A successful, engaging brand identity that retains existing customers and draws in new consumers at the same time is not an easy thing to create. This is especially true for startups that are working hard for each new conversion every day and existing companies that want to make a change in the way that they’re perceived. But your brand is absolutely vital to running a successful, lasting business—your brand should inform everything from business strategies to packaging design to the messaging that you put out to your customers. It’s truly all-encompassing.
However, branding agencies can solidify and distinguish your brand from your competitors', plus assist you with marketing campaigns, copywriting, decision-making, and advertising. But although branding agencies can be a great help to your business, it's important that you hire only the best of the best – after all, every dollar counts.
With all this in mind, let’s take a look at what you should be looking for in a branding agency, as well as examine some of the ways in which you can determine whether a branding agency will be a great fit for your company.
What Does A Branding Agency Do?
Before we dive into what you should be looking for in your branding agency, we first need to clarify what a good branding agency does.
In a nutshell, a basic branding agency is a type of marketing firm that:
creates and launches brands for startups that are not yet in market and may not have a solid brand positioning or identity already
re-brands companies that have an existing brand that is losing relevancy and or differentiation and no longer drawing in enough customers or driving high enough conversion rates
accelerating or driving branding and marketing campaigns, helping to cement a company’s reputation or identity with the public
manage existing marketing and branding campaigns
offer support for advertising and other promotional forms
Think of branding agencies as specialized marketing firms that take a big picture approach to marketing. Rather than creating single marketing campaigns to push a particular product or service, they'll help you to create, improve, or manage your company's brand positioning & or identity in a way that affects how you approach your customers in every facet of your strategy.
A basic branding agency will give you those benefits, but here at Herman-Scheer, we do even more. We view branding as a long-term strategy, meaning that rather than focusing on immediate conversions, we’ll help you build a positioning model that will lead to successful growth—and then keep being successful. A brand built on beliefs, one that sustains those beliefs through their business, will be more competitive in the market and way less at risk of being undermined by competitors.
It’s not about immediate metrics from SEO conversion or media buys–it’s about building a loyal following and targeting the real, emotional people that will be using your company, not just numerical tools. We’re here for venture-backed companies and startups that know what they want, and just need a little bit of help getting there.
Remember, your company’s brand is its social identity. It’s how people identify your company relative to its competitors, it draws in new consumers, and it establishes a baseline aesthetic for your company, so people know what to expect when they do business with you, and it affects every aspect of your company.
Are They The Same As An Advertising Agency?
No, although the two types of organizations sometimes overlap in terms of their services. Advertising or marketing agencies specifically focus on advertising specific products. They don’t take a deep look at your company’s brand identity or seek to adjust it.
Instead, their services are more limited and are better suited for companies that already have strong brand identities that they’re unwilling to change. Newer companies that don’t have an established market presence or big brand identity will benefit more from branding agencies.
The way we see it, branding is about playing the long game, while an ad agency is just looking for that short-term fix. With a good branding agency, you can build a timeless brand that you can filter every decision through. You can create moments for the real, emotional people that are your customers. You’ll use strategy and design to build a lasting, successful creation.
First: What Do You Need to Look for in a Great Branding Agency?
While there are lots of branding agencies to choose from, you should only strike a deal with the best. To that end, let’s go over what you should look for.
Skills and Talent
Any great branding agency should have a ton of talent, both in its executives and its day-to-day workers. Dive deep into any potential branding agency’s talent pool and see who comprises the staff.
More versatile and varied branding agencies are more worth your time and money since they can develop more holistic strategies.
Drive And Ambition
Check out the business website or portfolio for a given branding agency to gauge their drive and ambition. The most successful branding agencies are full of both and will stop at nothing when pushing your brand to the top of your industry or niche.
This can often be determined based on their prior projects. Check out what their former clients have to say about them or look for testimonials. These can give you some idea about how dedicated a branding agency will be to your company and whether they will “give it their all” or just phone things in. You can view some of Herman-Scheer’s testimonials here.
Understanding Of What It Takes
During your interview with a branding agency, be clear about your expectations and ask what they’re prepared to do to push your brand to the top. This demonstrates that a branding agency knows what it takes to succeed in the modern, competitive business environment.
It’s also worth considering the extent to which the client considers the actual people that you’re marketing to. The customers making decisions are real people that you need to build relationships with, and you can do that through the right messaging—all filtered through your brand, of course. It’s about creating little moments.
Budgeting
Lastly, be sure to check out how much a branding agency is likely to cost you. In most cases, this number won’t be upfront or advertised on their main business website. You might be able to find reviews from former clients that can give you some insight into their costs, or you can email directly for a general quote.
How To Choose A Great Branding Agency
Now that you know what to look for in a branding agency, let’s break down how you should go about securing one.
Set Up A Meeting
Don’t hesitate to contact a branding agency and set up a meeting. If an agency is too busy or has too many projects on their plate already, they may refuse – this is a good thing since it means they won’t be wasting your time and money by juggling too many clients at once.
Explain The Details
During the interview or business meeting with a potential branding agency, dive into the details about what you want and expect. Make sure this new potential partner has a good understanding of your business model and the industry, or at least conveys passion to become experts within it. Ensure you understand their process and project timelines.
Negotiate On Cost
Over the course of your meeting, the branding agency should propose a rough cost for the deal. Don’t hesitate to negotiate here, as you want to get your money’s worth.
But remember that any branding agency worth your while will be affordable without being too cheap. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Strike A Deal
When all is said and done, it’s up to you to strike the deal and shake hands (physically or digitally). Once you sign an agreement with a branding agency, they can start doing their work. That said, you’re going to want to work closely with your agency so that you can really infuse the emotion and ideas that you built the company on into your branding. It’s also important to remember that you’ve hired an expert, the right agency will push you beyond your comfort zone in terms of design thinking in order to create something special.
So… Which Branding Agency Should You Choose?
That's a lot to remember, but setting up your brand for long-term success is worth it. Branding is a philosophy. It’s a choice that you may make for company growth moving forward, and while it will take energy, it’s worth investing in the strategies and choices that you’re going to make.
To get started with reaching more than numerical goals and building a loyal customer base that likes your ideas, contact us at Herman-Scheer: we solve for timelessness + lifetime value. We make talked-about moments, not just media buys. And we create demand, fanatical followings and funding.
Contact us today, set up a meeting, and start hashing out the details that will eventually result in work that you can feel confident about totally reinventing – and rejuvenating – your business.
Sources
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-a-marketing-firm-4017678
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-branding-agency-does-do-sherry-jacobi/
