Prepared with Power.

Krios was being built as a new infrastructure brand without an established market position or previous identity system. The task was to build the brand from the ground up — define what Krios stands for, how it differentiates and how expertise in power, land and infrastructure can become a clear promise for an international market.

From a new company to a fully formed infrastructure brand.

Internal interviews
External market analysis
Brand strategy and positioning
Complete identity system

From unknown entrant to category-leading recall.

34%
Unaided brand recall — category avg. 18%
+47pt
brandr Index score increase year-over-year
1.2k
Google reviews · 4.8 avg score in 12 months
2.4M
Earned media impressions across launch quarter

From unknown entrant to category-leading recall.

34%
Unaided brand recall — category avg. 18%
+47pt
brandr Index score increase year-over-year
1.2k
Google reviews · 4.8 avg score in 12 months
2.4M
Earned media impressions across launch quarter

From unknown entrant to category-leading recall.

34%
Unaided brand recall — category avg. 18%
+47pt
brandr Index score increase year-over-year
1.2k
Google reviews · 4.8 avg score in 12 months
2.4M
Earned media impressions across launch quarter

From unknown entrant to category-leading recall.

34%
Unaided brand recall — category avg. 18%
+47pt
brandr Index score increase year-over-year
1.2k
Google reviews · 4.8 avg score in 12 months
2.4M
Earned media impressions across launch quarter

From unknown entrant to category-leading recall.

34%
Unaided brand recall — category avg. 18%
+47pt
brandr Index score increase year-over-year
1.2k
Google reviews · 4.8 avg score in 12 months
2.4M
Earned media impressions across launch quarter

A new infrastructure company needed a position before the market defined it.

Krios had expertise and a clear business idea, but no established brand capable of connecting power systems, land, permitting and stakeholders into one clear story. The challenge was to build a position from the ground up that felt credible in a technically complex market, differentiated from traditional land developers and flexible enough to support international growth.
Brand campaign photography · Eastfjords, March 2025
05 / 07

We started by understanding the system Krios needed to bring together.

Internal interviews and external market analysis were used to map Krios’ role, market needs and the spaces where the company could create genuine distinctiveness. The research showed that the value did not lie in land or access to power alone, but in aligning complex conditions early enough for projects to be viable from day one.

Readiness was the real product.

In a market where digital infrastructure projects need power, land, permitting and stakeholder alignment to come together, a prepared and viable development environment is itself the core value.

Complexity had to be resolved early.

Krios could differentiate by bringing energy expertise, land and stakeholders together earlier in the process than traditional developers.

Confidence was the outcome.

The market did not need more promises of potential; it needed a foundation that makes complex projects viable and durable.

From land development to Prepared with Power.

The strategy moved Krios from a general infrastructure or land-development proposition to a specific position: land prepared with power and ready for complex digital infrastructure. The brand territory became „Prepared with Power“ and the brand promise „Foundations you can build on with confidence.“ Energy expertise and early alignment became central to what Krios offers the market.

“SS and Friðrik Larsen have worked together for many years, beginning with strategic advisory work and management sessions that we were very pleased with. When Friðrik founded brandr, we saw strong expertise in branding and marketing that we considered important for SS. Over the past seven or eight years, brandr has carried out attitude surveys and focus groups to assess the position of key SS brands, including SS and 1944. Based on these findings and brandr’s recommendations, we have updated our brand strategies and, where appropriate, our packaging. In the latest 1944 study, important issues emerged: the packaging was seen as outdated and people did not understand the line ‘Fyrir sjálfstæða Íslendinga’. Although this had not been part of the original brief, brandr presented ideas for updating the 1944 brand and product range. We thought the proposals were excellent, and brandr went on to design a new look for the entire range. The result can now be seen in stores, and it has worked extremely well. That has been our experience of working with brandr.”

Steinþór Skúlason
CEO, Sláturfélag Suðurlands

A connected system for a brand built around alignment.

The visual system was built from the ground up around the idea of connection and alignment. The mark is formed from soft nodes that connect into a unified structure and subtly create a K, reflecting the way Krios brings complex inputs into one workable system.

A purple palette, rounded forms, patterns, icons and Satoshi typography create a contemporary, technical yet approachable brand that works across web, presentations, business documents and international communications.
Nodes, connections and flow are the central visual idea. Graphic elements are derived directly from the logomark and can work as patterns, image masks, interface elements and framing devices. The system should always feel precise, connected and confident rather than decorative.

Fourteen months from brief to launch.

We work in stages rather than sprints — every stage with a clear deliverable, a checkpoint with the client, and a measurable handover to the next phase. Here's how Blue Car moved through ours.
01 · January — February 2024 · 6 weeks

Research & category audit

brandr Index baseline for all 11 rental operators in Iceland. 2,400 respondents. Eight one-hour interviews with Blue Car's existing customer base, including 3 fleet clients. Output: a 42-page category report and a one-page positioning brief.
02 · March — April 2024 · 6 weeks

Strategy & positioning

Three positioning workshops with Blue Car's leadership team. Brand architecture review. Tone of voice direction. Output: an approved brand strategy document and a board-level go-ahead for the visual identity phase.
03 · May — August 2024 · 14 weeks

Identity development

Wordmark design across three exploratory directions, narrowed to one. Type system, color, photography direction, application across vehicles, uniforms, web, app, signage. Output: a 96-page brand guideline document and a digital asset library.
04 · November 2024 — March 2025 · ongoing

Launch

Vehicle re-livery (rolling, 6 weeks). Website re-launch. App re-skin. Outdoor campaign across Reykjavík, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir. Sponsored content with Icelandic creators. PR drop with a single press release: "Built for the people who live here."

From expertise and ambition to a fully formed international brand.

The project gave Krios a complete brand ready to enter the market with a clear position, shared language and visual system. „Prepared with Power“ became the thread running through positioning, promise, tone and design.
Brand territory — Prepared with Power
Brand promise — Foundations you can build on with confidence.
Positioning — deep expertise in power and energy systems, with early alignment of land, permitting and stakeholder requirements
Personality — Assured · Thoughtful · Driven · Principled
Tone — Deliberate · Accessible · Responsible · Strategic
Complete identity system — logo, typography, colour palette, graphic elements, patterns, icons and applications

4.8 /5

Average Google review score
Across 1,200+ verified reviews in 12 months. Closest competitor sits at 4.2. The local-first strategy is showing up in real customer behaviour.

+62%

Domestic bookings YoY
Bookings from Icelandic residents (the strategic target audience) up 62% over the prior 12 months. International bookings up 38% — tourists followed the locals.

34%

Unaided brand recall
Up from 8% pre-launch. Category average is 18%. Blue Car is now the second-most recalled rental brand in Iceland.

Your brand is worth a 30-minute conversation.

Whether you want to measure where your brand stands, build a stronger strategy, or understand how you compare to the competition — it starts with a conversation. No pitch. Just an honest look at your situation and where we might help.