As a branding expert, you have an invaluable skill-set. Competition has never been so fierce. But with your help, your clients can build deeper relationships with customers and stand out from all the rest.
Your first challenge: conveying this value to clients in your branding proposals.
A lot of branding experts come up short here. However, with the right strategy and techniques, you can land more (and better) clients by convincing them to invest in your services.
What is a Branding Proposal?
A branding proposal is a persuasive sales document that:
That sounds like a lot to process…
But don't worry! The rest of the this page (and the free proposal template) will help you break it down.
Some people assume a simple price quoted over email is a proposal. That's a misconception.
While proposals include pricing and timeline information, there's a lot more involved. Elements like problem identification, branding solution, and scope of services make a case that a client should hire you instead of anyone else.
The easiest way to grasp how everything fits together is to see it firsthand. Downloading our free branding proposal template will help you do just that. It's battle tested by top branding agencies, professionally designed, and easy to customize to suit your needs.
Every branding proposal is unique. The specifics of each project dictate that at least few details will change.
With that said, persuasive branding proposals tend to follow the same structure. This structure will serve you well regardless of the client or industry.
It's kind of like how every great story has a beginning, middle and end. Some are longer than others. But almost all of them follow a familiar structure.
Using feedback from thousands of customer surveys to overhaul a large brand's identity, for instance, requires a longer proposal than helping a mom and pop restaurant redesign their logo and website.
Yet the goal in both situations is to keep your business proposal as simple as possible – without using a single word more than you need.
Here's how a persuasive branding proposal might look for smaller projects:
A proposal for a larger project really isn't that much longer. But, because you'll work together for a longer time, it's smart to include information about the anticipated timeline. Knowing when they can expect certain milestones to be completed will help clients visualize their investment.
Proposals for a larger branding project go something like this:
Because they tend to involve a lot of stakeholders, branding projects can get complex.
Understandably, business owners like to get involved and express their vision. The marketing team can help you find out about how the brand is being packaged and conveyed. Sales reps and customer support experts shed light on how the brand is being perceived.
Addressing some of these issues upfront – before you write your branding proposal – will help you clarify expectations and avoid problems before they arise.
Some of the most helpful questions to ask are:
With a firm grasp about which elements to include and how to order them, you're ready to write your branding proposal.
Follow these seven steps to make the process as painless as possible:
This isn't technically writing, but it's non-negotiable.
The more market research you do beforehand, the easier it is to show a client that you're the best choice. While others stick to the surface-level issues, you understand their brand challenges like no one else.
Take some time to assess your client's position in the marketplace. What is it about their brand that is causing a disconnect between them and customers? Is there anything competitors are doing better?
Don't be afraid to put some time in. You might write fewer proposals than before. But your chances of winning them will skyrocket.
The best branding proposals start with the conversation the client is already having in his or her mind.
What is keeping them up at night? What's their biggest pain point?
As a branding expert, it's up to you to pinpoint this and convey it in your proposal. This goes beyond just reciting the project requirements.
You have to get to the why. Most aren't willing to spend money for a new corporate identity and sleek new logo design “just because.”
There's a greater motivator at work. Your expertise will help you see it – even when the clients don't.
This is relevant, even when we’re talking about a new brand.
Here's how a good problem statement might look:
“XYZ Company has lost significant market share in the health foods industry. As demand for healthy snack options increases, so does the number of competitors battling for shelf space in grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Because XYZ Company's unique history and values aren't conveyed on its website, logo or packaging, this drives a key demographic (young urban professionals) to buy from their competitors instead.”
Identifying a client's needs on a deep level will make them feel like you're reading their mind. You have their full attention.
To keep it, propose a solution that meets those needs.
Which combination of branding services will overcome the client's challenge and help them connect with customers on a deeper level?
This is more than just an itemized list of services. Itemizing your services only encourages clients to see your unique skill-set as a commodity. One they can easily replace with a cheaper alternative.
Use the solution section to get them focused on the value you will create. Like this:
“We recommend a full overhaul of XYZ Company's logo, packaging, and messaging. We will conduct a brand audit to assess why the brand isn't connecting with its target demographic: young professionals. Using feedback from this audit and thousands of customer surveys, as well as insights from your executive team at a brand workshop, we will reshape XYZ Company's identity to increase customer loyalty.”
After proposing a comprehensive solution, spend some time discussing the specific services involved.
The idea here isn't to overwhelm the client with minutiae or technical jargon. It's to describe what each service is and how they all fit together… framed in terms that clients can easily understand.
