Behind the brand — Leanest
Leanest has been operating for several years. How did it all begin, what do you do, and what are your main fields of expertise?
Leanest is an Estonian IT company founded in 2016 by a team with extensive experience in software development and IT. Our core business is software development — through our software solutions and innovative technologies, we help clients take their business to the next level by increasing process efficiency and automation. Our activities can be divided into three key areas: production optimisation solutions (IME 5.0, MES), workforce planning solution Stafflogic, and AI-based automated quality control solutions for production industries (e.g., woodworking).
How has your company’s growth influenced your brand, and how do you perceive your visual identity today compared to the past?
As the company evolved, we saw the need to become more visible in our field. At the same time, it was important for us to have a modern and appealing visual identity that could effectively communicate our work. Compared to before, our current visual identity is much more contemporary and represents our industry more clearly.
What prompted you to update your visual identity in 2022? What were the most necessary changes, and how have they impacted your company? Have you noticed any reactions from clients or partners?
Our main reason for updating our identity was the need to improve our website’s structure and layout. The previous version didn’t allow us to present and organise essential information effectively for our audience.
Stafflogic is one of Leanest’s products, and its identity was also refreshed in 2022. Its visual language is quite different from Leanest’s—how do you market both brands? Was the decision to keep their visual styles separate intentional, and why?
Yes, this was a conscious decision. Stafflogic is an established product with approximately 30,000 users across different companies in Estonia. Its icon and logo are already familiar to many, appearing on computer and mobile device home screens. Changing it wouldn’t have been practical.
How important is a conscious brand evolution in your daily business? Do you actively use your visual identity in marketing and communication?
We now use our visual identity much more deliberately in various activities—whether it’s product orders or external communication. Our logo and icons always play a central role.
Employer branding is becoming increasingly important. How does your company approach this topic? Has the new visual identity influenced your employer reputation and talent recruitment?
Yes, we believe it has had an impact. We have significantly increased our following on LinkedIn in a short time. Additionally, we created a dedicated section on our newly designed website to introduce our employees and share their experiences. This was specifically intended as an employer branding initiative to showcase our company culture to potential future employees.
Who is your target audience, and how do you reach them? Has the new visual identity helped you connect with them more effectively?
Our target audience is quite broad, as we operate in different fields. It includes industrial companies, large retail chains, engineers, IT specialists, HR professionals, and more. Our refreshed visual identity has certainly helped us reach them more effectively.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in brand and visual identity development? What advice would you give to other companies considering a rebrand?
Do your research and define what aspects of your company are most important to highlight. At the same time, be open to external feedback and recommendations. For example, we didn’t originally plan to create an employer branding section on our website, but during the redesign, we realised it was a great opportunity. Similarly, we hadn’t intended to change our brand colours, but after collaborating with Sviiter, we decided to update them, and we’re very happy with the result.
How would you describe the Leanest and Stafflogic brands in three words? Has this changed over time?
Reliable, professional, and a provider of cutting-edge digital solutions. This remains true for both brands and has not changed over time.
To encourage companies to reflect more on their brand, we often ask a key question. Today, we have the opportunity to ask it for not just one, but two brands — how do you envision the Leanest and Stafflogic brands in 10 years?
We believe the core values of both brands will remain unchanged, but our ambitions will grow, and our image will continue to evolve. With Stafflogic, the aim is to be the most professional workforce planning and time-tracking software in the Baltics. And Leanest, the aim is even higher, to be The number one digitalisation partner for industrial companies in Northern and Eastern Europe.
