What to prepare before working with a branding agency

The first meeting with a branding agency is one of the most important hours of a project. What gets said there steers the strategy stage, and the strategy steers the design. You can come in without any preparation at all. But thinking through a few questions beforehand makes things easier for you and for the agency.

Here’s what we suggest preparing before the first meeting, and what happens after it.

1. What does your brand do, and for whom?

It sounds simple. Saying it in two sentences, though, is often harder than you’d expect, and the gap between what a business does and what it’s for can show up right there. Think less about what you sell and more about who you sell it to, and why. Who are your customers? Why do they choose you? When they don’t, who do they choose instead?

The answers don’t have to be final. But the clearer they are, the faster the analysis goes.

2. Where do you stand today?

Bring whatever shows your brand as it is now: logo files, business cards, brochures, packaging, the website, the social media account. Bring the things you don’t like, too. Seeing what doesn’t work is as useful as working out what will.

In the review after the first meeting, we look at how well these assets still work. Some brands already have good pieces that don’t need replacing, only rules.

3. Where do you want to go?

Think about why you want to start the project now. Is a new product on the way? Are you opening up to a new audience? Has the brand scattered, or is this the first time you’re building an identity at all? Where do you want the brand to be a year from now?

The answer shapes the scope of the project. Is it just a logo, a full identity system, or a wider piece of work with packaging and a website?

4. What you like, and what you don’t

Bring a few examples of brands you like, from your own sector or from completely different ones. Try to say why you like them: the colour, the simplicity, the voice? Do the same with examples you don’t like.

Nobody’s copying them. But they’re the quickest way to show what words like “simple” or “strong” mean to you.

5. Who makes the decisions?

Who has the final say on the project, and who gathers the feedback? If decisions are going to move between several people, knowing that from the start lets you plan a realistic timeline.

6. A rough idea of timing and scope

You can start without a firm date or budget. But if there’s a launch, a trade fair or an opening coming up, mentioning it at the first meeting changes the planning.

What happens after the meeting?

With us, the process runs in four steps: Analysis and planning, Strategy and roadmap, Design and development, then Revision and delivery. After the first meeting comes analysis: your audience, your sector and competitors, how your brand communicates today. Then we turn what we’ve learned into a roadmap. It covers scope and goals, design and development steps, timeline and delivery dates, technical requirements and budget, so everyone works from the same plan.

During the design stage we share every step with you, and your feedback steers the work. For a logo, our standard proposal includes 3 concept presentations and 2 rounds of revisions on the one you choose. The last step is a thorough check, then delivery of the final files in AI, PDF, PNG and JPG.

A short preparation list

• A note describing your brand in two sentences.
• Your current logo, business card, packaging and website.
• A few brands you like and a few you don’t.
• One sentence on why you’re starting the project now.
• Who will decide, and any important dates.

If you’ve got these ready, get in touch for the first step. We describe the process in more detail on our approach page.