5 Unexpected Elements That Create A Powerful Brand Identity
An iconic brand identity is proven to attract consumers, improve customer retention, and boost overall sales.
Although there are dozens of elements that create a recognizable brand, these unique elements will strengthen your brand's influence and increase sales in no time.
When it comes to your visual identity, the first thing that usually comes to mind is a logo.
Think of some of the world’s biggest brands — Apple, Coca-Cola, Disney. When these brands come to mind, their logos immediately pop into your head.
Your brand needs a similar visual identifier in order to stay in the minds (and wallets) of your audience.
But there’s so much more to your identity than a logo. In fact, an entire branding strategy needs to be in place to help establish credibility and satisfaction.
A Branding Company Brings Your Brand Identity To Life
A brand strategist works with your existing identity to create a visual moniker. This comes in the form of a wordmark, a symbol or both. Similarly, these branding agencies craft an entire identity that they infuse into all of your assets.
This increases brand awareness and ensures consumers get the same experience with your website regardless of what medium they are interacting with.
Logo design and branding studios are vital resources for your brand. They establish a solid foundation for growth and success based on the visual markers of your brand and the feelings they instill within your audience.
Top Branding & Logo Creation Services That Increase Revenue
Top branding agencies often take a holistic approach to their projects. They pitch themselves on their ability to handle a client’s brand identity in its entirety.
Still, not every client requires that kind of full-service approach. And most agencies are also flexible enough to take on smaller, piecemeal engagements if the occasion calls for it.
A Branding Company Creates An Effective Brand Positioning Strategy
The very first step in the branding process is developing a brand strategy. The brand strategy involves defining positioning, messaging, and a brand’s unique differentiating factors. The best branding and logo design firms establish this solid foundation before anything else.
Naming is one of the most fundamental elements of branding. Naming strategies may be done for brand-new businesses or those looking to pivot in a new direction. Award-winning branding firms understand the process innately.
A brand identity is far-reaching. It’s made up of a full set of assets and standards. This includes a logo, typography, color palettes, core messaging, and packaging. The top-rated logo design agencies and branding studios are well-versed in these capabilities.
They also work on repositioning strategies too. Repositioning is kind of like an identity refresh. It includes redesigning and updating any elements of the brand identity to reflect changes in the business or the marketplace.
A Top Branding Agency Can Build A Custom Logo Designs & Company Branding Campaign
This is where the agency comes up with logo concepts and logo design inspiration. Top logo design agencies work with the clients to come up with the perfect iteration for them.
Many of the biggest branding agencies can also handle package design and prototyping. This furthers a brand’s visual identity and establishes credibility.
A seamless and comprehensive visual identity is imperative. So branding studios will often create a variety of assets to ensure everything looks and feel the same for your target audiences.
What Do Branding Companies Do?
After the products or services your business sells, nothing is more important than how you present your brand to your audience. That’s why branding is such a delicate process -- ultimately, it will help define your business and influence the way consumers the world over experience your brand.
So, the stakes are high when it comes to branding, and selecting the right branding and logo design agency is equally high stakes. The right creative branding agency will understand your values and goals and use this insight to set you up for success. The wrong one will force their vision on you and may miss the mark entirely.
In trying to choose a branding agency, it’s useful to get a sense of how each one positions itself. Positioning offers clues to the company’s values and can indicate whether their philosophy and operating methodology will align with your own.
The Best Branding Company Is Committed To A Partnership That Builds A Strong Foundation For Your Business
The best branding agencies know that the path to success lies in understanding the client’s needs, goals, vision, and ethos.
Branding is an intense and involved process. It requires close partnership between agency and client, and many top agencies differentiate themselves on their ability to build and maintain such a partnership.
Through partnership comes insight, and through insight comes more informed work.
Such agencies often assign dedicated client teams, depending on the size of the project. And they will spend weeks in discovery and research to ensure they gain a deep understanding of your business and target audience.
A strong and recognizable brand identity will serve as a foundation for all future projects. Before every product launch, potential partnership or big business decision, ask yourself (or your team), "Is this on-brand?"
