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stands the various media critical to
building a small business brand. This
is where it’s important for you to have
a handle on your brand executions. For
example, is your logo only going to
be used on stationery, websites or bro-
chures? Or is outdoor usage your most
critical brand implementation (e.g.,
vehicle advertising, signage, point-of-
purchase displays)?
One good way to choose a de-
signer is to examine case studies of
brands they’ve created that mimic the
needs you have for your brand. These
real-world examples should give you a
reasonable expectation as to their ca-
pabilities and an ability to understand
your brand needs.
Is the artwork original?
Finding a designer or agency that
builds original artwork for your logo
is an important consideration. For one
thing, it helps to provide a reasonable
expectation that your brand will not
infringe on the copyright of another
brand. Second, it makes it possible for
you to have your logo trademarked.
If your designer uses clip art, or
derives your logo from clip art, it can
never be trademarked. This also means
that competitors can legally use the
same logo or artwork in their designs,
since it is not original and is essentially
deemed public domain. Let’s say you
plan to franchise your business one
day, but your logo and brand was cre-
ated with clip art. You’ll definitely be
taking the chance that someone else
will try to use it.
How much should it cost?
The factors detailed above should
give you a better way to gauge the
value of a designer, and the corre-
sponding cost for building a success-
ful brand. You’ll find advertised costs
ranging from $99 to thousands of dol-
lars, and more.
Buying a brand for your small
business is not the same thing as pur-
chasing an office chair based upon
who has the cheapest price. It’s not a
commodity, although it is often adver-
tised as such. It really is a professional
service. To be done properly, it can’t be
rushed, and there are really no short-
cuts a designer can take. It involves
conceptualizing, planning, research-
ing, sketching, refining, revising, and
truly immersing yourself in the client’s
business.
Look for a partner, not a
vendor.
Usually your best bet when it
comes to choosing a branding com-
pany is to find a company that can
grow with you while acting as your
strategic partner. Hiring a company
that understands your brand origins as
you prepare to implement that identity
makes more sense than hiring a logo
creator who can’t carry out a success-
ful branding campaign across market-
ing materials (e.g., websites, collateral,
and fleet branding.)
It is difficult--but not impossible-
-
to find a company that (1) under-
stands your brand vision, (2) executes
it, and (3) implements your brand
consistently across the board. Seek
companies with a track record of suc-
cess working with businesses just like
yours, and your risk will be mini-
mized. Do not take this decision lightly
or act impulsively. This will be the
most important choice you’ll make for
your business.
Dan Antonelli is the CEO and cre-
ative director of New Jersey advertising
agency Graphic D-Signs, Inc., The Small
Business Advertising Agency®, and the
author of Building A Big Small Business
Brand, available at
. For
more information, visit
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