Ok, so you’ve decided you need to create or refresh your company’s brand. But how do you know if you’ve picked the best branding company to do the work?
And if the work they give you is any good?
After all, branding is VERY subjective. Yet your brand is one of your company’s most valuable assets. How do you, as a professional, steer your company and your management to making the best decision? Based on over 30 years of experience as a brand mechanic overseeing the transformation of brands from inside companies and inside agencies (had to oversee the redesign of the Yellow Pages walking fingers logo at one point – egad!), here’s my 7 point checklist to picking the best branding company and the best work:
- Not the best. The last.
- Is there a strategy?
- Does it deliver?
- Do people react?
- Does it pass the logo test?
- Does it walk, talk and dance?
- Is it about them or you?
You can print the 7 points above out as a checklist to keep in your drawer to evaluate any work. Here’s the details:
1. Not the best. The last.
When you are first selecting a branding company, they are going to show you their best work. Don’t fall for it. Ask to see the last 10 projects they completed. This way, you’ll get a better feel of whether they have a process to deliver good work consistently vs just get creatively lucky every once in a while. After all, all that great work they put up on their walls is going to be no help to you if your project fails.
2. Is there a branding strategy?
Branding isn’t (just) a fashion show. It’s a fairly mechanical business process designed to deliver an impression of your company in your target customer’s mind. Having a solid, clear branding strategy is the most critical element to achieving success.
So what is a branding strategy? Read More