By answering “yes,” you’re ensuring a consistent brand identity across every platform and medium.
90 percent of consumers expect a similar brand experience across every channel.
Therefore, this consistency is the key to captivating new users and transforming them into returning customers.
Top Logo Design Companies Push The Creative Envelope
Doing great branding work requires a high level of creativity and a strong spirit of innovation. Leading branding agencies are able to cut to the heart of what a business does in order to bring their message forward in a way that is both captivating and simple. The world’s biggest creative branding agencies are interested in doing cutting-edge work.
They’re not interested in replicating ideas that have been done before. You can expect such agencies to highlight their ability to push boundaries and to demonstrate case studies of work that broke new ground.
Generally speaking, the ideal situation is to have a single firm handling your branding from start to finish. Operating this way helps ensure consistency and cohesion of all your branding elements.
Professional branding agencies and logo design studios will be able to handle all your branding needs under one roof, consolidating brand knowledge within the framework of a single team.
Smaller agencies with less experience might not have the expertise to manage every angle of the branding process. So if you’re looking for a holistic approach, keep an eye out for agencies that highlight the breadth of their service offerings.
The best branding and logo design agencies understand the need for creative minds and creative thinking. In many ways, a logo is the face of your brand, as it represents your company directly to your audience and the world.
The best logos are simultaneously complex and simple. Though this may seem like a contradiction in terms, it simply means that while visually a logo shouldn’t appear overwhelming or chaotic, the symbolism behind the icon should be complex and nuanced.
Each piece of the design should represent a core tenet of the brand. The best logo designers tap into a creative mindset to fulfill this essential part of the branding process.
Branding Agencies Know The Value Of User-Friendly Websites & Digital Platforms
Any branding agency worth its salt will have a deep understanding of, and respect for, digital marketing. Digital is an essential touchstone in the consumer’s experience of even the most traditional brands.
Top branding agencies know that maintaining digital as a key consideration in their process is crucial to the success of every project.
Look for great logo design and branding agencies that take pride in their understanding of the digital landscape. They should demonstrate a clear ability to approach a project holistically, accounting for all of the contexts in which brands may be experienced.
Although a website design and logo design may seem like two different projects, they actually go hand-in-hand. The best logo design and branding agencies work with website designers to integrate the logo and brand into a new or existing website. This results in increased conversions. An optimized web design logo establishes an engaging identity.
Proper branding on a website doesn’t just ensure the digital destination is recognizable. It also cultivates a strong user experience. Often times, logos serve as a navigational North Star, enabling visitors to quickly locate the homepage, no matter how deep they journey into a website.
24 Questions To Ask A Branding Expert Before You Hire Them
These design agencies are robust, efficient and award-winning. They offer the services that can radically transform your brand and give you the competitive edge it needs in this evolving market.
Your logo design and branding are important in capturing consumers and growing your brand. The logo and branding agencies listed in the table above have the expertise, tools and leadership to help.
- What platforms, mediums, marketing campaigns or designs will be affected by the design project?
- How do you plan on ensuring every area has a cohesive new identity? Do you have a discovery and tracking system in place?
- Will you be rolling out the new design all at once, or introducing it slowly?
- Do you have a campaign or initiative in place to introduce the new logo design or brand identity?
- How do you define branding?
- How will you evaluate our brand and determine our demographic?
- What do you think of our brand? What are we doing well and where can we improve?
- What platforms and mediums will be affected by this project?
- What is your creative process?
- What is your logistical process?
- How will you create a timeline and keep the project on track?
- Who will be my point of contact?
- What process is in place for inter-departmental collaboration?
- How often can we expect meetings, drafts, updates, and deliverables?
- Which team members will be working on our branding project?
- What is their specialty and experience?
- How much of their time will be dedicated to our project?
- What successful projects have they worked on and what was their role?
- What unsuccessful projects have they worked on and what did they learn?
- Do you charge per project or per hour?
- Who and what exactly will I be paying for with that fee?
- Do you have extra fees for meetings, additional strategy assistance, more drafts, etc.?
