What qualities do the best branding agencies hold?

Are you looking to find top branding agencies but unsure of what qualities you should be looking out for? How can you spot the difference between a good and bad branding agency? That’s why we’ve put together this blog of things you should be looking for when choosing a branding agency.

What is a branding agency?

Branding agencies are specialised in the services they offer. The main focus of a branding agency is to create, develop, maintain and improve brands. They will focus on brand strategy by developing or refreshing brands.

They will support your brand by developing an understanding of your business and clarifying your aims and objectives.

Why is it important to use a branding agency?

It’s important to have a brand, maintaining it, and developing and growing it. However, sometimes you can’t do this alone. This is where a top branding agency comes into it. They can help you:

• Gain a competitive advantage
• Define a robust brand communications strategy
• Increase your reach and widen your target audience.

What services does a branding agency offer?

• Building a brand identity from the ground up.
• Rebranding established businesses.
• Establishing brand positioning and messaging.
• Creating a branding strategy.
• Designing company logos.
• Formulating brand guidelines for design, style and tone.
• Mapping out a social media strategy that aligns with the company’s brand identity.
• Writing copy for websites and other digital assets that accurately reflect the brand voice.

What do I need to be on the lookout for?

When choosing the best branding agency to work with, here are some things to consider:

1. Look for a diverse branding portfolio

A diverse portfolio is one of the first things to look for when searching for top branding agencies. Branding agencies will always reassure you they are the best in your industry. A diverse portfolio is proof of an agency’s level of expertise. A diverse portfolio should show a variety of brands, tones and styles.

2. Excellent reputation

When choosing an agency, ask them if they have the right expertise to run a branding campaign in your industry. The goal is to find an agency that is able to use its expertise in your industry. They should be able to improve the messaging, design and position of your business.

3. Ask for recommendations/read reviews

The best way to find top branding agencies is to ask people you know who have used them. Ask which agencies they used and their reason for choosing them. Why did they pick that agency over a competitor? How much research did they do on the agency?

Ask them to show some examples of the work they completed. This will give you a better insight into their skills and help you decide if they can achieve your goal. We are more likely to choose an agency if someone we know has used it. Especially if they had a positive experience, we are more likely to trust it.

4. Look for proof of success

The best branding agencies will want to shout their successes from the rooftops. Find examples of their website or social media where their branding campaigns have been successful.

Look at the industries they’ve seen success in. Are any of them in the same industry as yours?

5. Follow them on social media

This is a great way to see the kind of things they share on social media. Does it interest you? Are their posts creative and inspiring? Do they have a sense of personality? If you want to work with them, you need to like what they post on social media. Following them on social media is also a great way to see their work and other brands they’ve worked with. You could also strike up a friendly chat on social media to find out more about their experience and skills.

6. Size of the branding agency

When looking for the best branding agencies, you need to make sure the size of the agency fits your needs. There are pros and cons to both big and small agencies.

Large agencies have much more experience and credibility. However, they do have a lot of clients, so you won’t be top of their priority. They may not be as dedicated to your campaign. Not to mention how expensive big agencies can be.

Smaller agencies may not be equipped to take on the workload of a large client. However, with a much smaller team and client base, they will be more focused on your campaign.

7. See how they brand themselves

Take a look at how they promote themselves. Signs of good work ethics and dedication are:

• A fast and well-designed website
• Regular and compelling written content
• Appealing visual identity across multiple channels.

If they have a company blog, it showcases their expertise and competence.

8. Good relationship

The branding agency should be an extension of your team. Make sure you have a good relationship with them, and they are a good cultural fit for your company. Agencies that have a similar value proposition to your business will likely make the branding process go smoothly.

9. Pricing

Pricing is a major factor when it comes to choosing a branding agency. Of course, the best branding agencies will charge a lot for their services. Which is fine if you have the money to pay for it. You only get what you pay for. If you go for the cheapest option, don’t expect the best results.

By investing in branding, you are investing in your entire company’s image. It’s also important to discuss payment schedules so there are no surprises during the process.

10. Don’t let location limit you

Whilst it may seem handy to choose the branding agency around the corner, this isn’t always the best solution. Just because a service is local, doesn’t mean it is better. You shouldn’t base your decision on location alone. A good agency will go the extra mile to provide a good service. This could include meeting halfway for a face-to-face meeting or regular zoom calls and phone calls.