Continuing with our healthy snack example, how's how that might look for the brand workshop:
“We will facilitate a brand workshop with key stakeholders from XYZ Company's executive, marketing, sales and customer support teams. This will help us identify critical inconsistencies between how the XYZ brand is being packaged and delivered, versus how it's being perceived. During this workshop we will collaborate to create a unified vision that attracts young urban professionals while reflecting the core values of XYZ's brand identity.”
See how that works? We don't assume that the client already understands every little way the workshop will benefit their business.
Here's one conversation that every branding expert must have. Even if clients are impressed by how well you understand their needs and the solution you propose, they'll want to know about cost.
Instead of trying to avoid this conversation or slip it in at the end of your proposal, address it proactively.
The best pricing sections don't overwhelm the reader with tons of numbers. They keep pricing “high level” and frame it in terms that help clients remember the value.
Displaying this information in a table can help. Here's an example:
| Cost | |
|---|---|
|
$13000 |
It's easy for someone to look at that and know within a few seconds the solution being offered and how much it will cost.
On branding projects that will last more than a few weeks, it's a good idea to set out a timeline. This helps set client expectations about when milestones will be finished, as well as what will happen when.
Like the pricing section, tables work well here too.
After you hold a potential client's interest throughout your proposal, it's time to ask them to act.
Use the end of your proposal to specify what the reader should do next to continue the relationship. Keeping these steps concrete and easy to follow will increase your chances of landing the project.
Here's an example:
“XYZ Company can do the following to reshape its brand identity:
1. Accept the proposal as is, or call or email us about any desired changes.
2. Sign the contract electronically. One the contract is signed, we will reach out to schedule an introductory call with key members of XYZ's team. This call will allow us to explain everything we will research during our brand audit, as well as answer any questions you might have about the process.”
Assuming that the proposal looks professional and follows a proven structure, mistakes tend to appear in common patterns.
Here are some of the most widespread branding proposal issues to watch out for. Once you understand them, it becomes that much easier to avoid them on your next proposal!
As an article in the Economist described, “brands are the most valuable assets many companies possess. But no one agrees on how much they are worth or why.”
You've seen the value of a compelling brand firsthand. You know just how much businesses can turn around after they change the way they present themselves to customers.
But we can't afford to assume that would-be clients recognize this value.
Services like web design, marketing, SEO and PPC advertising are easier for clients to understand. These agencies only have to point at analytics data to demonstrate the value in the investment. If a $10,000 advertising campaign is directly attributed to an ROI of 40 percent, who wouldn't want to invest?
The benefits of solid branding aren't any less valuable. They're just harder to put your finger on. Without immediate (or short-term) analytics data, you have to focus on longer-term benefits like customer loyalty and increased word-of-mouth marketing.
As branding experts, it's up to us to make these intangible benefits concrete in the minds of our potential clients.
Here's an example of where a branding proposal could go wrong:
“We will help you emerge as an industry leader in the crowded health foods market.”
Not very convincing for a data-oriented client. Here's how you could improve it:
“Overhauling your brand will increase customer loyalty. This loyalty translates into more customer demand for popular grocery stores to carry XYZ snack bars, increasing access to new markets.”
All throughout your proposal, focus on connecting squishy terms like “thought leader” or “authority” to tangible client benefits. You'll help shift the perception of branding from a cost to a valuable investment.
When potential clients think of memorable brands, they tend to focus on multinational corporations like Coca-Cola or Apple
The reality of a great brand is apparent for these industry titans. You see it in fans camping out in anticipation for the newest iPhone. Or rejecting every other soft drink besides their trusted favorite.
But what about for small and medium-sized businesses?
Having a compelling brand is just as important for them as it is for Nike or Google. Maybe even more so. As your clients work to gain traction in an industry and establish themselves as leaders, a great brand is a secret weapon for growth.
If you're trying to work with these types of businesses, your proposal is the perfect opportunity to remind them of these advantages.
Here's an example of where branding experts might go wrong:
“Reshaping the XYZ Company brand will help it gain traction in the crowded health foods market.”
This fails to describe why branding is especially important for small to medium-sized companies.
Here's a better example:
“As a small but growing business, customer loyalty can make the difference between XYZ Company failing or thriving. A compelling, focused brand creates an advantage because most similarly-sized competitors aren't investing in this. With more customer loyalty comes stabilized income, word-of-mouth referrals, and the ability to raise prices and increase margins.”
Can you see how this might push a client who's on the fence to hire you? Who wouldn't want such a huge advantage over their competitors?
Ask a dozen people what “brand” means to them, and you'll get just as many different interpretations.