- What return on investment can we expect from the rebranding?
- How will you determine, measure and report on our goals?
How To Choose The Best Branding Agency For Your Business
Find A Logo Designer Who Will Help You Set Achievable Goals
Prior to approaching any design firms, take a moment and define your goals internally. Do you want extensive brand awareness or are you aching to improve click-through rates to your website?
Understanding the business objective you need to reach is the key to choosing the best branding and logo design firm for your needs.
These goals aren’t just numbers-related, though. Although the project may change as you learn more about design and meet with various agencies, go into the pitch process with an idea of what you’re hoping to see visually.
Are you unhappy with your logo? Does your digital marketing need a refresh? Would you like stronger graphic design services? The final product will always be stronger for preparing your initial wants and needs in advance.
However, as we mentioned, it is important to know what you’re looking for in an agency, an objective and an identity design, you don’t need to be married to it.
Once you sign on the dotted line and hire a design consultancy, you’ll need to trust them with big decisions that directly affect your company. So, ask plenty of questions!
These questions should run the gamut. See what their definition of branding is, or ask their honest opinion of your company, brand identity or current designs. Then, inquire about how they plan to fully understand and develop your identity and translate that to designs.
A top agency will be honest with you while offering suggestions that will also reach the goals you're striving towards, so don’t be afraid to put them through their paces for as long as it takes for you to feel comfortable or cross them off of your shortlist.
Look At A Brand Design Agency’s Graphic Design & Logo Experience
You know the saying: Talk is cheap. While many big branding agencies will be completely forthcoming, not everyone will. Don't just take them at their word.
Look at both the agency's professional portfolio and client list as well as the possible team members who will be working with your company. This will give you stronger insight into the actual designs they can create, campaigns they can execute and results they can deliver.
What’s more, don’t be put off by a campaign that performed underwhelmingly. Instead, ask the experts what they learned from that project and what they would do differently if they could do it again to see if they heeded this setback as a great learning opportunity for future clients.
After all, as Oprah Winfrey said, “Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.”
Chances are, once you hire a branding or logo design agency, you’ll be working with them closely for an extended period of time. Therefore, it’s in your best interests to learn how they work, where they find inspiration, and how often they plan to work directly with you, too.
Many agencies will be flexible with their clients' wants and needs -- some are laid back and completely trust the firm, while others want to see every draft and possible strategy.
Be totally upfront with a potential design agency regarding your expectations in terms of creation, strategy and execution. The best branding agencies will work with you to create a structured timeline and communication schedule that you feel comfortable with.
Understand A Creative Branding Agency’s Potential Return On Investment (ROI)
At the end of the day, when you enlist a great branding agency, you’re paying for design solutions and a strong return on investment -- not something as simple as a quick single symbol.
Although it may be hard to look past a high upfront cost, you need to understand the business growth possibilities before you sign a contract.
For example, a more expensive agency may result in a drastically higher ROI than a lesser firm with a lower price structure. While one may be better for your budget in the immediate future, the other could breed long-term positive results.
Do your homework, ask in-depth questions, understanding the pricing tiers and ensure you have a strong grasp of each employee's expertise and work history. Doing so will empower you to make the most informed decision that will grow your company quickly.
Top Logo Design & Branding Firms
How The Best Branding Agencies Create A Recognizable Brand Identity That Captures Consumers
The best agencies will have full-service branding and design offerings that can be customized to your personal needs. These can including logo design, brand campaigns, copywriting, messaging and more.
Good branding agencies will also offer online marketing assistance and additional branding services that will further improve business growth.
Like any agency, you need to make sure that the services that you want and the services that they provide a match. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting both your time and the time of the agency.
Communication Is A Key Aspect Of A Brand Strategy Agency
It can be difficult for companies to verbalize precisely what they’re looking for in their logo and branding, but all top logo design companies will work with the client to clearly understand their vision and act confidently in translating that vision to a final design.
Logo design projects often entail many iterations, and the best agencies possess a willingness to return to the drawing board and collaborate with the client until the logo reflects the goals and beliefs of the brand.
