(Story)

Moving forward for 10 years

Two guys, a laptop, a moderately good internet connection and a pretty clear vision: an agency for brands that will still be on your radar tomorrow.

What sounds like a classic start-up cliché was the beginning of Schwarz+Matt®. But to found a company that lasts longer than a trend, you need more than a nice story: bite, stamina and nerves of steel – especially when dealing with anything that looks less like a pitch deck and more like bureaucracy.

Ten years later, this perseverance has turned into quite a lot: Schwarz+Matt® has developed from an advertising agency into one of the leading addresses for brands and design in NRW. And in the process has built up a brand that shows exactly where it is going: forwards.

Our biggest milestones

(Mission)

We don't do advertising.
We build brands.

In a world in which there is far too much of everything – and yet surprisingly often not the right thing – we believe more than ever in the power of strong brands. Just like in good ideas, good companies and in the fact that Germany can still do a lot as a business location.

For us, brand building is not a product of chance, but a craft. One that we have learned, honed and molded into a system that works over the last few years. From strategy and design to implementation and scaling. Or to put it another way: we don’t do advertising. We build brands.

Ten years of Schwarz+Matt® is a milestone. And at the same time exactly the right moment to move on.

(Employee voice)

"When I look back on the last few years, there are many projects that have gone well. But above all, there are people and moments that stay with me. Schwarz+Matt® has changed my life in the truest sense of the word, both at work and in my private life. I'm looking forward to seeing what the next ten years will bring."

Dennis Losch
Senior Web Developer

(Team)

Over 30 heads.
One direction.

Schwarz+Matt® – that’s over 30 creative people today. From Dortmund, Cologne, Münster or somewhere on the Dutch border. NRW is big – and so is our wealth of ideas. A team of Experts and talents, united by a common spirit that is needed in this industry to remain sustainable: not just making things beautiful, but making them right.

10 lessons learned from 10 years of Schwarz+Matt®

(Learning)

01

"Retainers make creativity plannable"

If you jump from project to project, you are building on sand. We have learned that a fixed budget is the foundation for scalability and replaces the principle of hope with real planning security. This leaves our heads free for what we do best: excellent design and a clear strategy.

André Schirmer

(Learning)

02

"The bravest 'yes'
is often a 'no'"

Turning down projects takes effort – and sometimes also turnover. But it pays off in the long term: We prefer to keep our focus and sharpen our profile instead of getting bogged down.

Maximilian Kersten

(Learning)

03

"Culture is more than a fruit basket"

Strategies can be planned, growth cannot. This requires a team that takes responsibility. Instead of investing in vitamins, we prefer to invest in genuine loyalty: 100% remote work, team events and an honest feedback culture. This makes us crisis-proof as a team.

André Schirmer

(Learning)

04

"The design is only good if the Customers like it"

We are the Experts. Customers still pay our bills. If a design doesn’t work, it’s not a matter of taste, but a problem of our derivation. Research beats ego.

Maximilian Kersten

(Learning)

05

"Specialization beats generalism"

We have developed the courage to fill the gap and consciously let go of disciplines such as performance marketing. Since we started focusing on brands and design, our processes have become more efficient and the results sharper.

André Schirmer

(Learning)

06

"No future without origins"

We often want to change the world, but all our customers really need is a better tomorrow. We have learned that a result must match the identity of the other party. Sometimes a subtle update is more effective than a radical upheaval.

Maximilian Kersten

(Learning)

07

"No creativity without structure"

A good system beats any improv theater. Whether it’s a digital telephone system or automated onboarding processes: Clear systems and processes keep our creativity free – so that we can deliver even with large budgets without ending up in chaos.

André Schirmer

(Learning)

08

"Design is not a matter of taste"

Everyone has an opinion on colors and shapes, but brand projects are not an art gallery. We design on the basis of facts, identities and target groups. So that design is not a product of chance, but a tool that makes an impact.

Maximilian Kersten

(Learning)

09

"Excellence needs clear roles"

Creative excellence and commercial meticulousness rarely fit into the same head. If everyone stays in their own area of expertise, the necessary freedom for real innovation and healthy growth is created.

André Schirmer

(Learning)

10

"Sector focus is a survival strategy"

The “watering can principle” does not work. Those who master the market logic of their customers deliver real impact instead of just nice storytelling. This is how we can build trust in complex fields such as IT or industry.

André Schirmer

(New business)

Contact

André Schirmer
Founder & Managing Director
0231 177283-11
andre.schirmer@schwarz-matt.com
LinkedIn