Branding & rebranding services

What does branding include?

Branding gives a business a recognizable identity and a clear position in the market. The work can include audience research, positioning, messaging, logo design, colours, typography, imagery and guidelines for using them. The agreed scope determines which applications are delivered: a website, presentation, proposal template or other material your business needs.

The American Marketing Association describes a brand through the distinctive features that identify goods or services. Our starting point is the business behind those features: who needs it, why they would choose it and whether the experience supports the promise.

What do you need to change?

A new business needs a foundation. An established business may need to improve what customers already recognize. We begin by looking at the problem, the audience and the material you use today.

• New brand: establish your positioning, message and visual identity before launch.
• Brand refresh: improve an existing identity while retaining the elements customers recognize.
• Rebrand: rethink the positioning, message or identity when the business has materially changed.
• Brand consistency: bring your website, documents and communications into line with an identity you already want to keep.

A merger, a new audience or an expanded service can justify a broader review. An outdated presentation or inconsistent website may call for a smaller project. If the main problem is poor service, an unclear offer or unreliable delivery, that needs attention in the business plan as well.

What you can ask us to deliver

We agree the outputs before design begins. A proposal should name the files, applications, review stages and responsibilities so you can compare the work with your priorities.

• Brand strategy: an audience and competitor review, positioning, key messages and a practical creative brief.
• Visual identity: an agreed logo system, colour palette, type choices, graphic elements and image direction.
• Brand guidelines: rules for logo use, spacing, colour, typography and everyday applications.
• Website application: page design, responsive layouts and development where included in the scope.
• Business materials: selected presentation, proposal, email or social templates, specified individually.
• Rebrand rollout: an asset inventory, change sequence, approval responsibilities and customer communication plan.

Some businesses need all six. Others need a focused identity refresh and a small set of reusable templates. Naming, photography, print production, paid fonts, stock assets, domain purchases and specialist legal work are separate items unless explicitly included. We identify these dependencies when preparing the scope.

How the project works

First, we review the current business and the decision you need to make. Bring your website, existing identity files and a few examples of where the brand feels wrong. Explain what has changed and what customers should understand more clearly.

Next, we agree the direction. That includes the intended audience, the message, the distinctive features worth keeping and the applications that matter most. One named decision-maker and consolidated feedback help keep the project moving.

Design follows that brief. We review the identity in context: on a small screen, in a proposal, alongside other brands and in the environments where customers encounter it. A design that looks impressive at presentation size still needs to work in everyday use.

Finally, we prepare the agreed files and rollout. The handover should explain which assets to use, where the approved versions live and who can approve future changes. For an existing business, the launch plan also identifies old material that needs replacement or retirement.

How much does branding cost?

The price depends on the research, design and implementation required. A refresh of an established identity is a different scope from a new name, full identity, website and multi-channel launch. The number of applications, stakeholders, revisions and external costs also affects the quote.

DSDillon provides a project-specific quote after reviewing the brief. Ask for the deliverables, currency, payment stages, revision allowance, licences and exclusions in writing. We have not published a standard branding price because the service can cover substantially different work. Our guide below explains how to compare proposals on the same basis.

How long does a rebrand take?

The schedule follows the scope. Research, creative development, approvals, production and rollout each need time. A project involving a new domain, website content and printed materials has dependencies that a logo refresh may not have.

We agree milestones after reviewing the required applications and approval process. Tell us about a fixed launch date early. Existing stock, supplier lead times, stakeholder availability and access to your current website can determine what is achievable by that date.

Will I need a new website or business name?

Not necessarily. A strong name or recognizable logo may remain useful. Website changes may range from updating colours and imagery to rebuilding pages around a new offer. The right decision follows the business problem and the condition of the current assets.

If URLs or the domain will change, search migration needs its own plan. That includes matching old pages to suitable destinations and checking links and indexing after launch. Email addresses, customer bookmarks and printed links also need attention. Read the rebranding guide before committing to a name or domain change.

How do we know whether it helped?

Agree a baseline before launch. Depending on the goal, useful measures may include whether customers understand the offer, whether the intended audience is making inquiries and whether staff can produce consistent materials without repeated redesign.

Website and campaign changes can be measured alongside the rebrand through DSDillon’s analytics and attribution work. Compare like-for-like periods and record other changes, such as advertising spend, pricing and sales activity. A design launch alone does not establish why sales changed.

What should I bring to the first conversation?

Send your current website, the services or products you want to be known for, the audience you need to reach and the reason for considering a change. Include the material you need at launch, your preferred timing and an available budget range if you have one.

If you already have a logo you want to keep, say so. If different people in the business disagree about the direction, include that too. We can begin with a review of the existing brand and recommend a scope from there.