Harald Quandt

Rebranding the German pioneer of private equity

Harald Quandt is known for successfully investing in alternative asset classes at a time when most professionals on this side of the Atlantic had not even heard about it. On top of that Harald Quandt started one of the first family offices in Germany. This was rapidly developed into a multi-family office that offered the management of highly complex estates on the level of the Quandt family – one of Germany’s wealthiest families. At the same rate the family created asset management firms for alternative investments, especially for private equity and real estate.

Today, the HQ financial services manage assets of approximately 17 billion USD. They operate at 12 locations in Northern America, Asia and Europe. The Asset management businesses are clearly global while the multi-family office and asset servicing businesses focus on the German market. All firms are owned by the Harald Quandt family and are entirely independent from banks.

Rebranding Harald Quandt Logo capital letter Q
Harald Quandt before after comparison logos

The new HQ brand family increases market visibility and awareness

Scholtysik developed the group’s brand architecture, positioning of the respective businesses, a unified and coherent naming system and the visual brand design. Both management of the respective companies and members of the Quandt family were deeply involved throughout the process. The resulting brand family increases overall brand visibilty but offers sufficient leeway for adapting to specific markets.

The five separate brands Auda Alternative Investments, Real Estate Capital Partners, Equita, HQ Trust, and HQ Advisor were known only to a very small number of specialists. Now they are bundled into a family of three memorable brands: HQ Capital, HQ Trust and HQ Asset Servicing. Every HQ brand sports the prominent radar-Q symbol.

Layout Harald Quandt Website: Homepage
Layout Harald Quandt Website: Standorte

Strategic Design

The common Q symbol and HQ prefix create a strong bond between the individual members of the brand family and also a link to the Harald Quandt family. Both visual and verbal identity are globally understood and give a subtle hint to the brands’ German origin. The design is decidedly clear and factual and differentiates from the typical, more conservative Anglo-Saxon financial brands.

Harald Quandt quarterly reports layout
layout Harald Quandt insights
design Harald Quandt brochure
design Harald Quandt embossed stationery

Services

Strategy consulting | Interviews | Brand architecture | Naming | Trademark & IP law coordination | Logo design | Corporate design | CD Guidelines | Websites | Picture concepts | Reportings | Newsletters | Company presentations | Office templates | Print collateral | Stationery | Signage