What a branding agency should be asking you

When you engage a branding agency, whether it is for a rebranding exercise or a new branding project, the agency should be asking you some important questions before establishing the brief.

If you and your agency do not go through this early stage process of questioning then you, the client, are at risk of commissioning work that may not fulfill the requirements ‘down the road’. 

By asking the right questions, right from the start and before you start, can help future-proof your brand or rebrand.

Below are a set of initial questions we made to a prospective client, before engaging with them. It is of course, focused on a specific project and client and it is edited and annotated. Comments are in brackets.  We have removed the client name and substituted with comments in CAPS.

This is an organisation that has a name and identity in place but needs a new name and identity due to a number of reasons. This is a trademark challenge and an expansion into new markets.

Scope

  1. I understand you would like us to look at naming. Attached is the framework we use to explore naming. (Here we attach our naming framework that defines the creative and exploratory ‘channels’ we undertake before domain and trademark search. Trademarks are handled by our partner Hansel Henson)

  2. I'm assuming you do not need a strategy and positioning stage? The questions below will establish if you need to consider that.

  3. Other than the name and logo/corporate identity, I have listed below a range of things that in our experience clients often request. Can you please annotate ‘Yes’ or ‘No’?

  • Core documents, if so what are they? Ideally, attach them and email them to us

  • Custom icon set

  • PowerPoint template

  • Word template or letterhead template

  • Business cards

  • Compliment slips

  • Website redesign

  • Website redesign and build

  • Email footer

  • Social media template, if so what channels and please provide us with your handles

  • HTML e-comms template

  • Animations

  • Illustrations

  • Infographics

  • Styleguide

Please list any other items...

Questions

  1. Can you supply, mission, vision and descriptors for the CLIENT?

  2. Please list the values that align with your brand perception. These might include words that describe your market, product/service perception, the outcomes of using your product/service etc

  3. What was the original thinking behind the 'PREVIOUS' name?

  4. Describe your market

  5. Describe the average decision maker/customer who will engage with CLIENT

  6. List any competitor websites

  7. What makes your product/service unique or what are the benefits against your competitors

  8. Is there a market leader in your sector?

  9. How do you usually initially engage with your customers?

  10. It would appear from your website that other 'products' and services will be developed and launched in the future, correct? Do you envisage expanding out of SECTOR*

  11. What is your budget for this project?

  12. What is your timeframe for this project? 

*This is an important consideration. Think Pimlico Plumbers who will struggle to communicate to their customer base that they do more than plumbing.

This level of questioning is of course, specific to this account, but the key point is these questions need to be asked, ideally before engagement, because our estimate and proposal will be based on the client’s response.

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