How Much Should Branding Cost?
So you're thinking about giving your business a ‘brand’ spanking new makeover.
But how much will it set you back, and how do you know if it’ll be worth it?
Well, get ready to discover the price tag of turning your business into a memorable brand with this comprehensive blog on “how much does branding cost?”
Brace yourself, because the cost of branding can vary depending on a multitude of factors, such as the size and scope of your business, as well as its unique needs.
Whether you're a scrappy startup, a small business, or a fortune 500 company, we've got you covered.
Our benchmark pricing guide will take you through the costs of branding for all kinds of businesses, from the underdog to the industry giant.
So, grab a cup of coffee, put your feet up, and let's dive into the world of branding costs.
And if you're looking for a customized quote, don't hesitate to reach out to us directly.
We're here to help bring your brand to life!
Looking for all the answers but don't know where to start?
Branding Prices Can Vary
It’s tricky to say exactly how much branding should cost, as the price can vary from business to business.
It all depends on the scope of your project; if you want a full rebrand with logo design, website development, and copywriting services, that’s going to be more expensive than simply getting a logo designed.
Additionally, the price of branding services can depend on the agency you choose to work with; some branding agencies are more expensive than others.
Do Your Research, Shop Branding Agency Pricing
To get a better idea of how much your startup branding project should cost, it’s important to do your research.
Read reviews and compare rates from different companies. This will help you find the right agency for your budget.
Budget Accordingly
When you’re deciding how much to spend on branding, it’s important to keep an eye on your budget.
Make sure that whatever you decide to invest in a branding project is something that makes sense for your business’s bottom line.
If you’re getting ready to launch a new business, for example, it might make sense to spend more money on branding than if you’re just trying to give your existing brand a refresh.
Remember the Long-Term Benefits
Ultimately, investing in your brand can be well worth it in the long run.
How much does brand strategy cost?
The cost for brand positioning strategy at The Branded Agency is $5,500 USD.
Brand strategy is the core of your brand.
It involves researching, strategizing and planning out what makes your company unique and setting goals to ensure that message is communicated clearly.
This can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands depending on the scope and complexity of the project.
How much does brand identity cost?
Your brand identity is the visual representation of your company, its values and mission.
This includes logo design, web design, packaging design and much more.
Branding cost for identity design can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands depending on how in-depth you go with the project.
Would you like to see our brand identity pricing?
The Branded Agency offers a complete brand identity package called “Brand in a Box” ranging from $4,999 USD for a mini brand in a box to more than $25,000+ for a large custom package.
How much does branding cost for small business?
Small business branding projects can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand depending on the project size and requirements.
How much does branding cost for large businesses?
Large businesses will usually require a more complex and in-depth approach to their branding and will often need to invest tens of thousands of dollars into their brand identity.
How much does brand management cost?
Brand management is the art of maintaining your brand’s image and positioning in the market.
This includes marketing, advertising and public relations services.
The cost of this can vary depending on how much you need to invest in these areas.
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However, one thing is for sure: you should never cut corners when it comes to branding.
After all, this is what is going to help you stand out from your competition, and ultimately drive more customers to your business.
Keep reading for pricing on: logo design, brand guidelines, packaging, brand strategy and other commonly sought after branding jobs.
So if you’re looking for a branding service that is affordable, but still high-quality, it’s important to do your research and find a provider that can meet all of your needs.
And with the right professionals on your side, you can be sure that your business will make a big splash in no time!
The Branded Agency is a boutique branding agency, our team collectively has more than 100+ years of creative and branding experience and have created and rebranded hundreds of brands.
Branding projects with The Branded Agency typically ranges from $5,000 - $25,000+ depending on the scope of work. Later on in this blog post, we will share some specific pricing estimates and examples.
With so many branding agencies out there, it can be difficult to decide which one is the right fit for you.
There are many factors that go into determining how much branding will cost for your business, including the size and scope of your branding project, the quality and experience of the branding agency you work with, and whether or not you need any additional branding services.
A strong and recognizable branding strategy can help you carve your own niche in the market and make you stand out from your competitors.
Investing heavily into building such a powerful brand identity has had its advantages for many companies over the years.
Those with established brands consistently outperform their peers on average, meaning they are more likely to be successful than businesses without any kind of cohesive branding.
While most people know what logos represent (think big names like Nike or Coca-Cola), crafting an effective brand image involves much more than just choosing brand colors and slapping them onto everything from napkins to billboards.
Quite frankly, it takes a lot more work than that.
It’s a bit like setting up a good Tinder profile.
