At the time this article was written, a search for “Los Angeles branding agency” turned up about 56 million results. And that’s a real problem.
Branding is a serious project, whether you’re crafting your brand for the first time or undergoing a rebrand. You’re putting the future of your business in the hands of someone else.
Your brand influences how your customers see you. How your employees see you. Ultimately, an excellent brand should reflect how you see yourself.
Choosing a branding agency means you’re choosing a partner, a guide, and an expert. It shouldn’t be an easy choice. But it should be clear.
Which of those 56 million results can you discount immediately? Who should you schedule a call with? Who’s worthy of helping you shape or reshape your brand, and how do you know?
Flux has helped companies all over the world to craft their brand. Today, we’ll be helping you understand what made our Los Angeles branding agency the right fit for these companies – and whether we can help you, too.
How to choose a branding agency that’s a perfect fit
Company rebranding is a complex task. When you hire a branding agency, you’re starting a relationship with a partner that can help you handle that task down to the most minute details.
So, like any partnership, choosing your Los Angeles branding agency will require excellent communication.
You’ll need to communicate well internally, efficiently scope out potential agencies, and know how to choose someone once you’ve short-listed companies.
These three pillars of communication are the difference between a project that runs smoothly and one you’ll need to shell out the cash to do over within a year, so let’s go through them in a little more depth.
Review the project internally
Whether you’re looking for a Los Angeles branding agency or considering options from anywhere, you’re going to encounter variety.
Branding agency services can cover everything from customer and market research to creative work and brand launches. Depending on your unique position, not all of these will be a fit for your brand.
Reviewing your needs internally – before you even schedule a call with an agency – will help you determine which services you’re looking for.
You’ll also need to review your budget. Branding is an investment in the health and future of your business, and that’s how you should review your budget line for a branding project. You’re investing in something, and a wise investment will pay off.
It’s important to have a sense of your budget, and also to be realistic with your agency. If you need a light refresh or a full rebrand will change the amount of work required, and an exact quote will depend on your needs.
Prepare for interviews
If you’re looking at an experienced branding agency, getting that quote will be an involved process. Great branding agencies don’t pull numbers out of thin air. They take time to go over your wants and needs, where your brand is, and where it’s going to give you a unique quote.
Hiring a branding agency takes time and communication. Block off time in your calendar, make space in your research for meeting with agencies, and have questions ready to go.
The quote is just one of a series of questions you’ll want to ask a branding agency. You’ll also want to ask questions like:
- Do you think we can or should accomplish all this in one project?
- What’s your area of expertise? Does that mesh with the goals of this project?
- How can we contact you with questions or concerns if we decide to move forward?
And chances are that the agency will use this time to interview you, too. If they didn’t, you wouldn’t be setting yourselves up for success. They’ll probably ask about your current brand, the overall health of your company, and whether you’ve worked with agencies before.
Be honest with the agency you’re speaking with at the moment. Effective brands are built on effective communication, and that can’t happen without honesty and trust on both sides.
The better you can get to the heart of what you need from your agency, the better you’ll be able to determine whether it is the right fit.
Ask about their methods and successes
Flux Branding IDEA Method
Once you’ve established the trust that would land a Los Angeles branding agency on your shortlist, it’s time to dig a little deeper.
What gives that agency the unique ability to deliver a brand that’s just right for you?
First and foremost, you’ll need to understand their method. If an agency you’re looking at working with doesn’t have a method, proceed with extreme caution. Methods and frameworks allow agencies to deliver consistently great results.
Flux uses our unique, proven IDEA Method to craft brands from start to finish. “IDEA” stands for Ignite, Distill, Energize, and Activate – and each phase hones in on something specific that all great brands need.
The IDEA Method allows us to build the components of a brand step by step, creating authentic brands that stand out in the marketplace.
Once you know the Los Angeles branding agency you’re speaking with has a method, ask to see it in action. Great agencies will have plenty of successful rebranding examples to review.
This could also be a time to ask the agency what happens when things don’t go according to plan. This will give you insights into what a day in the life of working with them is like.
Find a Los Angeles branding agency you can trust
Your brand is the lifeblood of your company, and anyone you trust with it should understand the gravity of that.
At Flux, we are honored to guide brands on their journey of transformation. Change can be scary, but it’s the only way forward. We believe so much in the power of change, we named our company after it. While finding the right Los Angeles branding agency might feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, it’s all about finding the right fit. If you’re ready to take your brand from now to next, we’re ready to talk.
When you’re ready to start a project with us, just get in touch. We’re honored to be part of your brand’s journey.