Many business owners are eager to work with marketing agencies. They can’t wait to get the word out about their products and services, and they’re ready to pour a significant chunk of the budget into their marketing efforts.
A good marketing agency can be extremely helpful in boosting a company’s profile and attracting new customers. But in many cases, business owners don’t spend enough time on branding before they reach the marketing phase. Without proper branding, the results from a marketing campaign won’t be nearly as impressive as they could be.
If you’re considering a partnership with a branding agency, you’re doing the best thing to get your company off on the right foot. Here’s a guide to the top features to look for in a branding agency to make sure you find the best fit for your needs.
Not familiar with branding agencies? You’re not alone. There are plenty of entrepreneurs and business owners who aren’t aware that there are agencies that specialize in branding, so they try to handle this task in house without the proper expertise. That can lead to disastrous results if the branding isn’t executed properly.
A branding agency, on the other hand, can make sure that a company’s brand sets the right tone for the business. You don’t want to simply slap a logo on your brand and call it a day. There’s a lot that goes into branding, and it takes the expertise of a branding agency to truly get it right.
Branding agencies are powered by marketing, creative, and communications professionals with a deep understanding of how brands work. Their goal is to develop a detailed brand for each client that customers will connect with and remember. They take the time to really understand what a company is about, including what values inform their work and who the target audience is. They develop all kinds of assets for the brand, like a logo, color palette, brand personality, style guide, mission statement, and more. All of those elements come together to make one completely unique and fully developed brand.
Now that you’re clued in to what services a branding agency can bring to the table, it’s time to discuss the top features to look for when partnering with this type of agency.
Even if a branding agency promises to deliver, they need to have the experience to back it up. Sure, you can take a chance on a brand-new agency, but that could put your own company at risk if they aren’t able to develop the quality branding you expect. Any experienced and reputable branding agency will have a solid portfolio of work they can share with you. This should detail not only examples of their creative output, but also examples of how their work
helped clients achieve their goals by boosting brand awareness. A good agency will also put you in touch with previous clients if you request references.
There’s no denying that the visual components of branding are absolutely essential when it comes to branding. If you’re thinking about working with a branding agency, be sure to inquire about their creative services. Do they have dedicated designers on staff, and what type of experience do those creative professionals have? Find out what types of design services they offer, and look at samples from past projects to see if you’re impressed with their work. Creative competence is one of the key considerations when choosing a branding agency.
Building a brand is really about understanding your audience, so it’s important to find out what type of process a branding agency uses to get to the heart of your potential customers. How do they research your target audience and your competitors? What type of data do they assemble and analyze to decide on various aspects of the branding? Which tools do they use for their research? These are great questions to have on hand when you’re talking with a branding agency about a possible collaboration.
Last but certainly not least, it’s important to seek out a branding agency with experience in your business niche. If you work in healthcare and choose a branding agency that mostly focuses on technology or finance, you may find that they don’t really understand your audience or the standard practices in your industry. Finding a branding agency that has previous experience (or preferably, a specialty) in your market can be hugely beneficial when it comes to branding success.
If you’re in the hotel and hospitality industry, Quaintise Hospitality is the perfect fit for your branding needs. With over a decade of successful partnerships with hotel, travel, and tourism businesses, we
have the niche expertise to set your brand apart. If you’d like to see some of our work, we have an extensive portfolio of past projects available for review. Find out more about what we can do for your hospitality or hotel business by getting in touch with us today.