Q: What if I don’t like the end result?

A: We guarantee you will. How can we be so sure? Right from the start, we set up a section of our site devoted to your project where we post links to work in progress. This gives you (and anyone else you wish to include) 24/7 access to the work as it’s being produced, from sketch to digitization to finally encoding.

We can also create a marketing plan in collaboration with you, to ensure that it suits your company. We establish metrics and show you how to use site statistics to see quickly what’s appealing to your audience and what isn’t. We send you email updates throughout the process. Including you in the process at critical junctures translates into fewer surprises at the end. As stated in our contract, you are free to pull the plug at any time, and you will only pay for what has been completed up to that point.

Q: How does the process work?

A: You contact us for a free consultation so that we can get an idea of the scope of your needs and quote you a ballpark estimate. When you’re ready to move forward, we send a contract that includes details of copyright, pricing, milestone deliverables and payments.

After a contract is signed and a deposit received (25% – 33% depending on the size of the project), we begin work. We send you regular updates and samples of the work in progress. Upon final payment, we deliver the media-ready files, to DropBox or the server of your choice.

We can also include a style guide, which outlines the specs of the work (typefaces, relative scaling, font customization, color matches, illustration) for your future vendors (printers, advertising partners, other divisions). This ensures that the brand identity integrity is maintained over time.

Q: Will I own the work?

A: Yes, once it’s paid in full, you will be granted an “all rights reserved” copyright to the individual elements of your brand identity. We retain the right to include it in our marketing materials, which essentially amounts to free advertising for you.

Any outside illustration/photography that is commissioned will be negotiated for you at whatever copyright level you require. For example, an illustration element of a logo would be an “all rights” copyright across all media for an unlimited amount of time. Whereas a series of photos for a campaign may only be needed exclusively for a year in a specific regional market, and would therefore cost less.

Code is never included in copyright transfer, as most of it is in the public domain (open source). This is a good thing, as it is more likely to be widely used and supported.

Q: How much will it cost?

A: That rather depends on you. Everything we create is custom-tailored. Every client’s needs are different, so we have no idea until we talk to you. Expect to spend more on initial marketing such as brand identity, print collateral or a website, than in subsequent years for maintenance or adjustments. There is no magic formula for an initial marketing budget, however a general guide is to expect to pay 20 percent of your target revenue. A professional brand identity pays for itself many times over. It will not require the same amount of money to market as a more generic identity. This is because professional branding is designed to resonate strongly with target customers, generating enthusiastic engagement and loyalty to your brand on social networks. This kind of word-of-mouth publicity is the most desirable, as it will save a fortune in advertising.

Q: Do you work with small business?

A: We work with any sized business. Most of our clients are mid-sized companies, many with “inc.” after their name. But don’t let that stop you. If you’re ready to move to the next level, we’re happy to help, even if you’re a one-person operation.

Q: Do you offer other services?

A: Yes. We provide ongoing brand management and marketing services. A brand manager works to maintain a consistent, cohesive brand identity over time. In practice, this entails acting as your Vendor Coordinator (e.g. coordinating with marketing consultants, printers, trade show organizers, sign makers, promotional item manufacturers); supervising press-checks for printed materials to trouble-shoot the variety of issues and decisions that inevitably arise; proofing ads and approving final color matches. We can also provide regular reports on your website’s metrics.

This is our world. We know it well. Hiring us will save you money and a lot of unnecessary stress because we won’t make the common costly mistakes that a novice would.