Open communication and the ability to be responsive to client feedback is one of the key traits to look for when searching for a new agency partner.
Strategy & Process Lay The Foundation For An Award-Winning Brand Strategy Firm
The best logo design agency for your company will have a specific process they use when it comes to custom logo design and branding. While every agency can – and will – have a different process for this type of design, it’s critical that there be a proven method for success already in place.
From concept brainstorming to rounds of design and editing feedback, the logo design process can be taxing, but a rigorous process is essential to finding the right design to symbolize your company, products, or services.
Reputable Brand Developers Earn Industry Recognition & Accolades
Winning an award doesn’t necessarily make an agency a good fit to handle your business. But it does act as an indicator of the agency’s good standing within the broader design community.
If the agency you’re considering has won awards, it means they’ve done exceptional, groundbreaking work at least once before.
Effective branding agencies that do earn accolades are likely to share them on their website and mention them in pitch meetings. They’re well aware that industry recognition helps build trust with potential clients.
New York-based branding and advertising agency, Ruckus, is no stranger to award-winning creative. They sum it up well on their website:
“Commitment to growth and client success inevitably leads to recognition. While awards are not our primary aim, we’re proud to present great work that causes others to take notice.”
The list of logo design and branding agencies above is a great place to search for your next branding partner.
A Leading Logo Design Agency Conducts Successful Brand Strategy Consulting
A Brand Marketing Firm Is Successful In Branding Your Company
As Amazon founder, chairman and CEO Jeff Bezos says: “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
A brand isn’t just a logo. It’s the way in which your consumers view your company as a whole. Many aspects go into a brand identity, including mission, core values, company culture, copywriting tone, and visual identity.
A great logo design and branding agency can help assess the most important pieces of your company, create a brand identity that conveys that to consumers and design a logo that encapsulates it all in a responsive symbol.
Marketing & Branding Companies Implement A Cohesive Digital Strategy
By utilizing a top branding company to determine a solid brand identity, you’ll set the stage for every marketing initiative to come. You do this by staying true to your company ideals.
91 percent of consumers are more likely to purchase from an authentic brand.
Therefore, maintaining this personality throughout every marketing campaign and platform is paramount.
A brand identity isn’t just for your consumers’ benefit — it’s for your company’s, too! Branding defines every aspect of your company, making it easy for businesses to determine the partnerships that their demographic might identify with, the language that permeates, and even the visuals that better content marketing campaigns.
Enlisting an award-winning branding agency to develop the perfect business logo may inform a stronger overall social media strategy.
A brand’s visual identity spans far beyond a logo design. It incorporates a color palette, typography and a standard for images and copy.
These design elements will influence campaigns, such as a specific Instagram aesthetic or email marketing newsletter messaging that matches your core values and mission.
In fact, a brand can also signify the relationship between a brand and its clients or consumers — a gap that social media bridges. Thus, defining what that contact looks like with the assistance of a team of branding experts will only improve that relationship.
A Logo Design Firm Provides Market Insights That Back Campaigns
Top logo design companies use market insights and plenty of industry research throughout their design process.
Understanding what different symbols mean to your audience, thinking about the psychology of color, and focusing on what underlying messages certain font types convey are just a few of the factors agencies consider when doing custom logo design.
Using market insights and research to ensure that the brand’s logo evokes the emotion desired is one of the ways that some of the more talented agencies will differentiate themselves.
Today, most businesses are focused on digital assets. However, when it comes to company logo design and branding, the best agencies will focus on how the assets appear offline as well as online. And they will use their data to back their reasoning.
There is a strong likelihood that the logo will need to be used in offline collateral at one point or another. While a logo designed specifically for web use may look great on a digital screen, it might not translate well to a piece of physical collateral.
The most experienced logo designers will ensure that any logo they create makes a strong impression across every form of media. They will also provide variations of the logo that can be used in different contexts.
This expertise and industry knowledge helps them craft a winning identity for your brand.
