When creating a brand to relaunching an old brand, it is important to keep in mind that your brand is more than a logo and the brand colors, but rather it is comprised of the values you hold as a brand, your vision, your mission, your brand promise, your brand archetype, personality – all of these are what help develop the core foundations of the brand. These foundations are used to determine the brand positioning, tone of voice, how to communicate internally as well as derive the physical identity of the brand, which is then followed through in all brand communications externally such as websites, brand collateral, social media, and other marketing purposes.
These elements are all part of a brand strategy, which helps you build your brand from the ground up and can be used to identify what your brand will represent in the market, who it is talking to, and how it will be the most effective and impressionable brand in its industry.
Before we go into details about what to look for in a Branding Agency, we must understand what a Branding Agency does. A Branding Agency’s purpose is to create a plan, measure the initiatives for the companies and to communicate how a brand’s value is unique to prospective customers and competitors. Through branding, the agency will work in naming, messaging, positioning, and the identity as a whole. The positioning of the brand in customers’ minds helps them in deciding why they would choose one business over another – a brand presence and customers’ perception by the target audience is a major deciding factor on how current and potential customers interact with your brand.
There are many agencies in the market that promise to help a business rebrand, but before choosing to work with an agency that offers this service, it is important to look at to look at the following to determine which Branding Agency is the best in Saudi Arabia that can actually offer branding/rebranding services that follow true market practices that will result in the formation of a sustainable brand:
- Look for a diverse branding portfolio: a diverse portfolio means they have worked across the board and are experts of working with brands in various industries and can be a deciding factor if they can work with your business as well. A wide ranging portfolio provides a deeper look into the agency’s creativity spectrum and reveals the different types of tones, styles, and identities they are able to create. Ask for an example of a brand they had worked on and launched that also is within the same industry as yours and how they manage to communicate the brand across various media channels and platforms.
- Look for Branding Reputation: this is more about understanding if the agency you are interested in working with has an understanding of your industry rather than being an agency that shows expertise in only a niche industry and would not be able to deliver on your expectations.
- Regular Communication: it is important to be on the same page as your agency as they are the ones who will go through the lengthy process of creating your brand for you, so it is important they are aware of exactly what it is you are looking for and it is important for you to be aware if the agency is headed in the right direction. The communication goals should always be collaborative, instructive, and proactive and should lead to a thorough explanation of long-term goals, short-term expectations, and breakdown of how the agency’s team plans on meeting them. A branding agency should feel like they are an extension of your team while working on your brand.
- A well-defined branding process: one of the most important question to ask a branding agency is how will they help your brand differentiate itself from its competitors. A well-defined research-based approach will show you how the agency has been able to achieve success in their previous branding campaigns, the strength of their strategy, and the effectiveness of their execution. A well-defines process makes it easy to follow the steps and craft a strong brand, with a compelling story, and effective messaging to authenticate your brand.
- Look for Overall Investment not just Cost: essentially, what you pay for is what you get. A branding agency will understand your business and with the team of experts will be able to build a successful brand. Branding agencies that work with you to craft your messaging will be clear about their processes and will price their services accordingly and are more likely to be successful in the long run. The cost is a small price to pay when building a long-lasting relationship and brand – look at the bigger picture and be clear about what you expect in return.
- A Well-defined scope of work and contract: this is the final step after you have decided on the agency you want to work with. Ideally, you want to work with an agency that will help you plan for long-term success, and in order for that to happen a clear scope of work, expectations, and deliverables from both sides need to be defined. Once these are defined, a contract is drawn up which states clearly what is expected from both parties to avoid any confusion or disruption in the work flow moving forward.
- At Perpetual Agency, we work with a defined branding structure to ensure our clients’ requirements are clearly defined and we inform them of how we will approach their branding. We start by sitting with the client through a very detailed branding workshop, followed by industry research, creation of an in-depth brand strategy, competitor analysis, creative moodboards, all of which are used to create the perfect brand for our client. We are creatives who seek to deliver the best results to our clients and build brands that we and our clients can be proud of and will be prominent members of their industry.
