Today’s Tip
Best Practice: Before a hiring a brand agency, do your brand homework and get several quotes to hire the right agency at the right price.
Today’s Article: How to Find a Branding Agency for (SMB) Small to Medium-sized Business
When a company has budgeted $5,000 or more for branding, 50% for brand creation or 50% for brand implementation it is time to look for a branding agency. Some agencies focus just on brand development. Others focus on both brand development and brand implementation. You may hire an agency for brand development and handle the brand implementation yourself.
When looking for an agency, look for one that focuses on branding. One way to do this is to review their website. Many agencies may also do advertising, public relations, marketing and web design. Select an agency that focuses on branding. Branding is a unique skill set.
Prior to searching for a branding agency do your homework. The more you know about branding, your industry, customers and competitors it makes it easier to select the right agency to match to your needs. Also, it can lower the cost of branding when working with an agency. The more knowledgeable you are, the quicker the process can go.
After doing your homework, it is recommended to go through a RFP (request for proposal) process. A RFP process can help you find the right agency at the right price, by getting several quotes.
Request for Proposal (RFP)
A RFP is a document that a company advertises to secure bids from potential vendors for the development of a product or a business service. The RFP contains a description of what the company wants, requests a price to complete the project, references and a deadline. For example, a business may want a business name with a matching domain name, a tagline, and/or a logo. The RFP process helps a company get what they want at the best price.
There are two types of RFP processes: public and confidential.
Public RFP Process
This is for companies that do not mind having their name tied with forming a new company, product or service during the brand agency search process.
Confidential RFP Process
This is for companies that do not want their name tied with a new company, product or service during the brand agency search process. Privacy may be important for competitive reasons. The Confidential RFP Process provides privacy until you select the firm(s) you want to talk with about your project.
Action Step: 1. Before looking for a branding firm, read all the articles under the Brand Info section of this website. 2. When going through a RFP process, strive for at least 2-3 quotes.
Additional Resources
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