With the broad range of branding talent and array of portfolios with creative, impeccably designed work, selecting a branding agency to hire is a challenge. The Vancouver brand-scape is vast, with more options worldwide just a mouse click away.
Here’s the thing: you don’t want to hire an excellent branding agency. You don’t even want to hire an award-winning agency. You need to hire a branding partner who is the right fit for your company.
To help you shortlist your search, here are a few options you’ll want to cross off the list:
•graphic design firms;
•interactive/web firms;
•marketing groups or advertising agencies; or
•any others who mention branding in the array of services on their website.
If they don’t say that branding is their expertise, what they live and breathe for, then that company is not the one you want to invest thousands with to develop your brand.
Branding is its own specialty. Branding experts understand how to guide you through a methodology to uncover the unique elements that make up your company. They know how to listen for the little nuggets – in sometimes seemingly unimportant discussions – that will turn into gold.
Branding is less about getting people’s attention and more about inviting them to develop a relationship with you.
A branding partner who engages your team in a collaborative process will have greater success building an authentic brand that will establish the trust and faith in potential client relationships.
The “right fit” is likely obvious, but it is worth mentioning that the journey to creating, or recreating, your brand is not for the faint of heart; it’s a lot of hard work and deep company soul-searching.
Once you have a short list of potentials, follow these tips to help you find the right partner:
Define your current challenges with your brand and what you want to achieve. If you are starting from scratch, find examples of brands you love and be able to articulate why.
If you are revitalizing your existing brand, outline what’s working, what’s not and where your current brand is causing pain in your organization and blocking revenue generation. Use this information as a jumping-off point for your first conversation with prospective partners.
Don’t judge a firm by its portfolio. A big mistake is to put too much weight into a firm’s portfolio. A great logo and business package in a portfolio is only a very, very small piece of developing a great brand.
Design is also personal. What looks good (or bad) to you will not tell the real story of how effective the brand was at achieving the goals of the company it was designed for.
Ensure they have a solid methodology. Ask the agency to share their methodology and walk you through the process of how they’ve delivered results for their clients. Since they’re the experts, let them drive the process and reveal their talents. Pay close attention to how well they educate you and the energy with which they deliver their goods. This will be a great example of what it will be like to work with them.
Check the results – interview their clients. This is the critical step. One you have short-listed one or two firms, ask to speak to their clients.
This is where you’ll find out if that beautifully designed logo and package you loved aligns authentically with the company’s core elements and if that brand drives results for the business. Also, ask how invested the firm was in getting to know the company and developing a relationship with its people.
Go lateral. Some recommend seeking out an agency that has experience in your industry. I disagree. Now, more than ever, your brand must stand out from your competitors; bringing in talent and expertise with an outside view can infuse innovation, new ideas and great results.
Go with your gut. Buy from people you know, like and trust. That gut feeling, it’s always right. •
