Branding: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What branding is

A brand specialist defines how your business looks and sounds, developing its positioning, name or tagline, colors, typography and voice guidelines so that every material feels like it comes from the same company. Businesses hire a brand specialist when they are starting out, changing direction or noticing that their materials do not match.

Signs you need it

  • Your website, signs, social pages and printed materials each look different and confuse customers
  • You are launching a new business, product line or name and need a clear identity before you spend on materials
  • You cannot describe what makes your business different in a sentence
  • Your staff write messages in different tones, and customers notice the inconsistency
  • You are merging two businesses or changing your name and need a plan for the new identity

What the pro does

  • Interview you and your team about your business, your customers, your values and what sets you apart
  • Research your competitors and the way they present themselves, so the identity stands apart
  • Define the positioning, the core message and the tone of voice with examples of what to say and what to avoid
  • Propose the name or tagline options, the color palette, the typefaces and the image style
  • Build a brand guide that shows how to use the logo, colors, fonts and voice in practice
  • Review the first set of materials with you to check that the identity works across channels

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Whether you need a full identity, a name and tagline only, or a review of an existing brand
  • How much research and interviewing the specialist must do with your customers and team
  • How many channels and materials the brand guide must cover
  • Whether the identity includes a new logo, which is a separate design job
  • How many rounds of review and changes are included
  • Whether the specialist must help with launch materials or only deliver the guide

What a written quote should spell out

  • The deliverables, such as the positioning statement, naming options, palette, typography and voice guide
  • The research included, such as interviews, a competitor review and a customer survey
  • The number of review rounds and the decision points where you approve the direction
  • Who owns the brand assets and what usage rights you receive
  • Whether a trademark check is included, and who runs it

Questions to ask before you hire

  • What businesses like mine have you branded, and what changed for them?
  • How do you decide on the positioning, and how will you test it with customers?
  • Who owns the name, the colors and the fonts once I pay?
  • Will the brand guide be usable by my staff without you?
  • Will you check that a name or tagline is not already in use?
  • How many concepts will I see, and how do you make the final choice?

Red flags

  • Presents a finished identity without asking about your customers or business
  • Promises that the brand will grow sales or win awards
  • Will not give you the files and the guide after payment
  • Recommends a name without a check on existing businesses or trademarks

What you can do yourself

You can write down who your customers are, the three words you want them to think of when they see your business, and the colors and fonts you already use. Hire a brand specialist when you are starting a business, changing your name or direction, or when your materials have grown inconsistent and need a single system.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required for brand strategy or brand design. Ask instead for case studies of past brand work, references and a written statement of the rights you receive; name and trademark clearance is legal work, so check with a licensed attorney before you rely on any name.

Branding questions

What is the difference between a brand and a logo?

A logo is one visual mark. A brand is the overall impression your business leaves, including the words, colors, service and experience your customers have.

Do I need a brand guide if I am a small business?

A short one helps, even for a small team. It keeps your signs, posts and printed materials consistent, especially when more than one person creates them.

How long does a brand project take?

It depends on the research, the number of review rounds and how fast you approve each step. Ask for a timeline with the approval points before you sign.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer branding remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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