It’s not enough to have pictures that make you look fine as hell.
If you want quality customers that stay with you for life, you need more substance in your story and a better communication plan.
Great branding is all about how you look, what you CONSISTENTLY say and do.
But is it really worth investing in?
(Spoiler alert: yes, yes it is.)
In fact, a business’s branding goes beyond that. Branding done right can make a positive impact on your BOTTOM LINE.
Let’s take the example of cars.
Toyota is famously known for making cheap, reliable cars.
It won't matter what bells and whistles you add to it - you probably won’t find anyone who is willing to pay over $100,000 for one.
Now swap that Toyota logo for a Lexus on the same car, and suddenly we have a bargain. Prospects are happy to pay the price.
This isn't hypothetical either.
The Toyota Camry and Lexus ES are similar cars (same maker and all), yet the Camry starts from $25k, and the Lexus ES can be bought from $40k.
Branding is the art of crafting how potential customers perceive your company in a way that will get them interested enough to get to know you a little better.
Your brand identity and brand personality come from what people know about you - not just how great that logo looks on a coffee mug!
Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all answer, but today at The Branded we'll provide some numbers and price ranges that can help guide you into thinking and calculating out your own branding costs.
Make sure to contact us so we can discuss further! We are a Digital Marketing Agency that can help you grow your business at affordable rates.
Budgeting For Branding:
New vs. Established Business
Let’s get this out of the way: Branding costs can vary.
Branding agencies can quote you anywhere between $25,000 to $100,000+ (and above), and this may not even be for the full suite of branding items.
On the other hand, a freelancer on Fiverr or Upwork might charge you just $500 for a logo design (of course, there’s no guarantee it won’t come out looking the best... but it’s a start)!
Shania Brenson of 15M Finance brand says, “Branding is a crucial aspect of any business or organization as it helps create a distinct identity and emotional connection with customers. Implementing the brand across various touchpoints, including physical locations, digital platforms, and social media, might require additional efforts and costs.
How much should your company spend on branding?
The sequence and process of creating a brand.
If you’re a new company, here are a few things that you might think to include in your process of branding:
Branding Packaging Pricing
The cost for packaging design from a branding agency will range, hiring a freelancer might be cheaper, costing you anywhere from $500-$1,000 for the entire design process, per package. However, if the freelancer is inexperienced you may have issues when it comes time to print. Packaging design from an established branding agency that specializes in print usually starts at $5,000 USD per packaging design, an entire packaging design system may run upwards of $10,000.
Brand Identity Package Price
Your visual brand identity system includes logo design, color palette, typography, iconography, shapes, patterns and applications. The cost for a branding specialist or agency can be costly, but it’s important not to skimp on the investment. A good branding system will give your company a boost in credibility and help you establish your brand as one that customers can trust.
If you’re starting out with a new business and are still on a shoestring budget, you could get a job like this done on Fiver or Upwork for $1,000 - $2,500 or, you could get it done with an experienced branding agency for $10,0000 - $20,000 and for larger companies that are looking to rebrand, the cost for this is much more, upwards of $50,000 - $250,000+ for medium to large companies.
How much does a brand guide cost?
A brand guide, style guide or branding guidelines will range in pricing depending on the depth of the guidelines. You could do a basic style tile in FIGMA and the cost for that may only be $1,000, or, you could do a 3-4 page style guide for $1,500, but, if you want detailed guidelines that include up to 60+- pages of branding guidelines the cost will range from $5,500 - $15,000+ typically brand guidelines like this are useful for companies with a marketing department, Solopreneurs and young entrepreneurs that are just starting out don't need brand guidelines with this much depth.
Brand Development Cost
Brand development costs will vary depending on the services you need for your brand - for example, brand positioning, logo design, packaging design, website design and development, social media strategy for a startup or small business may cost you $20,000+ and for a more established business the cost for all of these services may be upwards of $50,000+
How much should a freelancer charge for branding?
Are you a young graphic designer that's just getting started and don't know how much you should charge for services like logo design, packaging design, brand book and other branding services?
The best advice we can give you is to take the time to review your competitors on Upwork, Fiverr, Dribbble, Behance and look at the pricing they charge for the work delivered to the client.
It's important that the quality of your work is in alignment with marketing pricing for that level of work. You don't want to under charge clients, but, you also don't want to over charge clients either.
You could charge $250 for a logo on these platforms, or, you could charge $2,500+ it depends on your experience, skill level and the type of clients you are going after.
At The Branded, we offer a full suite of branding services to our clients.
Here are the starting price points for The Branded Agency's standard deliverables.
