If you are wondering how to choose a branding agency, we have good news and bad news.
The good news is that you are in the right place! We've broken down everything you could hope to know about finding the right partner for your branding and rebranding needs below.
You probably already know the bad news. The truth is, the cost of changing your business name is significant. It takes time, money, and considerable risk.
This is why knowing how to choose the right brand development agency is so important. If you think rebranding sounds expensive, try doing it twice because you hired the wrong agency the first time.
What is a Branding Agency?
A branding agency is a company that specializes in the strategic and creative work necessary to shape the way internal and external stakeholders perceive a company.
Branding agencies usually offer services in the following areas:
Brand Research - Services designed to understand how a brand is currently perceived by internal and external stakeholders. Insights from brand research are often leveraged in brand strategy.
Brand Strategy - Services designed to build a foundation for your brand's future that drives relevance and differentiation. The strategy includes brand positioning, brand architecture, and brand roadmaps.
Brand identity: services designed to define the visual and verbal identity of a brand. Visual identity includes logo, colors, photography, etc. of a brand. Verbal identity includes a brand's name, slogan, voice, and messages.
Brand Activation - Services designed to activate a brand in the marketplace, including brand launch, brand implementation, and ongoing brand management.
Different branding agencies define these service areas in different ways and rarely do two agencies offer the same list of services within each area.
Different branding agencies also specialize in different customer needs. Some agencies specialize in startups, while others focus on entrepreneurial businesses.
Some agencies specialize in research and strategy, while others focus on creative execution and advertising. Some focus on branding, while others specialize in renaming existing companies.
Once you have an idea of what exactly a branding agency offers, the next question is usually: do I really need one? If you're reading this post, you probably are, but let's see why.
Why hire a branding agency?
Many companies assume that rebranding is something their in-house marketing team can handle. How difficult can it be to design a logo and write some basic messages, after all?
The fact is, even the best marketing team is not equipped to make the objective, overarching strategic decisions that a rebranding requires.
Not only does a branding agency offer an invaluable objective perspective, it also gives you proven experience in a variety of industries and the information you need to ensure your brand experience is consistent, cohesive, and compelling.
An unbiased strategic perspective: Employer Branding Agency gives you an objective and comprehensive assessment of your brand and the competitive landscape in which it operates.
Experience in various sectors: branding agencies bring experience in sectors other than yours. This kind of fresh perspective is often essential when it comes to significantly differentiating your brand.
Proven Experience - Your branding agency has probably worked on dozens, if not hundreds, of rebranding before yours. This means that you will make sure you do your rebranding right the first time.
Brand Management - Because they will be deeply familiar with your brand, a brand agency is in the best position to assist you with brand management, ensuring that your brand is consistently and powerfully executed across its many touchpoints.
What questions should you ask before hiring a branding agency?
Hiring a branding agency is about asking the right questions. With this in mind, we've rounded up the top 10 questions to ask yourself in your search for the right agency partner.
- How many agencies should I interview?
The first is the first. There is no shortage of agencies in the world that claim to specialize in branding, so it's important to narrow down your search.
One way to select the field early on is to understand that there is a difference between a branding agency and a marketing agency that offers "branding" services on the sidelines. You are looking for the first.
Once you have clarified these initial criteria, we recommend a selection process similar to the following:
Identify a long list of five to ten agencies that seem interesting and do some more in-depth research on each one.
Narrow the list down to three or five agencies that feel like a good fit. Request and review their proposals.
Select the top two or three agencies for the final presentations and interviews.
Different agencies have different capacities, processes, and experiences. When choosing a branding agency, it is important to have an idea of what is available so that you can make an informed final decision.
If you're having a hard time putting together a long list to start with, ask if your friends or industry peers have recommendations. Spend some time with Google to do searches related to branding agencies.
When we conduct employer brand consulting or brand audits for our clients, we look to the competitive landscape for similar companies to get a complete picture of the market.
Reading agency blog posts and case studies is a great way to see their approach to the different phases of the branding process. Or reverse engineer the process, analyzing which agencies are responsible for the brands you admire and which are similar to yours.
- What is your first impression of the agency?
Ancient wisdom about first impressions is not bad. You can learn a lot about an agency's passion for service and commitment to quality from the way they involve you in the early stages of your relationship.
Are they excited about the prospect of working with you? Do they value your time when it comes to phone calls and email responses? Do they ask the right questions and demonstrate an understanding of their needs? Do they take the time to answer your questions and make sure you are informed about their process and approach?
- Are they the correct size?
Does size matter when choosing a branding agency? Sure, but it's relative.
If you are a large global brand in need of a comprehensive rebrand, you will probably need a large global branding agency. A boutique business is simply not going to have the wherewithal to handle the scope and complexity of such a business.
Conversely, if you are a small business, a large branding company could handle your rebranding, but it probably won't give you the hands-on attention of a smaller company.
- Do they have the right experience?
Experience is also a fundamental question when trying to choose a branding agency.
Most agencies offer similar capabilities or services when it comes to branding. Experience, or proven ability to execute the nuances of those capabilities, is where you will find substantial differences between the agencies you review.
These nuances include specialized offerings such as in-depth brand research, a proven naming process, and the ability to bring clarity to confusing brand architecture.
Final Words
Perhaps the most important piece of advice we can give a company trying to choose a brand development agency is to always look at multiple candidates and compare apples to apples in each area of consideration.
Give each agency the same project scope so you can get an idea of the differences in proposals, approaches, and costs for the same project.
Personally, we never want to be the only agency under consideration for a project. We love the opportunity to show our capabilities in front of other agencies because we are sure that our proposals stand out even more in context.
We work hard on our proposals because we realize that choosing a branding agency is no small thing. We empathize with the companies in your situation.
However, knowing the right questions to ask will put you in the best position to select the right partner for your brand's unique challenges like check here Carpediem - a partner you can seamlessly work with to chart a course for your brand's future.