What should I be spending on my branding?

It’s not uncommon for us to be asked how much a company should spend on their branding.

When starting conversations with a new client who is looking to brand their organization, it’s often one of the first questions we are asked. It’s a question that doesn’t have a clear cut answer. Often we’ll come back with a question in return to begin to uncover what the brand needs to deliver and use that as the starting point.

We can appreciate that spending a good chunk of your marketing budget on branding sometimes feels like an expense rather than an investment.

You can’t hold it.

You can’t sell it.

And there’s no immediate ROI.

Wouldn’t your marketing dollars be better spent on more tangible materials? Or on digital marketing activities that you can specifically track sales against?

But here’s the reality – your branding is the foundation of all of your communication and marketing activities. It is a direct reflection of your values and your vision. When done right, it will last, growing and evolving right along with your company. It is the ‘face’ of your company. It’s part of the image that will hopefully pop into someone’s head when they hear its name.

Test that quickly – Nike, Lululemon, Roots, Apple. Bet with each of those, one or more elements of their brand popped into your head. Their logo? Tagline? Website? Retail environment? All of them have spent a considerable amount of time and resources developing, and maintaining, their brand.

You may not have the level of marketing dollars larger brands do, but you do still have the opportunity to invest in your brand. We work with our clients to help determine what that investment should look like based on your goals and provide options to get you there.

If you feel the time is right to (re)look at your branding to push you to the next level, we are happy to sit down and begin building a relationship that will take you where you want to go.