business change
- 2Brand decision
- 3Strategic direction
- 4Creative system
- 5Market expression
Sits under the parent brand. Products inherit the brand's equity and rules.
Why Merit
Make the key brand decision clear before building the system.
Merit starts before the visible deliverable. We understand the change, find the key decision and build what that decision needs.
Business change → brand decision → strategic direction → market expression.
02
Find the decision
Merit finds the decision that needs to be clear before strategy and creative work begin.
03
Build what matters
The response becomes a focused set of strategic and creative pieces tied to that decision.
Client perspectives
What clients say about us
Founded by Spandan Tripathi, Merit brings strategic clarity to the decisions that shape a brand—from positioning and identity to packaging, digital experiences, and communication. These client perspectives reflect how that thinking translates into considered work and dependable collaboration.
“They helped us create a premium, cohesive brand across our website and packaging. He understood our vision, executed it beautifully, and was incredibly reliable and easy to work with.”
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# client-feedback
“I’ve worked with them on two websites and they’ve been incredibly responsive, helpful, and reliable. Their creative input, ideas and suggestions genuinely made the end result better, and their support didn’t stop after launch.”
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# client-feedback
“They helped me identify what really mattered and cut through the unnecessary. They gave me a clear direction and brought my vision to life as a cohesive brand.”
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# client-feedback
“I really liked how they took our email campaigns and made them sharper, clearer and much more compelling. The transformation in how the emails communicated value was immediately noticeable.”
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# client-feedback
Our methodologies
A clear way to make complex brand decisions.
Merit connects these methodologies to the business situation, so the work stays focused on the decision that matters.
- 01 · Diagnosis
Business Diagnosis
Understand the business, trigger for change and critical decision.
- 02 · Alignment
Brand Alignment
Connect the goal, audience, position, promise and expression.
- 03 · Architecture
Brand Architecture
Define how the parent brand, products and future offers fit together.
- 04 · Direction
Strategic Direction
Turn the diagnosis into a clear strategic direction.
- 05 · Creative
Creative Direction
Set the visual and verbal rules that express the strategy.
- 06 · System
Brand System Development
Build the identity, packaging, messaging, digital and other brand pieces.
How an engagement works
The work starts before the scope is set.
Merit starts with the business situation, then builds the right scope.
The first stages set the context, clarify the decision and shape the scope. The proposal follows that understanding.
Enquiry
The business shares the situation, current context and reason for making contact.
Qualification
Merit checks the situation, expectations, decision makers and investment range.
Discovery
We review the people, history, goals, limits and current brand.
Diagnosis
We define where the brand is, where it needs to go and what decision will close the gap.
Proposal
We present the recommended response, scope, timeline and investment.
Scope is defined from hereAgreement
Roles, payment, approvals and working terms are confirmed.
Delivery
The agreed strategic and creative work is developed.
Handover
The final system, files, guidelines and next steps are organised for use.
Engagements
Choose the engagement that fits the business situation.
Starting prices show the minimum investment. Final scope follows the diagnosis.
Selected engagement
Expansion
Merit defines how the opportunity fits the existing brand and what system supports future growth.
Discuss this situation →Selected work
The work starts with a business decision.
Selected projects show how the business situation shaped the strategic response.
Packaging · Brand touchpoints · Email
Kyo’s Matcha
Turning a broad ambition around Japanese matcha culture into a more distinctive product and brand experience.
Website · Booking journey
Paper Studios
Making a creative studio’s offer easier to understand, explore and book.
Website · Offer architecture
Sunday Studios
Reorganising a Pilates studio website around clearer classes, packages and next steps.
Product packaging · Packaging system
Antifragile Skincare
Developing a three-product skincare packaging system while product and production details were still evolving.
The person behind Merit
Strategy and creative direction, connected.
Merit is led by Spandan Tripathi, working across brand strategy, design and creative direction.
The work connects business context with the decisions that shape a brand’s positioning, identity and expression. A fuller founder profile and portrait can be added here when the approved materials are ready.
FAQ
Questions before starting.
Merit works mainly with founder-led consumer businesses in FMCG, food and beverage, beauty, personal care and wellness. A strong fit is a business with a validated offer, market evidence and a clear brand decision ahead.
Yes. Evolution can focus on repositioning, refining or restructuring the brand. Scope depends on what needs to change and what should stay.
The work begins with the business decision. Depending on the situation, it can include diagnosis, positioning, architecture, messaging, identity, packaging, digital direction and brand-system components.
Published prices are starting points. Final investment depends on scope, products, markets, stakeholders, applications and timeline.
Foundation typically takes 6–8 weeks, Evolution 8–10 weeks and Expansion 10–14 weeks. Timeline is confirmed after diagnosis.
Merit reviews the enquiry for fit, then schedules a qualification or discovery conversation. A proposal follows once the business context is clear.
Start with the business situation
What needs to change for the next stage of growth?
Share the current situation, the decision ahead and why it matters now.
Check these fields.