Discovery
I ask about your business. What you do, the customers you want, your competition, and what’s true about you that isn’t true about them.
Brand Strategy & Positioning
A great logo gets you noticed. A great brand gets you hired.
Your brand should attract the people you want, and turn away the ones you don’t.
The problem
People think branding is the logo.
Sure, the logo is usually the first thing people notice. On its own, that’s about all it does.
Who you’re for, what you stand for, how you’re different, and how you come across. Then how it all works together in the real world, from your vehicle to your invoices. Branding is all of that.
People make up their minds about you long before they ever reach out. You can’t stop that. You can only decide what they’re looking at.
Sound familiar?
- You don’t have a logo, or the one you have was an afterthought
- Someone asks for your brand guidelines and you’re not sure what that is
- Your truck, your shirts and your site look like three different companies
- You’ve never decided who you’re for, let alone who you’re not for
- The work you get is whatever comes along, not the work you actually want
The pieces
Everything that makes up a brand.
Not every business needs all of these pieces. Some need the thinking done and nothing else. Some already know exactly who they are and just need it to look great. Here’s the full range.
- Who you’re for, and who you’re not. The second one keeps time-wasters away.
- What you stand for. A reason to pick you that isn’t the price.
- Positioning: where you sit against the competition, and what the other options end up costing your customers.
- A written brand plan. You approve it before anything gets designed.
- Your brand personality, so everything you write strikes the right tone.
- A new name or a tagline if what you have now is holding you back.
- Colours and fonts chosen with purpose, nailed down.
- A brand guide, so the next person who touches it doesn’t wreck it.
- Print-ready artwork as needed, for cards, folders, signage and vehicle layouts. Your print shop takes it from there.
- Your logo, in every format you’ll need.
How it works
Think first, build second.
Strategy
The thinking turned into a written brand plan. Easy to hone and craft in these early stages. You approve it before we move on.
Identity
Now the logo, colour, type and the brand guide, all built on top of the strategy. The plan becomes real design.
Application
Then your brand is ready to go to work. I hand over the files and the guide, so you can carry it forward with or without me.
Principles
What you can count on, every time.
- Strategy first, always
- Questions and research before anything gets built. I’ll push back when something won’t serve you.
- Made for your customers
- Every choice is made for the people who hire you.
- In the loop, start to finish
- You’re part of the process, shown the work, and kept updated, so nothing comes as a surprise.
- Built to grow
- Made to handle whatever the business needs next, not just what it needs now.
FAQ
Answers to common questions I get.
Can I just get a logo?
Yes. Sometimes a great logo is all you need.
How is this different from hiring a logo designer?
It’s not. I design logos. But I can also do the strategy behind it, and the rest of the brand, if you want that.
What does it cost?
Quoted per project, because the range here is genuinely wide. A logo for someone who already knows who they are and what they want is a different job from building the whole brand.
How long does it take?
About a week for a logo on its own, up to a couple of months for the whole brand. Where yours lands depends on the project.
Do I need this if I already have a logo?
Maybe not. If you like your logo and it works, we’d start from there and build the rest around it. If you’d rather redo it, we can do that too. Up to you.
Do you do signage and vehicle wraps?
I provide the artwork, print-ready and set up properly. The printing, the wrap and the install go to a shop that specializes in that, and I’ll work with whoever you use.
Do I get a discount if I’m already working with you?
Yes. If you’re getting a site or a plan from me, this costs less bolted on than it does on its own.
How is this different from your copywriting service?
Branding sets the personality. The copywriting work then uses it on your pages, print and ads. One decides the voice, the other does the talking.