Brand development is expensive…
It’s a tedious question for some people, for others it comes quite easy. When you get asked for quotes on brand design and development, you should by default being in the business, know that there is no one answer, but there there is a minimum investment point. The truth is whether your client is a startup or not if they simply don’t have the money for brand design and development, they just don’t have the money. This is usually one of two things; Financially the business can’t afford it, they may need more time. Or the perception of the process, purpose, and value of brand design and development is low — not worth it, expensive.
It’s recommended that your brand development budget be a minimum of 5–15% of your total startup budget.
Some startups are funded by third parties or by the clients(s)/Founder(s) directly, it’s your job to also offer advice to the client, diagnose and prescribe a solution. If that client’s budget is $100,000 or $25,000 it’s irrelevant, well maybe not irrelevant…But what is important is this, is 5–15% of that money enough to do what they need? Is it worth anything to you or your business, financially or otherwise? You’re doing business, I usually suggest an even 20% or more, but the average is often stated to be 5–15%.
Budgets can change, things can be done in stages.
A typical startup branding package may include:
- Company or product name
- Visual identity system (e.g. logo, typography, color, supporting visual elements)
- Brand story, positioning and messaging
- Website
- Additional brand materials (e.g. business cards, signage, brochures, social media, etc.)
All too often you may end up with a startup that can only pay for the logo alone, by that I mean the actual symbol/mark and nothing more. This means they did not budget properly or they simply don’t have the money for full development. In most cases they simply don’t know how to budget for brand design and development, as far as they are concerned, they are paying for a good looking graphic and some pretty add-ons — a popular, but narrow view of brand design and development — they simply don’t think they need to spend a certain amount of money, this is not only a lack of value for what you do but also a lack of value for their own brand (a brand may have been formed based on company success and popular public association with offerings).
Brand design and development is an investment, therefore it should reveal results, invest in it properly. If the money is not there, use what you have to get what you can, and perhaps get educated on the creative processes, save what you have towards the goal of making the right investment.
Brand Design and Development as a process, that aims to define what is already there, it brings clarity and structure to a company’s internal and external communication. It asks delicately complicated questions while remaining simple in its intent.
I hope this helps as a reference point for both clients and creative professionals.
