Clients come to us at various stages of their development- maybe your starting out, hitting your stride, or need a little revival- but when it comes to hiring a creative agency to take the reigns, it’s important to understand and consider a few things before you put pen to paper.

BUDGET

The first thing to consider when hiring a creative branding agency is budget.  No matter your aesthetic, style, or industry, hiring a team of experts comes at a cost.  If you’ve not been budgeting and saving for your next steps, DIY might be the best option.  From Canva to Shopify to Etsy- if you’ve got the time, but not the money, this may be the best bet.   These platforms are more about addressing the technical needs of your business, and consider the uniqueness and design secondary.

We believe custom is key.  Custom design provides you with a unique brand and customer experience inspired by your story, products, services, and messaging.  We spend time understanding what you do, and what you’re about, and create a concept and personality for your brand unlike anything you’ve seen before.  We prepare you for your next steps, sometimes before you see them.  We are designers, marketers, and developers.

AESTHETIC

What’s your style?  What are your design preferences?  Understanding what you like is often times difficult to articulate with words, so we suggest creating a mood board, or honestly, simply collecting imagery so you can share examples.  

When looking a branding agency, sometimes it’s more than meets the eye.  When reviewing if the agency aesthetic fits yours, review their portfolio for not the way it looks, but they way their team interprets and brings to life a brand.  Often times, a branding agency gets known for a look.  If you stumble across one, it’s important to realize that your final product might look just like another one of their clients, so are you going to be memorable.  Review a portfolio and count how many times you think “I’ve never seen anything like that” or “whoa, that’s crazy cool!”.

At Brand Engine, we love stories and your passion fuels our design.  From the beauty and spa industry to hospitality and restaurants to e-commerce to government contractors and construction companies, we provide a unique perspective that amplifies who our clients, not us.

YOUR GUT FEELING

When you know, you know.  When you get to the narrowed list and you interview your potential creative branding partners, trust your gut.  If they can’t answer your questions or respond with the information you need, next.  But more than just having the right answers and examples, be sure you’re getting into a relationship with someone you want to spend time with.  Be sure to note your comfort level in conversation, your trust level in their abilities, your willingness to share the nitty gritty details of your business.  

Our client relationships tend to be ongoing, many of them lasting years, and we consider you our client first, but as a friend, is a close second.  We want open communication that goes both ways, is honest, and always comes from a place of lifting up.  

TIMELINE

Simply stated, because everything is custom, agency work tends to take a bit longer.  It’s like fast food vs chef cuisine.  Think about how frustrating it is waiting 5 minutes for street taco vs the anticipation of waiting an hour for just a table at that restaurant you saw on Chef’s Table.  

In all honesty, most initial projects should take 4-6 weeks from start to finish, once you get seated.

Maybe it’s us, maybe you go with someone else- whatever the case, be sure you consider all the ins and outs of bringing on a creative branding agency to help grow your business.  It’s a big decision, we get it.  Have question?  We’ve got answers.  Contact us if you’re ready to get cranking!

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