That's why it's crucial to have this conversation with every potential client to get everyone on the same page. People who aren't intimately involved in branding have the tendency to see “brand” as a limited collection of elements like color schemes, logos, and fonts.
A client's visual identity is important, but that's just one component of brand. Brand can encompass everything from how you position yourself in the marketplace, to subtle details like how you answer the phone.
Allowing clients to move forward with a limited interpretation (“brand is just a logo and fonts”) encourages them to treat the process as a commodity instead of a specialized service. Why would they choose you and pay twice as much as the freelance graphic designer who could whip up a new logo?
Here's where someone might go wrong:
“We will help XYZ Company reshape their brand identity.”
This isn't persuasive because it allows clients to cling to whatever interpretation of “brand” that they came in with. It doesn't convey your full value.
Here's a better example:
“XYZ Company's brand is much more than just logos and fonts. It's the complete expression of visual identity, core values, and what makes it a unique addition to the health foods market. It is this complete package that drives so many high-earning millennials to buy and become fans.”
Now that sounds like a true expert. Someone else might be able to design an attractive logo, but you have the expertise to change the way they are perceived in the market place.
General Instructions: Follow the italicized instructions for each section below to create your own persuasive proposal. Do your best to limit your proposal to 4-5 pages or fewer. This should be sufficient for identifying the client’s problem, proposing your services as the solution to that problem, and helping the client understand all the ways your services will be of benefit. Clients who are hiring you to help them with their brand are likely to be concerned about your knowledge of the client’s industry, your understanding of what sets his or her company apart from competitors, and your ability to effectively integrate a branding strategy into the organization’s overall marketing approach. A persuasive proposal will address these concerns head on.
Instructions: Use the first paragraph to identify the problem or frustration that led the prospective client to offer the branding project in the first place. Then use 3-4 bullet points to break down different services you’ll provide to help the client overcome that problem or frustration. Begin each bullet point with an “action word.” Finally, use the paragraph after the bullet points to talk about the negative consequences that will happen if the client doesn’t fix the problem.
{client_name} needs to gain greater exposure and customer recognition for its brand. In addition, {client_name} needs to fine-tune its marketing approach to further differentiate itself from competitors and allow its brand to better support {client_name}’s position as a leader in the industry. However, a lack of consistency and disjointed marketing efforts have slowed progress in achieving these goals.
{client_name} wants to update its branding program to:
Without consistent use of a branding strategy, {client_name} risks loss of customers—and potential sales—to competitors with more defined marketing approaches. Building a strong brand is fundamental to {client_name}’s long-term growth and viability.
Instructions: Use 3-4 bulleted sections to describe some of the positive results your services will create for the client. Focus on major results—more conversions, gaining the trust of prospects, building customer loyalty, etc.— you think the client will value most. Spend a few lines after each result you list to 1) describe why the result is helpful to the client’s particular business; and 2) break down the actions you’ll take to create that result for the client.
Here’s what {my_company}’s team will deliver to help {client_name} manage its brand in a way that builds and strengthens long-term customer loyalty:
Instructions: Use this section to provide more detail about which activities you believe will solve the client’s current problems. Reiterate each recommendation, based on what was proposed under the solutions section, and talk about: 1) what specific actions you will take to execute it; and 2) how those actions will benefit the client. Don’t be afraid to recommend related services (such as customer relations management or drip marketing campaigns) if you believe they will help the client.
Working with {my_company} will help {client_name} to analyze brand performance, capitalize on the positive aspects and strengthen weak spots through a coordinated marketing approach. If hired, we’ll break the project down into the following phases:
1. Research and Analysis
We’ll start by gathering information about your current marketing efforts and how you’ve presented your brand to customers. From there, we’ll go through a series of research steps to gauge brand performance, particularly with current customers. This will be done through a combination of online surveys and focus groups.
The next step will be a competitor analysis, to determine position in the marketplace. Finally, we will wrap up with a full audit of your current brand, analyzing the perceived promise and personality, value and history. This brand audit will also include a complete SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis that will guide us in creating a custom brand strategy to be incorporated into your company’s marketing, communications and public relations efforts in a consistent way.
The advantage of taking these steps before developing a branding program is that it provides a benchmark to measure improved conversions and customer loyalty as the new strategy is implemented over time. Research allows you to measure results using tangible metrics.
2. Development of a Custom Branding Strategy
Based on results of the research and analysis phase, we’ll create a long-term branding strategy that uniquely defines your brand’s desired promise, personality, and position, addressing any weaknesses and capitalizing on existing strengths.
