eCommerce the Future of Retail?
August 6, 2022
David Thompson
Updated on Thurs 4th Aug • 5 minute read
What Is a Branding Agency?
Intro
It’s not just about the logo.
When you start your business, you have a vision. You know what you want to build and how to do it. You have a plan for the future that includes growth and success, but where do you start? Brand design is one of the most important aspects of building a business, so why isn’t it always at the top of your list?
When we talk to potential clients about why they need to update their brand or redesign their company’s identity, we hear a lot of things: “We want to stand out from our competition” or “We need something more modern” or even “We want to stay relevant with millennials.” Each one of these reasons is valid and important for any business owner or manager, but there is one thing that all those statements have in common: they are about what someone else thinks about your brand.
Brand identity isn’t just about making sure people like you—it’s about making sure they understand what makes your business unique. It’s an opportunity for them to see themselves in your brand, which means they will be more likely to choose you over your competitors when they shop.
The Importance of Branding
Your business has an identity. There are aspirations, goals, a personality, values, and a backstory. But just because they exist doesn't mean people know about them. They need to experience them for themselves. That's where branding comes in. Brand design gives your business a look and feel that can be experienced. It allows the observer to come to their own conclusions about who you are—something that gives them more of an emotional connection than anything you can explain to them!
That's why it's so important for you to have a brand that stands out from the crowd. The way people perceive your brand is what determines whether or not they'll choose to do business with you—and that choice may be made in just seconds! So if you want your audience to remember what makes your business unique, then make sure the visual elements of your brand are as memorable as possible!
What if I don't have strong branding?
When you're a business owner, branding is a big deal. It's important to get it right, because your brand can have a direct impact on your sales. If your customers can't identify with, understand, or even notice your brand—meaning they don't feel like they are buying from YOU—your competitors will take over and you'll be left in the dust.
Take Tropicana as an example. In 2009, they invested $35 million in their carton rebrand project headed by Arnell. The packaging was used for their best-seller, Tropicana Pure Premium, which brought Tropicana $700 million annually. Once the new brand was on the shelves, customers began to criticise it—and not just because of how it looked! Sales dropped by 20%, and Tropicana returned to the original packaging design one month later. In total, Tropicana lost over $50 million in sales as a result of this failed rebranding attempt!
This is a chilling example of how poor branding can take your business south in a matter of weeks—and it just goes to show that when it comes down to it
What does a Branding agency do?
A brand design agency offers a range of services to develop visual and audible brand assets that help a business communicate with its audience. These can include logos, websites, digital ad creatives, billboards, TV ads, merchandise, packaging and other tangible collateral to communicate with customers and clients. Branding covers anything that helps a company communicate with its audience, from a poster in a magazine to an email template sent to customers.
Design conveys a brand's identity and elicits an emotional connection with the target audience. Brand designers use colour, shape, movement, type, imagery and animation to convey the brand's personality in a way that speaks to others.
The branding agency explained
The first thing to know about branding agencies is that they come in all shapes and sizes.
A typical agency will be made up of a team of 10-20 people and will have several departments: account management, design, digital marketing, social media, content creation, SEO and PPC.
Most agencies offer a range of services, including SEO and web design. Clients may approach an agency for a combination of services. For example, the company could need a complete rebrand with a new website to bring them up to date and maximise digital sales. The agency will also optimise the website for search engines to give the brand the best possible jumping-off point when they present their new brand to the world.
When you hire a branding agency, your project will be overseen and managed by an account manager. This person is responsible for ensuring all your objectives and wishes are communicated with the designers, and all deadlines are met along the course of the project.
Services
Brand agencies offer a range of services to guide you through the branding process, developing your brand foundations along the way, these services could include:
- Identity Design
- Brand Guidelines
- Brand Style Guide
- Brand Positioning
- Market Research
- Brand Transformation
- Tone of Voice
- Tagret Audience
Brand agencies will produce a selection of brand collateral to used based on your business needs and position, these could include:
- Logos
- Email Signatures
- Signage
- Vehicle Signage
- Packaging
- Web Design
- Letterheads
- Business Cards
- Roller Banners
- Promotional Material
- Email Templates
- Social Media Assets
When it comes to branding, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. A good agency will have experience working with a variety of different industries and will be able to provide you with a range of different solutions.
When looking for a branding agency, look for someone who can offer you more than just the basics. Look for their work online, and check out their portfolio—see what kind of projects they've worked on before, and what kind of brands they've helped grow from the ground up.
Should I use a branding agency?
If you care about your business reputation and want to build awareness in your audience, hiring a brand design agency is the right thing to do. When done properly, good brand design gives a significant ROI, but imagining this impact isn’t easy. Here are six statistics about branding that put its power into perspective:
1. A good brand can increase revenue by 300%
2. A bad brand can decrease revenue by 50%
3. A great brand can increase revenue by 1,000%
4. 90% of consumers say that they would pay more for a product with a great brand
5. Branding accounts for up to 48% of revenue in luxury goods industries such as fashion and jewelry
6. 88% of people say they trust brands that communicate clearly through their visual identity
When it comes to your brand, the right team is essential. At Sketch, we work hard to ensure that you and your agency are a good fit. We understand that communication is key to making sure the project goes smoothly, so we always make sure that our clients are comfortable with us as people before we begin working together professionally. We want you to know that you can trust us and be confident in our ability to create something great for you!
Find Out More About Brand Design
We're Sketch Creative, and we're here to help you create the perfect brand for your business.
Based in Birmingham, we've been designing brands since 2016. We work with all kinds of businesses—large and small, new and established—to help them develop their brand identity.
Check out our services page to see how we tackle brand design.
