How do you choose the right branding agency?
You, your business and your products and services are unique, so it only stands to reason that your brand identity is bespoke – and not a rip off version of another logo.
In the same way that you can choose to buy a suit off-the-peg or have it tailor-made, graphic designers and branding agencies often fall into two similar camps – fast and cheap, or methodical and quality.
Let’s look at some of the traits and tell-tale signs that will help you identify what type of designers and agencies you are dealing with…
If in the first conversation or meeting they say things along the lines of:
What colours do you like / dislike?
What brands do you like / dislike?
What’s your budget?
When do you need it by?
Chances are you’re down the ‘quick and dirty’ avenue of designers, with the main focus on turnaround so they can invoice as soon as possible and move on to the next job.
If on the other hand they ask questions like…
How would you explain what you can offer to your target customers?
How would you describe your typical / ideal customer?
What are your goals / expectations from a re-brand?
What are you core values?
What makes your truly unique when compared with your competitors – direct, indirect or substitute?
Essentially, to get something bespoke, you need to get the measure of the designer / agency – and they need to get the measure of you and your business. Only then can they tailor their skills and services to delivering something that is fit for purpose and aligned to your values and aspirations.
There are a few well established principles that are worth sharing and reminding ourselves of at this point..
Generally in life, you get what you pay for. Cheapest is not best value. Buy cheap, pay twice.
If you want quality and quickness, you must be prepared to pay more. If you want quality and low cost, you must be prepared to wait. And if you want quickness and low cost, you must be prepared to sacrifice quality.
The choice is yours, go cheap or go bespoke. Just remember whatever you decide will determine what you get and the impact it will have.
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