How much does Brand Naming cost?
At The Branded Agency, we charge a minimum fee of $3,500 USD, for a more complex naming process that may have specific requirements that could include international trademark research and social media name availability.
The deliverables for this include research, strategy, exploration of lexical names, invented names, descriptive names, and Evocative names.
We do trademark research for the names we present to our clients, the top 6 names will also include domain pricing and availability, ranking, SEO, and a likeability score.
How much does Brand Strategy cost?
At The Branded Agency, we charge a minimum fee of $5,500 USD if you require in-depth research and analysis and a detailed report there are additional fees.
How much do Brand Concepts cost?
Brand Concepts allow us to explore options for your visual identity, the cost for each brand concept is $1,500 USD.
This is an important phase in the process, it will align the brand visually to ensure all brand identity assets are created with a strategy and plan in mind.
How much does Logo Design cost?
Our logo design service starts at $3,000 USD, we will provide you with 6 logo concepts to choose from and include up to 5 hours of revisions.
The logo design concepts will include wordmark and brand mark logo combinations, color variations, and applications.
How much does Custom Packaging Design cost?
Packaging Design fees start at $6,500 USD, which includes up to 3 packaging design concepts.
We will do mock-ups, provide print-ready files and collaborate with your printer to guide the project to completion.
Website Design starts at $5,000 USD, this would include up to a maximum of 10 custom-designed pages in FIGMA.
Each page will include standard Desktop and Mobile sizing, additional screen sizes are extra.
How much does Website Development cost?
At The Branded Agency, our website development starts at $5,000 USD, this is for Squarespace and Shopify websites.
WordPress website pricing starts at $10,000 USD. Learn more here “Website Design and Development”
For larger projects, we do offer custom solutions/pricing.
If you have any questions, or, if you’d like to book a call to discuss your project and get a custom quote please contact us directly.
Different freelancers and agencies can be found to create a variety of branding projects, which may vary in scope.
A successful project has your business goals as the focus while still being creative.
Think about what you want people to see when they look at or interact with your company.
With so many options to choose from, there is no one right way for every company.
For some companies, it makes sense to bring in someone from the outside, a digital branding agency, or hire a consultant but other organizations can save money and complete the work internally.
In cases where both methods are cost-effective, combining them can also be an option.
If you have a new business...
A new business will need a full suite of branding products and services.
If you are self-funded and have a limited amount of capital to deploy, it would be wise to get a quote from multiple agencies to find the best solution and extract maximum value.
At the very least, you will need a strategy, logo, website, and social media kit.
But of course, when you’re building up a new business you may already be wearing several hats and stretching yourself thin.
This is where outsourcing to more affordable options comes in - look for agencies that specialize in smaller businesses and startups (like we do here at The Branded) who can give you a bang for your buck.
If your business is already up and running...
Look to set anywhere from 4-10% of annual revenue for branding.
Here’s why: at this stage, you’re probably neck-to-neck with some strong competitors who are all vying for the same target market.
You would need a strong, identifiable brand to come out victorious and shine through a sea of sameness.
Hiring a good branding agency (or even arguably the best branding agency in Canada) will give you the edge to create a brand strategy and brand identity for potential customers who can’t say no.
Take note: “The customer is not a moron; she is your wife”
– David Ogilvy, The Father of Advertising
Not taking branding seriously is one of the biggest mistakes we see businesses make.
The consumer knows when they are being lied to. Consumers can't easily be tricked, but a lot of businesses try.
How much you spend on branding will depend on the gap between how your business is seen now and how you want your business to be perceived.
It will also vary according to the nature of your industry, your branding needs and also your own personal skills and know-how in marketing.
If marketing is how your business attracts customers, you would want to invest more into your branding.
If you’re working in B2B, you can probably put off branding your company a little longer while you focus on building relationships with your clients directly.
And if you are a good writer, you can consider doing the copywriting and brand messaging in-house and only hire designers or developers.
The Three Levels Of Branding
You’ve heard about marketing. But branding is the reason it works so well and what sets your company apart from all of its competitors.
To simplify things, let’s break down the branding process into three levels.
The first level is where your brand makes its first impression: through brand visuals.
This is the design behind things like your brand logo and website.
The second is your brand messaging.
Now that you’ve caught their attention, it’s time to know what to say.
Brand messaging is how you communicate your message out to your target audience (think headlines, taglines and copy).
The third level is the most complex: your brand strategy and brand positioning.
This is essentially the ‘heart and soul’ of your brand.
