You’ve decided you’re ready to transform your business with a beautiful brand (or rebrand) and you’ve budgeted for the investment. The next step is finding an agency you adore. Truth be told, there are tons of branding agencies out there – and with the vast majority available to work virtually, the possibilities are endless.
Here are six questions to ask yourself when you’re considering hiring a branding agency.
Do you love their work? Reviewing an agency’s portfolio is a logical first step, as you obviously need to find their work swoon-worthy! Does their portfolio align with the type of brand identity, logo, website and blog you want to create? Look also for diversity in their portfolio: a strong agency will have a variety of work that aligns with their various clients’ needs and tastes. While every designer tends to have a style, I do think it’s important to see varying aesthetics represented – soft, modern, traditional. If you aren’t sure whether an agency can accommodate you, ask! Some designers are eager to switch things up and be challenged.
Do they handle their own development? Nothing can bog down a project more quickly than having to outsource web development. Absolutely there are some wonderful developers out there; however, in our experience, nothing beats having someone in-house to handle quality control, questions and customer support.
Are their clients raving about their work? A great agency should have testimonials on their website. Be sure to double-check those testimonials by clicking through to their clients’ sites so that you can review the work firsthand.
Are they active on social media? I hate to say it but there are some not-so-nice people out there. One way to gauge how much a company cares about its clients is by checking out its social media accounts. Do their clients like and comment on their posts? Does the company take time to interact with its fans and followers? That’s a pretty good sign that they are passionate about their business (and their clients!) and that others believe in what they’re doing.
Do you feel comfortable with their process? A professional agency will always emphasize contracts, deposits, project timelines and response times. If the company you’re considering is slow to answer questions and doesn’t want to secure your working relationship with a contract and deposit, you could end out losing in the end.
Did you feel comfortable when you spoke on the phone or Skype? Personality is an important factor as well. You’re going to be working closely with this person for the next few months. It should be someone you actually look forward to communicating with, and whom you feel understands your work and your approach.
Taking time for this kind of due diligence will help you identify a branding agency who not only will create a brand you love, but will make the process a pleasure from beginning to end. And, of course, we’d love to be that agency for you – please don’t hesitate to contact us if you’re considering branding for your business!