Not Your Typical Consultancy: Crafting DMU’s Distinctive Identity

The professional services industry in Australia is dominated by the Big Four – PwC, KPMG, Deloitte and EY. These firms hold a commanding position due to their global networks, strong brand recognition, long-standing relationships, and large-scale capacity to take on complex projects. 

To gain traction in this industry, a new start-up needs to offer niche expertise, digital innovation and personalised service.  

Enter Data-Mash-Up (DMU) - a new type of professional services consultancy, determined to be different.  

DMU provides bespoke financial analysis for businesses and governments undertaking renewable projects. The team specialises in analysing complicated data-sets and helping clients weigh up the full financial, economic, social and environmental aspects of a project. 

DMU was an unknown consultancy entering an industry dominated by four global players. They had a strategy to succeed but were missing a distinctive brand. The founders of DMU approached Sodali with a clear objective – they wanted to stand out.  

Our Approach 

DMU engaged Sodali & Co to support them on two key aspects of their brand. 

Firstly, DMU’s major competitors employed visual identities that were conservative and corporate, so DMU’s brand needed to be bold and playful. 

Secondly, what separates DMU from its competitors are its people. Affectionately known as “mashers”, the team consists of financial analysts, accountants, mathematicians, engineers and data scientists. In other words, DMU is a group of nerds.  

In developing the brand, we wanted to lean into this aspect and embrace their nerd identity. We drew inspiration from retro gaming and Dungeons & Dragons to develop a style that was unique to them.  

What we did 

We developed a hard pixel logo inspired by retro gaming, which animated in a left-to-right grid formation reminiscent of Space Invaders. This visual language extended into a full brand system, including a gaming-inspired RGB colour palette, custom glitch typography, and pixel-based iconography. 

To bring the brand to life internally, we created personalised avatars for every DMU employee to use across their Windows and Microsoft profiles—adding a layer of fun and cohesion to their digital presence. 

We designed a single-page website styled like a game interface. When visitors pressed “Start,” they were taken to a LinkedIn profile featuring a playful corporate overview—turning a standard bio into an engaging brand experience. 

The new identity was rolled out across digital dashboards, Microsoft templates, office signage, and stationery—ensuring consistency and impact across every touchpoint.  

Since the rebrand, DMU’s business has doubled in size.  

This work was recognised with a Silver Award at the Transform Awards ANZ 2025 for Best Visual Identity from a Start-up.