What is a branding agency? 

A branding agency's primary focus is to help create, develop, maintain, and improve brands. These agencies would usually develop the creatives, design, and communication for a brand. Overrall their main goal is to either develop new brands or refresh existing brands. 

If you'd like a one-off project like the creation of an ad or some copy for you then you would probably go to an advertising agency that has a creative team. A full-service branding company wouldn't be what you would be looking for. 

Why is branding important? 

The biggest brands out there have a consistent brand voice. They are recognizable brands because a lot of thought went into their messaging, communication with potential clients, and creative design. It's not just about color palettes, it's the visual identity and values of the brand that gets communicated throughout each marketing campaign and customer touchpoint. 

Without a strategic approach to all of these things a brand's message can get diluted and their marketing becomes ineffective. 

Are branding agencies still relevant?

A lot of times marketing teams can lose track of their brand identity and get busy with the tactical execution of their campaigns. That's when they need a branding agency that can take the current branding, look at the goals and identity of the business, and elevate them to better target your potential customers and make your company more effective.

Now remember, you don't need someone that has a decade of experience, you just need a branding company that has worked with similar businesses to yours, in a similar niche, targeting a similar market. It may be hard to prove a return on investment on a branding campaign but over time you should see a lift in the various business metrics that you're focused on. 

What does a branding agency do? 

A branding agency is in charge of taking your business goals and developing your entire brand. That includes creating your visual identity, the visual design, the user experiences, and utilizing branding strategies to best communicate your values, promises, positioning, and identity to your prospective clients. 

How do I choose a branding agency? 

Don't make the mistake of judging a branding agency like you would judge design or creative agencies. You should not pick a branding service based on the type of graphic design work they've done. There is a lot more criteria to look at when picking a branding company.

Look at their portfolio

Look at their past work and make sure that they've worked with brands similar to yours. They could be in the same niche or they could be targeting a similar customer base. And ask to see their results to study the actual data they present. Also ask about the various design services that they offer.

Make sure they're a cultural fit

A branding manager or agency needs to be an extension of your company. So it's important that there is a cultural fit, and they would be easily integrate with your team and work well together. 

Ask about their process

What is their process like? How many branding freelancers would they have working on your branding campaign? What tools do they use to track efficiency? Get a clear understanding of how they communicate, what their timeline looks like and when assets are delivered. 

Ask about the services they offer

Branding is a very huge field with a wide range of different services. They break down into these main types:

• Brand research - customer research, competitive analysis, brand audits, market segmentation, message testing, audience personas
• Brand strategy - positioning, brand extensions, roadmaps, communication strategy, content development, messaging frameworks
• Brand identity - also known as visual identity design which includes logos, naming, color schemes, taglines, photography, video content, motion graphics, product design, print design, marketing collateral and brand guidelines
• Brand activation - implementation, rollout, brand management, digital advertising campaigns, event marketing, public relations, and thought leadership

Questions to ask your branding agency

Don't just look at the client reviews and case studies of a prospective agency. Ask them about their work, get a sense of how their process is, and their approach to branding. Here are some great questions to ask:

• What is your branding process like?
• How many experts or branding marketers would be assigned to our branding project?
• Do you have an in-house design team or do you currently work with a graphic design agency?
• What other industry-leading brands have you worked with? 
• Would you also create a digital strategy for my business?
• Can I see actual designs or marketing collateral you've created for other clients?
• What's your agency communication process look like? How often would we speak?
• How long does the brand creation process take?
• What is your current work load? 
• What kind of ROI can I expect? 

Find the perfect branding agency with Mayple

Tired of looking through lists of branding strategists and not knowing who to pick? Mayple is here for you to make the entire process of getting in touch with a branding expert a breeze. We have 600+ vetted marketing experts and agencies that have proven to have effective methods, have worked on complex client projects, and have helped numerous businesses successfully elevate their brand.

So what are you waiting for? Get started today!

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