This strategy will be incorporated into {client_name}’s overall marketing plan to coordinate branding goals with your other marketing objectives.
3. Systematic Implementation of Branding
Once we have a Branding Strategy in place, we will create guidelines for branding your website, blog, social media, email campaigns, presentations, logo animations and other activities and materials utilizing your brand.
In addition, we’ll incorporate the new strategy into printed stationery and ephemera, as well as office templates and business cards. We will create guidelines for showcasing your brand at events, through advertising, event materials and signage.
The goal will be a consistent brand approach across all interactions with existing customers and prospects. Results will be multi-fold: 1) broader recognition of your brand and its positive attributes; 2) improved differentiation of your brand as a leading force in the marketplace; and 3) increased conversions as prospects more readily recognize your products and approach, and associate them positively.
Instructions: Estimate the price for your service package and come up with a label for it that describes a clear benefit to the client. Breaking down your service package into 3 or 4 chronological phases (if applicable) will help the client understand what will happen when, as well as sell the client on the value of your solution. But keep the breakdown at a high level and don’t break down your price; you’ll have to modify this a bit if your package includes ongoing services.
Strengthening Brand Loyalty to Build Business
|
$13,600 |
Instructions: Use this section to talk about the special value you can add to the client’s business that no other expert in branding strategy can. In the first paragraph, describe what the client will save or get (credibility, customer loyalty and conversions, and coordinated systems, for example) if they hire you. Break down your company’s most compelling assets into bullet points and emphasize why those assets are important for the client’s business.
{client_name} needs to differentiate its brand in the marketplace to build customer loyalty, engage new prospects and generate steady revenue, referrals and repeat business. {my_company}’s branding expertise can provide the necessary analysis and strategy development to do just that. Here’s why we can help {client-name}, better than any other marketing agency:
Instructions: Use this chart to break down your branding services into chronological phases. Describe what each phase entails in the “activities” section and give an estimated completion date for each phase. You might not need to use this section for short, one-off jobs, but it’s useful if you anticipate it will take more than a few weeks to deliver your services.
If {client_name} hires {my_company} to create the branding strategy it needs to build long-term relationships with its customers and improve conversion rate, our timeline would proceed as follows:
| Phase | Activities | Completion |
| Complete Brand Analysis | {my_company} will analyze {client_name}’s current brand status, conduct customer research, and complete a competitive brand analysis before moving on to a comprehensive brand audit. |
03/15/XX |
| Development of Custom Brand Strategy | {my_company} will develop a fresh brand strategy, including guidelines for use of your brand, covering everything from marketing campaigns to office templates. | 06/01/XX |
| Implementation of Custom Brand Strategy | {my_company} will put into action the strategy developed, including making all necessary aesthetic, digital, and marketing changes according to the strategy. | 08/10/XX |
Instructions: This is your “call to action” section. Make a limited offer that expires on a certain date, which motivates the client to act. Use bullet points to specify exactly what the client has to do to accept your offer. Finally, tell the client what will happen immediately after they accept the offer to set expectations.
To take advantage of this proposal and proceed with the project as outlined, {client_name}’s next steps must be to:
Once completed, {my_company} will contact {client_name} to schedule a project launch meeting to make introductions and gather information before beginning the work.
We’re happy to make changes to project scope at {client_name}’s request at any time, but some changes may be subject to additional billing.
Instructions: This section protects you from potential legal liability. Use it to talk about who owns your work product, whether you’ll be able to use portions of it on your website as examples, and how legal proceedings will go down if something goes wrong. Have an attorney look it over to give you guidance on how to apply it to your specific business.
Once the project fee is paid in full to {my_company}, any elements of text, graphics, photos, trademarks, or other content furnished to {client_name} for inclusion in projects or activities related to branding are owned by {client_name}.
{my_company} assumes {client_name} has permission from the rightful owner to use any code, scripts, data, reports or other content provided by {client_name} for inclusion in its website or other activities in conjunction with this branding project, and any related materials, and will hold harmless, protect, and defend {my_company} from any claim or suit arising from the use of such work.
{my_company} retains the right to display graphics and other creative content elements related to this branding project as examples of its work in its services portfolio.
This agreement becomes effective only when signed by agents of {client_name} and {my_company}. Regardless of the place of signing of this agreement, {client_name} agrees that for purposes of venue, this contract was entered into in [STATE] and any dispute will be litigated or arbitrated in [STATE].
The agreement contained in this contract constitutes the sole agreement between {client_name} and the {my_company} regarding all items included in this agreement.