Hiring the right branding design agency Cutting-edge innovation and sleek design mean nothing if you don’t know how to properly position and sell your brand. So, when it comes to distinguishing your product from the competition, finding the right branding agency is crucial. Yet often, it can be difficult to tell one agency apart from another.
Even so, it is obvious that hiring the right branding design agency is crucial for the success of your business in the long run. Luckily, the market abounds in branding design agencies of all sorts, so you will easily be able to find a suitable deal no matter how big or small your budget is or what particular industry you’re working in. One thing for sure, however, even affordable branding identity design is not cheap. Hence, the importance of choosing the right agency. The questions provided below will help you pick the right agency to bring your brand to life.
Question #1. What Does Branding Mean to Your Agency?
A brand is neither just a logo nor simply marketing materials. A brand is an idea in your head – it’s whatever pops into peoples’ minds when they see, hear, or think of you. A good branding agency must make sure to help tell that story for each brand they develop. They will build that story and put the idea of the story into people’s minds through marketing strategies.
To sum it up, an agency that focuses mostly on logos and design may not be the best fit, or, worse – they may be a design house masquerading as a branding group. This is why you need to do your research!
Question #2. What Do You Do to Help Your Clients Stand Out Among Competitors?
It is important to figure out which products and services you offer to set you apart from competitors – but those items shouldn’t be your leading differentiators. It is more important to lead with emotions. A good branding agency will ask – what does this product difference mean to consumers? And, how do we capitalize on the consumer’s connection to the product – not just features and functionality?
In other words, a good agency will immediately ask you about what makes your promise different, and how is this difference believable? By doing this, you will be able to leverage the difference and tell a story. This will undoubtedly strengthen your brand.
Question #3. What Sort of ROI Should You Expect When You’re Done?
This depends on your goals. It is important to set those goals (either on your own or by working with a branding agency) and to make sure you have measurements in place to see how you are progressing and achieving them. Equally important is measuring the pace of your progress and achievements so you can adjust and change your strategy accordingly.
Everyone will promise you metrics, but the best agencies know how to A/B test creatively and make adjustments to maximize the ROI on your investment. But they are humble and realistic – they know they won’t bat 100 every time.
Question #4. Do You Incorporate a Branding Strategy or Are You Just an Inbound Marketing Company?
A lot of agencies like to tout themselves as inbound, but that’s only one piece of the total strategy. If they’re solely focused on inbound marketing, that’s great. But this means you will need to find another company to take care of all the other aspects of marketing. This is why it’s critical to know the strength of each agency you’re looking at. Most importantly, always make sure they understand your brand as it is today, and the aspects of branding you need to build up a solid, lasting foundation for your brand.
Question #5. Is Your Branding Agency a Good Fit for My Firm?
There is going to be a lot of collaboration between the agency’s people and your people. So, if you don’t get a good feel for the people at the agency, you’re not going to have a good experience. No agency is going to share its entire strategic vision with you, but you still should be able to get a feel for how they think and operate at the highest levels of the agency.
Just like in life, you don’t want to get married to someone who you can’t be in a room with. The same goes for a branding agency. What you’re buying are transformative ideas from people who help inspire you. Talk to these people when vetting an agency and trust your gut.
Question #6. Will We Work with the Same Team That Is Pitching to Us?
So, you’ve established that you have chemistry with the agency – great! Just make sure that the people that are pitching to you are the people who will be working on your account, or at least leading the account. Agencies will always make pitches with the A team, but that doesn’t always mean you’ll end up with the A-team. Make sure not to get sold the Lamborghini with an engine of a Ford Escort.
Question #7. Do You Focus on a Particular Kind of Business?
Working with an agency that concentrates on your specific business type may seem like a no-brainer, but it comes with a catch. It could mean you will get the same messaging as everyone else in your field. Meanwhile, an agency outside your field can provide a fresh point of view – and moreover won’t be totally burnt out on the subject. Choose an agency that can think strategically on a high level, and demonstrates that they have the ability to take those ideas and put them to use. That’s more important than them already being able to work with companies who do what you do.
People naturally get tired of working in the same vertical over and over again – and your brand can’t afford sleepy ideas. Consider picking an agency that has a proven track record of doing great work no matter which category their projects are in. Their people may not know as much on day one as the team on a specialized agency, but they often bring more passion and unique ideas to the table.
Closing Thoughts
Just like dating, finding the right professional partner isn’t easy. However, asking these seven questions can give you a better idea of whether an agency you’re considering can provide the tools to build a solid foundation for your brand. Once again, take your time, do your research, make a list of the most desirable candidates, and try to understand everything you need to move forward. The questions provided in this article are a good starting point, but you can use them to help you approach more personalized questions related to your business in particular. Stay on the right track, and you will find the right branding agency for your company.
