Are you looking to revive a brand with new ideas or looking for creative ideas on which to base a new brand? Whether you need a naming solution or visual identity, I can help you uncover and then leverage unique aspects of your business through the brand identity experience (BIX).
What you don't know about branding isn't always obvious. And, there is no shortage of suppliers ready to deliver services without attempting to improve on your knowledge. While many claim to practice branding it can be tricky to grasp what type of knowhow and how much of that knowhow is necessary, and what cost is reasonable. This also applies to top tier agencies. Knowing that good enough isn't good enough is a good start.
As with the myriad agencies that offer branding there is also an abundance of freelancers. You'd probably do well to ask yourself the following questions. Is branding their primary focus? Does a prospective freelancer have top tier agency experience? Is branding offered in addition to other services? When it comes to strategic insight and creative expressions of that insight, only a select few can deliver brand identity origination at the highest level.
At an agency level the necessary skillsets are (1) brand strategy and (2) brand identity origination. The visual aspect of branding is rooted in design but the necessary value isn't derived directly from design. For many clients and suppliers this insight is counter-intuitive. A strong emphasis on design tends to indicate a less than sufficient grasp of branding principles. It's uncommon for a single branding professional to encompass both skillsets.
Among other related descriptions, 'Brand Identity Origination' is one that I coined. It asserts me as a specialist with whom few other suppliers, including many agencies, can compete. Telling questions that might be asked are as follows. How is 'brand' distinct from 'brand identity'? How is 'branding' different from 'brand identity origination'? It shouldn't be assumed that the practice of branding indicates a supplier is sufficiently qualified to originate a brand identity.
In order to operate at scale, big brands require big brand thinking. If you have an ambition to operate at scale, you'll need big brand thinking. The earlier you engage it the better. Big brand thinking must be extensible and robust, and lay claim to a distinct personality. Big brand thinking also tends to rule out overly crafted, design-oriented and boutique aesthetics.
My skillset is best suited to business brands, rather than packaged consumer product brands. If a business is centred around a product brand, the product brand should also be the business brand; or form part of a larger ecosystems of products and services for which there is also an opportunity for me to determine the organising principles and likely business culture. The sweetspot of my skillset is B2B2C and equivalent variations.
A brand identity solution should be both different and relevant. It should have a transformative aspect that organises assets and materials, and inspires people to buy into the brand. A brand should be an emotionalisation of the value proposition because good business is all about good people.
I'm always keen to talk through branding requirements for new projects. Make a booking via the calendar and let's discuss getting to the good stuff, quickly.
