What Are Tips for Working With a Branding Agency?
To help you navigate the complexities of working with a branding agency, we’ve gathered insights from twelve top executives and marketing professionals. From embracing your “Brand-ishing Friend Forever” to choosing a branding-specialist agency, these leaders share their best tips for a successful collaboration. Dive into their expert advice to enhance your brand’s potential.
- Embrace Your “Brand-ishing Friend Forever”
- Trust Data-Driven Decisions
- Communicate Clearly and Concisely
- Define Your Brand Personality Upfront
- Research to Find the Right Fit
- Collaborate, Don’t Just Hire
- Ensure Consistency Across All Touchpoints
- Leverage Industry Expert Insights
- Trust the Branding Experts
- Maintain a Balance of Involvement
- Be Open to Innovative Ideas
- Choose a Branding-Specialist Agency
Embrace Your “Brand-ishing Friend Forever”
When working with a branding agency, my top tip is to treat them like a new BFF—”Brand-ishing Friend Forever!”
Data shows that clear communication is key. In a recent survey, 85% of companies saw better results when they shared their brand vision openly with the agency. Don’t be shy; spill the beans about your dreams and goals!
Now, for a real-life example: Picture this—our team and the agency had a brainstorming session over coffee and doughnuts. We clicked like two puzzle pieces and hatched an awe-inspiring brand identity, boosting sales by a whopping 30%. Remember, humor and camaraderie make the branding journey delightful! So, embrace your “Brand-ishing Friend Forever” and watch the magic unfold!
Himanshu Sharma
CEO and Founder, Academy of Digital Marketing
Trust Data-Driven Decisions
As a branding agency, we can confidently say that a brand needs to loosen its grip on subjective opinions. A qualified branding agency will have data to support their decisions. Too often, brand owners and managers believe so strongly in their views that they are unwilling to let the data do the work. Don’t be that person.
Jason Vaught
Director of Content, SmashBrand
Communicate Clearly and Concisely
I have worked with many branding agencies in the span of 10 years, and the most important tip that has always worked for me is being clear and concise about my demands and their offerings.
It is very important for everyone to attempt to be as clear and concise as possible in all of your written and verbal communications while dealing with branding agencies. Before hitting that send button, reread everything you’ve written to make sure you have left nothing out and that you haven’t added irrelevant information.
The more effectively you can communicate with your agency, the more efficiently your campaign will run.
Harman Singh
Director, Cyphere
Define Your Brand Personality Upfront
When working with a branding agency, my best tip would be to clearly define your brand personality and values from the start. This will ensure that the agency understands your vision and can effectively communicate it through their work.
One common example of how to do this is by creating a mood board that incorporates not just visual elements, but also music, scents, textures, or even flavors that reflect your brand’s essence. By involving multiple senses, you can provide a more holistic understanding of your brand to the agency, allowing them to create a cohesive and impactful branding strategy that resonates with your target audience.
Steve Dinelli
Founder, MarketerInterview.com
Research to Find the Right Fit
Research is important when working with a branding team, and you need to find one that’s a good fit.
You need a team that listens to your wants and needs, but also gives you their professional advice on how to execute the best plan for your business.
Branding is not just about a pretty website. It’s your business identity and how potential customers will see you and recognize you.
For that reason, you need to work with a company that can explore all the options and find the best way to showcase your business voice, mission, and values.
Robert Burns
Marketing Director, Oxygen Plus
Collaborate, Don’t Just Hire
I suggest thinking of the branding agency more as a collaborator than a vendor. Collaborate with them closely, exchange ideas, and encourage open dialogue.
During the creative phase, your team’s suggestions and opinions are crucial. Prepare to provide constructive criticism of the agency’s thoughts and designs. Sincere comments will assist in refining and shaping the final deliverables to meet your expectations.
Gerrid Smith
Chief Marketing Officer, Joy Organics
Ensure Consistency Across All Touchpoints
I believe that good brand identity should be consistent across all touchpoints. Collaborate with the agency to ensure that the branding elements are consistent and flexible for different uses, such as digital and print media. Think about how the branding strategy will evolve over time. Aim for a timeless strategy that can endure trends and evolve with your company as it expands.
Tom Miller
Director of Marketing, Fitness Volt
Leverage Industry Expert Insights
One valuable approach when collaborating with a branding agency is actively embracing industry experts’ insights.
By leveraging their extensive knowledge and experience, you can gain invaluable perspectives that contribute to the success of your branding efforts. Experts deeply understand market trends, consumer behavior, and effective branding strategies. Their recommendations offer a strategic advantage, helping you navigate the competitive landscape and make informed decisions.
By attentively considering their suggestions and implementing them into your branding initiatives, you can enhance your brand’s visibility, establish a strong identity, and effectively engage with your target audience. The valuable expertise provided by professionals in the branding field empowers you to align your brand with industry best practices and create a lasting impact.
Joe Acosta
Digital Marketing Manager, BBQ Galore
Trust the Branding Experts
We recently went through the entire rebranding experience, and it was eye-opening. Listening to the company and their people you select is crucial; they are the branding experts and they know what they are doing. If you think you know how to do branding, then do it yourself; otherwise, let the people you hire do the job you hired them to do.
In one of our early meetings, a question about how they came to a conclusion was asked. Their response made it clear that they know way more about this than I do and that I should let them do their jobs.
Ben Walker
CEO, Ditto Transcripts
Maintain a Balance of Involvement
Working with a branding agency requires a balance between keeping a distance and getting involved. Open-minded collaboration is the answer to finding this balance.
The first thing to remember is that when hiring a branding agency, it’s essential to respect their experience and expertise in the field and give them the freedom to make decisions. This requires you to maintain a distance and control your urge to micromanage the process.
On the other hand, you must also be willing to contribute to the process and guide the agency where required, so that you achieve your branding goals.
Ariav Cohen
VP of Marketing and Sales, Proprep
Be Open to Innovative Ideas
When you’re partnering with a branding agency, be open to fresh and innovative ideas. Sure, it can be a little scary to step outside your comfort zone. But hey, that’s often where the magic happens!
Branding agencies are full of creative minds who see the world from different angles. They might offer suggestions that, at first glance, seem a little unexpected or unconventional. But remember, these are the experts who understand trends and know what it takes to make a brand memorable.
They wouldn’t suggest something without believing it could work. So, don’t shy away from trying something new. Who knows? The next big idea they share could be the one that rockets your brand to new heights. Trust their creative process, and let the magic happen. You might just be amazed by the outcome.
Irina Poddubnaia
CEO, Founder, TrackMage
Choose a Branding-Specialist Agency
Find a branding-specialist agency, not a “full-service” agency that also does branding.
Too many marketing agencies refer to themselves as “full service.” Which is, in and of itself, counterintuitive. Unless the agency has 200+ staff, it can’t possibly have enough specialization in-house to offer a “full service,” or even, the majority of marketing services.
It’s much better to find a small marketing team that specializes in one really clear specialization. In this case, a small team of branding specialists working at a branding-specific agency.
Sam Jacobs
Co-Founder, GrowRoom
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