5 Ways A Well-Designed Logo Can Boost Your Business
Increases Brand Recognition
Companies that are consistently presented see three to four times more brand visibility -- and the more people see your business, the more likely they will remember you when shopping and actually purchase your product.
Proper branding allows companies to hold a strong presence across all digital platforms, and a dependable visual identity can result in a revenue increase of up to 23 percent, too.
The indoor cycling phenomenon SoulCycle presents themselves authentically across all channels. From short and snappy weekly emails to a simple custom website design to an engaging Instagram feed, each medium is filled with their primary wheel logo, iconic mantra, bold signature yellow color, and minimal sans-serif type, allowing consumers to associate SoulCycle with empowering, friendly fitness. The bold color scheme and brand guidelines allow the company to transform as-needed while staying recognizable to riders.
Gives Social Media Structure
It’s easy to dismiss social media marketing, but nearly 59 percent of consumers interact with brands on social media one to three times each day. What’s more? Visual content is 40 times more likely to be shared on social media.
But producing the right kind of imagery is key. The good news is that your logo design creates the perfect framework for your social media strategy. Use your brand style guide to create a signature color palette for your social network feeds -- which studies say make a marketing message 40 percent more effective -- and incorporate your versatile logo design throughout various images.
Men’s grooming company Harry’s promotes their brand through a cohesive blue color palette, modern product shots, and user-generated content, showing that Harry’s is a high-quality product line that consumers know, trust and love.
Improves Email Marketing
Email marketing is 40 times more effective at securing new customers than Facebook and Twitter and has the highest conversion rate. With proper branding, you can capitalize on those click-throughs to grow your business.
Email marketing reinforces your brand identity while allowing consumers to engage with the company -- something they desire to do when they consent to receive emails. And branding itself is more than just a logo -- it is the way in which consumers view your brand. Your banner images, fonts sizes, styles, and colors, and calls to action should all reflect what you present on your website design, print designs, and social media channels. This will help increase conversions while promoting the overall brand.
Need some inspiration? Clothing retailer Forever21 incorporates engaging animated GIFs, bold text that appeals to their target young demographic, and a sans-serif logo and header that resembles the menu on their website design, re-enforcing consistency and appealing to their consumers well.
Betters User Experience
Successful branding should increase customer loyalty and awareness while minimizing confusion. Studies overwhelming show that a consistent brand experience across all channels increases the likelihood that consumers will interact with it.
What’s more? Sixty percent of consumers have more positive feelings about a brand after consuming branded content from it -- and since user experience is all about cultivating positive feelings associated with your business, it seems like a strong brand is a major win for UX.
Pampers executes strong branding across their website well. Their playful logo design influences the color scheme found on their website, which caters to new and expecting mothers. The website isn’t just an e-commerce site for babies, though -- instead, the brand includes creative content marketing in the form of guides and interactive quizzes, improving the overall user experience.
Facilitates Partnerships & Collaborations
Designing a strong logo and well-defined brand allows you to place parameters around your customers wants and needs. By maintaining this structure, you can better determine professional partnerships that will breed successful campaigns.
When you’re looking for other businesses to collaborate with, industry and location don’t matter as much as your demographic. If your brands both aim for the same people with the same interests, a collaboration will likely prove fruitful.
GoPro and Red Bull have a longstanding partnership, collaborating on events and campaigns that appeal to young, athletic and adventurous consumers. Their partnership culminating in an epic 2014 Super Bowl ad called Stratos, which equipped daredevil Felix Baumgartner with a GoPro camera as we saw him jump from outer space, embodying the exciting experiences of both brands in a single ad.
A Top Branding Company Can Boost Your Bottom Line
The leading logo design agencies and branding studios can help transform your business from good to great. Through web design, logo design and identity, these firms give your brand the edge it needs to make an impact with consumers.
Visuals are important and your identity matters. It’s how consumers will decide if you’re trustworthy or not. And you want them to have full faith in you.
Whether you’re an existing brand or an up and coming business, branding is one of the first concepts your team should consider. Because bad branding is deadly to a business.
This top rated list of logo design agencies and branding companies have the tools, resources and experience your business needs to hits its goals.
