How to Choose a Branding Agency That’s Right for You
Whether you are looking to rebrand your company or are starting out and want to engage one of Brisbane’s best brand design agencies to shape your business identity, knowing how to choose a branding agency is critical. Great branding is an investment in your future success, and while a great brand is worth paying good money for, a poorly executed brand that doesn’t capture your business ethos and direction is wasted money. Plus, if you think branding is expensive try paying for it twice because the first time around was no good!
It’s not to say that a branding agent that doesn’t deliver a brand you love is no good… But you do need to choose an agency with shared values, style, design, and ethos to yours. That way, you are more likely to end up with a finished product that truly captures your business essence. This article explains how to choose a branding agency that is right for you and explores some of the hallmarks of the top branding companies, in the hopes it helps you to end up with the right company.
At Oath Creative, we are a brand design agency that takes branding dreams from conception to launch with full incorporation of your business ethos and style.
Why choosing the right branding agency is vital
Your branding agency is going to provide a range of services depending on the level of engagement, but at the very least you can expect your branding agency to craft a new or revamped logo and deliver style elements such as font packages, colours, and provide a style guide for brand consistency. You can also engage a branding agency to provide elements such as email signatures, brochures, business cards, and a range of other essential business needs.
If you choose an agency that doesn’t “get” your business, or if you opt for one that works in a way that doesn’t suit your need for input or creative control, you may well find that the end result is not satisfying and doesn’t match your expectations.
Know you want to be consulted at every stage? Let your branding agent know and ensure this is in your contract. Or if you need your products and elements with a rapid turnaround, ensure this is expressed clearly in your initial discussions.
A lot of the satisfaction from working out how to choose a branding agency comes down to knowing what to ask. You will have a preliminary meeting with a prospective branding agent where they will showcase their previous work and explore your expectations. It is vital that you discuss your hopes, needs, wants, and position in this chat so that you don’t have unexpected surprises down the line.
How to choose a branding agency: key questions to ask
It doesn’t matter if you’re looking at working with the top branding companies or if you are interested in engaging an up-and-coming company, the best brand design agencies all have this in common: they will manage your expectations and keep you in the loop. After all, one of the biggest complaints people have about a brand or logo that is designed for them, is that the end result didn’t match what they had in mind. What this says is that the branding agent did not continually check-in and ensure that what they were designing met the imagined aesthetic. These are some key questions you need to ask when considering how to find a branding agency:
- How do you work, and what is the design process?
- Is my input welcomed throughout the design process?
- How long does your usual process take, and what can I expect at each stage of the branding design process?
- What does branding mean to you, and why is it important for my business?
- How are you going to help me and my business stand out from my competitors?
- What kind of return on investment can I expect from working with you?
- Is the team pitching me the same team that will be working on the design of my brand?
- Do you work with a particular type of business or industry? How does my brand fit into your previous work?
By asking some of these key questions you will be well on your way to knowing whether an agency is right for you. The best brand design agencies will be able to answer you honestly, and without hesitation when asked these questions. They won’t provide false or inflated estimates of your success but will be able to carefully and deliberately state the likely outcome of your investment and will be driven to understand your value proposition so that they can set you apart from your competitors. Knowing what questions to ask is a key part in knowing how to find a branding agency.
Why not chat with the team at our creative design agency today and find out whether we are the right fit for you and your brand? We would love to be a part of your business’ growth and would be happy to answer any questions you may have about our business, or yours.
