What to expect from a Brand Development Agency?

Developing a successful working dynamic with your new brand development agency can be a long and winding road. With the information in this manual, your company will be better equipped to comprehend and manage this vital connection. 

The beginning of every relationship is crucial, therefore we'll look closely at the many phases, from onboarding and discovery to strategy development and evaluation, drawing on research and industry insights. 

Every business partnership between a client and a brand development agency has its own quirks and timetables. But if you keep in mind the advice in this manual, you and your provider may start off on the road to success together, thanks to the strong bond you'll have built.

The search for a brand development agency is finally over. It's time to start work, and the first few days are crucial. They set the tone for the whole collaboration and have a major impact on whether or not the partnership succeeds. 

Expectations, alignment, and communication should all be prioritized throughout the first 100 days of a new job. It's crucial to the prosperity of your relationship together. In a new relationship, the onboarding and discovery phase is similar to the "getting to know each other" phase. The new partner will get insight into your company, industry, and needs during this phase. And it's essential for fostering friendship and trust.

The Onboarding Phase

Kick off the onboarding process by introducing your team to the brand development agency, discussing your business objectives, and establishing ground rules for working together. Both parties need to agree on these expectations, as they will serve as the basis for future interactions and projects.

To avoid confusion, it's helpful to be concrete, specific, and measurable. At this juncture, instead of saying "we want more brand awareness," you may say something like, "we want increase our social media following by 30% within the next 3 months."

The next step is to lay out what is expected of the provider in terms of communication. Stating something like, "We expect regular updates and proactive communication from your end - please update us every two weeks," would help the provider understand what is expected of them. 

The Discovery Phase

Your brand development agency will learn more about your company throughout the discovery process. They may interview important people, conduct research on the market, or examine the competition. You, as the client, may help this process along by giving your partner access to all the data and tools they'll need. However, what should you get ready for? Some of the goals they hope to achieve are listed below.

Setting Goals: Goals for the project are something you'll want to do together. You should inform your brand development agency what you hope to accomplish, and they should utilize their expertise to assist you hone your vision. SMART objectives (which stand for "specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound") are a popular framework. They will aid you in identifying issues and matching them to the capabilities of their group.

Competitive Analysis: They will investigate your sector and the businesses in it, comparing and contrasting your pricing, services, and responses to customer issues with those of your rivals. Your future campaign plan will be informed by this evaluation.

Data Deep-Dive: A data-driven analysis of your company's strengths and problems. Examining your email campaigns, analytics data, and social media profiles, among other things, may be part of this process. In addition, they will probably evaluate your website's metrics (visitors, MQLs, PQLs, subscribers, conversion rates, etc.).

Interviewing Stakeholders: To ensure that the project's goals are precisely aligned with those of the agency, it is important to gain a thorough understanding of the brand development agency's perspective on your company's main difficulties.

Experiencing the Brand: From there, they'll attempt to understand your business through the eyes of your customers. Which is to say, "buying" your product or service in the conventional sense. Then they will talk to you about their experience, providing you with qualitative data that can be included into your long-term plan.

Resource allocation

It's easy to get carried away with a grand scheme, but it's important to prepare ahead to ensure that there aren't any snags in the process. Allocating resources is a crucial but frequently disregarded part of this stage. Allocating the appropriate resources is a crucial component of the strategy development and implementation process, but it's easy to get carried away with a grand vision.

Although financial constraints are always a consideration (after all, money does talk), don't forget to factor in your team's time and energy, either. The first step is to discuss your financial limitations and objectives openly. Inquire about the time and labor involved in the suggested activities, as well as the associated costs. This will allow you to see where your money is going so that you may better allocate it in the future. 

Adapting the Strategy

The best of roads still include potholes, and you'll occasionally have to change your tactics. Competition increases, consumer tastes shift, and the market is constantly shifting. Therefore, you should be adaptable and ready to change your approach as necessary. You, as the client, must stay involved in the strategy's execution at all times. You can't just set and forget your partner.

Metrics should be reviewed and feedback given on a regular basis. Don't keep quiet if something isn't functioning properly. In order to improve their brand strategy, a smart Brand Development Agency would listen to its clients' input. Keep in mind that getting where you want to go in business is the ultimate aim, and that sometimes means changing directions.

Ineffective tactics may be maintained if the review and modification phase is skipped. However, the technique can be improved through ongoing assessment and well-timed tweaks, bringing about the intended outcomes.