When searching for the best branding agencies, widen your search further afield for maximum results.

11. Interview process

Once you’ve narrowed down your search to a few top branding agencies, it’s time to take the next step. You want to be sure you’re selecting the right agency. The best way to do so is to conduct an interview with your shortlisted candidates.

You should compile a list of questions to ask the branding agency. These should include:

• What range of services do you provide?
• What clients have you worked with in the past?
• How many people will be dedicated to my project?
• Do you have a portfolio of your past work?
• What kind of ROI can I expect?
• What is your current workload?
• If you miss a deadline, how does that impact my project?
• What tools and resources are used to achieve results?
• Is the team pitching us the same team we will be working with?
• How do you help brands differentiate themselves from competitors?
• Do you have any testimonials from previous clients?

Why should I be working with a branding agency?

Now you’re clued up on what to look for when choosing the best branding agencies. Why should you be working with them?

1. All experts in one location

Every good branding agency has the best minds in the industry working under one roof. These employees bring a wealth of experience. They have worked with a number of clients on various projects. They bring a great deal of knowledge with them which is beneficial to any branding campaign.

2. Consistency in branding

Being consistent is fundamental to maintaining a positive brand image. All top branding agencies know how important this is. You should keep the same social handle and colour scheme across all platforms. This is to ensure a strong easily identifiable brand. It also makes it easier for customers to find you, especially if there is another brand with a similar name. Using different handles across the various social media platforms may lead to confusion.

Consistent branding can potentially increase your revenue. Customers are more likely to use a brand that is consistent as they recognise and remember you. B2B Marketing conducted a study on this. They found it takes an average of seven interactions with your brand before a purchase is made.

3. Offer a fresh outlook

Even if you have an in-house creative team, hiring a branding agency will offer a fresh outlook on your brand. It’s hard for an internal team to be objective as they are exposed to the brand every day. Sometimes a fresh perspective can make a difference.

4. Helps your business grow

Business owners often overlook how important branding is for their business. The truth is, the brand is the face of your company. Your brand is the first thing customers will see so you need to make a good impression. You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.

5. Helps you connect with a new audience

Hiring the best branding agency with expertise in branding can help you reach out to new customers. This is only possible when your business is promoted correctly and reaches the right set of people. This is what a branding agency can do for you.

6. Separates your brand from the competition

You want to stand out from the crowd and be recognised. Take a look at your competitors’ logos and see how you can make them different. Perhaps you could use a different colour, font or icon. If your logo is similar to theirs, your brand won’t get noticed. To consumers, it’s just another brand offering the same thing. They need to be exposed to something that will catch their attention. Look at ways your brand can stand out and encourage customers to choose you over your competitors.

7. Customer loyalty

It’s true that a strong brand builds up customers loyalty. People are more inclined to use a well-known reliable brand rather than one that looks a bit suspicious. Customers feel connected with a brand that shares the same values and morals. These values should be conveyed in your brand to build an emotional connection with customers.

8. Customers are more likely to remember you

A brand is more than just a name or a logo. Branding is a unique personality that sets you apart from your competitors. You want your customers to remember you, don’t you? Top branding agencies can help you achieve this.

They know how to make you stand out from the competition and create a good impression on customers. Over time, customers become more familiar with your brand. When a customer recognises your brand over competitors, they’re more likely to choose you. This is because they trust your brand and they feel comfortable doing business with you. Once they trust you, they’re likely to stay with your brand.

We are here to help

We hope you’ve found our guide to top branding agencies useful. By now you should know exactly what to look for when choosing an agency.

If you have any other questions or want more information about the best branding agencies, please get in touch.

How to get started

Step 1: Introduce yourself

Why not get in touch with us for a chat with one of our team? We’d love to hear about your business goals and ambitions. This helps set our creative wheels in motion.

Step 2: We’ll do the research

After our chat, we’ll brainstorm how we can produce the best website for you. We’ll then go away and investigate with all our might! We’ll use all our experience and creative knowledge to make recommendations for you.

Step 3: Predictions

We know you want results, and we want to deliver them. We’ll provide our predicted outcomes so that you can make an informed decision.

Step 4: Quote

Once you give us the go ahead, we’ll provide a quote. Then comes the fun part! Our team will start creating the website of your dreams.