Creating a brand positioning involves having a brand strategy crafted carefully in a way that is aligned with your business plan and goals.
As your business evolves, you may have different branding needs to suit each stage of growth.
Branding Agencies Average Price for Startups and Small Businesses
Level 1: Brand Visuals
$10,000 - $35,000
Typically this is what people think of when they think of ‘branding,’ and includes items like:
Logo Design
Website Design
Brochure Design
Social Media templates
Corporate Identity
Most of the time designers who offer to do your brand visuals will expect you to provide the copywriting and messaging. You will need to have a solid branding strategy already in place - the job of brand visuals here is to make whatever you have as visually appealing to your target audience as possible.
The full suite of brand visual design can range from $10,000 to $35,000. Note that logo designs alone can range from $5,000 - $10,000 from some agencies and take14-30 days to complete. You can find freelance designers who do a good job doing it for less, but if you aren’t careful in your vetting process, you can end up paying even more to fix it!
Hiring designers who aren’t a part of an agency can also mean that while they can create stunningly creative visuals, they may not be thinking about the messaging and your business strategy at the end of the day.
The result can look amazing, but may fail to fulfill what your company needs to do: MAKE MONEY.
In short, at this level, what you’re paying for is graphic design services and as a Creative Agency, we can do all of that for you, plus more!
Level 2: Brand Messaging and Visual Design
Average Cost: $20,000 - $50,000+
That brings us to the second part of branding: messaging.
Most agencies will include both brand visual design and brand messaging in their packages - a perfect way to kill two birds with one stone.
If you already have a good business strategy in place, a solid brand positioning, and a business that is turning a profit, investing in a reputable branding agency can help launch your brand to new heights.
They can help you find creative solutions to communicate your products and services in a way that will make you stand out from the competition.
Hiring an agency to do both your brand messaging and visual branding can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 (and above).
Of course, this is a sizeable range that depends on your needs as well as the expertise of the agency.
If your business is already making money, hiring a branding agency could be the best way to go - they’ll know just how to create a brand identity and message that will resonate with people in one perfect swoop.
Level 3: Brand Strategy, Brand Messaging and Visual Design
Average Cost: $25,000 - $70,000+
If you’re looking to get your branding done perfectly, look for agencies that offer the full branding package: brand strategy, messaging, and visuals.
A branding agency that offers all three can help you level up by collaborating with you on the best way to position your brand in a way that will bring in more sales.
They can create a brand communication strategy and visual design assets to increase the success of your business.
Finding an agency that can execute a branding strategy that is aligned with your business strategy can be slightly more challenging: you’re talking about a highly skilled team that can bring together your vision and goals for sales, marketing and design into one cohesive plan.
An agency that executes your brand based on your business strategy will ensure that all brand communications and materials are driven by the main purpose of turning a profit for your company.
You can expect to pay anywhere from $25,000 - $70,000+ for an experienced branding agency equipped with copywriters, designers, art directors, and strategists who will fine-tune every detail of your branding process.
If a brand communication strategy and guidelines are the only thing you need, then the price can range from $6,500 - $10,000+, depending on how elaborate it needs to be.
A well-positioned brand with a great strategy can give a business an advantage over its competitors, but keep in mind that timing this investment is critical.
If you spend too much money too early on, you could be misappropriating funds that could be used for growth instead.
On the flip side, if you invest too little, or too late, you might risk getting drowned out.
The Branded Agency: Branding Packages for Small Businesses
Key Takeaways
The amount you spend on branding depends on the nature of your industry, the needs of your business, and also what skills and know-how you have in marketing.
If marketing is how a company attracts customers, it would want to invest more in its branding. But if it’s B2B businesses that are looking for clients then maybe investing in building up those relationships can be done without worrying about brand visibility just yet.
If you’re a new business just starting, a good benchmark is to spend no more than 20% of your budget on branding.
If your business is already established in the market, consider spending anywhere between 4-10% of your annual revenue towards branding.
Branding can generally be broken down into three levels:
Brand visuals
Brand messaging + brand visuals
Brand strategy + brand messaging + brand visuals
When it comes to branding, there are no hard and fast rules about pricing. Just make sure that whatever you're investing in is appropriate for the stage your business is currently at.
And if you're looking for an expert team (aka, us, the best marketing agency) that can take your brand to new heights and get it from 'good' to ‘absoFRICKINlutely outta this world!’ then schedule a free discovery call with us and. We’ll gladly take you through how to get there.
If you need help writing a business plan for your startup, checkout our guide here https://www.brandedagency.com/blog/writing-a-business-plan-guide