Short answer
Ask who does the work, what exactly you receive, how the price is set, how long it takes in calendar weeks, what happens before any design, how feedback works, who owns the files and what happens after launch. Good answers are specific and written down before you pay. Vague answers on scope and price are the warning sign.
At a glance
Who does the work?
- A good answer sounds like:
- They name the people on the call, and those people do it
- Keep looking if:
- The designers are people you'll never meet
What exactly do we receive?
- A good answer sounds like:
- A written list: strategy, identity, guidelines, website, files
- Keep looking if:
- "A brand", with no list
How is the price set?
- A good answer sounds like:
- Fixed against a written scope, extras priced before they start
- Keep looking if:
- Hourly with no cap, or a number that moves after kickoff
How long, in calendar weeks?
- A good answer sounds like:
- A week-by-week plan with dates
- Keep looking if:
- "It depends", with no plan
What happens before any design?
- A good answer sounds like:
- Positioning and messaging written down first
- Keep looking if:
- Logo concepts in week one
How does feedback work?
- A good answer sounds like:
- A set number of directions, then refinement within the scope
- Keep looking if:
- Endless options, or rounds billed as extras
Can we see work like ours?
- A good answer sounds like:
- Case studies showing the problem, the work and what changed
- Keep looking if:
- Only logos and mood boards
Who owns the work?
- A good answer sounds like:
- You do: source files and full rights at the end
- Keep looking if:
- Licences, or files held back
How is it handed over?
- A good answer sounds like:
- Guidelines your next designer can work from
- Keep looking if:
- A zip of logo files
What happens after launch?
- A good answer sounds like:
- Optional support, scoped separately
- Keep looking if:
- Silence after the last invoice, or a retainer you must sign
Before The Call
Know your own answers first.
An agency can only answer well if you can say what you need. Before the first call, write down why you're doing this now, your deadline, a budget range and who makes the final decision. Our guide on how to brief a branding agency has a one-page template.
If you're unsure about budget, how much branding costs lays out the price bands. If you're unsure about timing, see when to invest in brand.
The Three That Matter Most
Who does it, what's in it, how it's priced.
Most disappointing branding projects fail on one of three things. The senior people who pitched weren't the ones doing the work. The scope was never written down, so everyone remembered it differently. Or the price grew with every round of feedback.
Ask those three first and ask for the answers in writing. A studio that can't say who does the work, list what you receive and fix the price before starting will be hard to hold to anything later. The difference between how studios and agencies answer is in Berryn vs a branding agency.
Red Flags
Signs to keep looking.
None of these alone rules an agency out. Two or three together usually means the project will cost more and take longer than the proposal says.
- A price before they understand your business.
- No written scope, or a scope that says "brand identity" and nothing else.
- No work they can show that's close to your situation.
- Ownership of the files and rights left unclear.
- Promises about results they don't control, such as funding or sales.
- A long retainer required before the brand is even made.
How We'd Answer
Our answers, so you can compare.
Omar and Ahmad do the work, from the first call to the final files. You receive strategy, a full identity system with guidelines, a website live on your domain, and brand content and motion; the full list is in what a Berryn brand includes. The price is one fixed number per brand, agreed in a one-page proposal before anything starts.
It runs under four weeks: strategy in week one, three identity directions in week two, the system and website in week three, launch in week four. You own every file and the rights. After launch you can keep us on for a light monthly retainer, or not. The rest is in our FAQ, or ask us all ten on a call.
Our take
Hire the studio whose answers are specific and written down. We'd rather you ask us all ten on the first call than find out later. If you need naming with legal clearance across a dozen markets, or a team running research for months, a larger agency is the better fit, and we'll tell you so.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What should I ask a branding agency before hiring them?
Who does the work, what exactly you receive, how the price is set, how long it takes in calendar weeks, what happens before any design, how feedback works, who owns the files and what happens after launch. Ask for the answers in writing.
How many branding agencies should I talk to?
Two or three is usually enough. Send each the same brief, so the proposals describe the same job and you can compare them line by line.
What are the red flags when hiring a branding agency?
A price before they understand the business, no written scope, no comparable work, unclear ownership of files, promises about results they don't control, and a long retainer required up front.
Should a branding agency show concepts before we hire them?
Not usually. A logo made before the strategy is a guess, and free concepts are often recycled. Ask to see finished work for situations like yours instead.
What should I prepare before the first call?
Why you're doing this now, your deadline, a budget range and who decides. A one-page brief covers it: see how to brief a branding agency.
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