What is the value of a branding agency?
2018 is the year of the brand, and if you don’t understand what yours is saying, it’s probably not saying much at all.
Never before has brand been so important, and an excellent branding agency can be the best frontline defence against obscurity and irrelevance.
The value of a branding agency lies in the magic of a good brand. Think Budweiser, who have managed to sell the American dream in a can, or Heinz that have capitalised on the nostalgia of home cooked family dinners. These brands are magic, in that they have been given a personality and world of their own, and this has allowed them to talk to their customers in an authentic and believable way.
Your branding agency defines your brand, and your brand is everything that matters. That is why it is very, very important to choose wisely.
When should I hire a branding agency?
This comes back to the age-old question on what comes first: the chicken or the egg? Or in this case, the branding agency, or the business?
There are a lot of contributing factors at play here: budget, timing, expertise, nature of the business and scope, etc. Not everyone can afford to engage professional branding professionals at the concept phase, but it definitely helps.
On the other end of the spectrum, if you’ve launched your own business and have now encountered significant enough growth to begin thinking BIGGER: now is the perfect time to define (or refine) your brand.
If expansion is your goal, you need a strong brand to support and drive that.
How do I know what type of branding agency is right for me?
We don’t blame people for asking this question. There are so many choices out there, most of them confusing as hell for first timers.
Broadly speaking, in Australia, there are the bigger branding agencies that are usually part of an advertising network (such as Ogilvy, for example), and there are the smaller independent shops.
Within both of these groups, there are countless different types of branding agencies, with different expertise and specialties. Some will be right for your business, and some will be wrong.
The best way to get a feel for what kind of branding agency is appropriate and right for you, is to research and meet with some. Most branding agencies welcome the possibility of new business, and will want to share their philosophies, experiences and insights with you.
Should I initiate a creative pitch?
You’ve met with, or identified, your pick of branding agencies and you now need to decide which one will handle your business. What do you do? Do you initiate a creative pitch?
This is a complex issue, that centres mostly around tradition. Traditionally, clients would go to 3-5 branding agencies with a brief, and ask them to compete for the business by “pitching” concepts within a particular time-frame.
A creative pitch is essentially a competition, where agencies work for free and expend a massive amount of resources, with no guarantee of paid work in the future. This is why the creative pitch is becoming an outdated idea.
That being said, you definitely don’t have to jump straight into a contract with your perspective agency. Many agencies are happy to work on a project basis, at least until clients get a feel for them.
What should I look (and look out) for when selecting my branding agency?
We won’t bore you with everything we have to say on the topic, but at a basic level we recommend you looking for branding agencies that:
- Can provide case studies of previous work and solid testimonials
- Are friendly, approachable, collaborative and inspiring
- Know what works, what doesn’t and what’s new and what’s old
- Have held their clients for longer than two-minutes: this shows that they are capable of working in a partnership
- Operate in a channel agnostic fashion
- Possess strong expertise and experience in digital and online: it’s the future
- Show a genuine interest in understanding you and your brand
How can we help?
Soak Creative is Brisbane’s leading brand, design and digital marketing agency. We are a nexus of collaboration, innovation and excellence, uniting the best professional minds in Brisbane, under one full service banner.
More than just a pretty logo, we build brands that attract your ideal customers, increase your business growth, drive customer engagement, and bring your business to life.
Helping you with your web design?
Soak Creative is one of Brisbane’s leading creative brand, design and digital marketing agency. We are a nexus of collaboration, innovation and excellence, uniting the best professional minds in Brisbane, under one full service banner.
More than just a pretty logo, we build brands that attract your ideal customers, increase your business growth, drive customer engagement, and bring your business to life.
Get in touch with us to talk about your a new web design for your company and brand.
