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What does a branding agency do?

From brand strategy and naming to logo, website, app, pitch deck and trade-fair booth: all services explained – with the deliverables you get and the information the agency needs from you.

Updated: September 2026

A branding agency shapes how a company is perceived: what it stands for, what it is called, how it looks and sounds – and how all of that shows up on every touchpoint, from the app icon to the trade-fair booth. For a startup, the brand often has to do three jobs at once: win customers, convince investors and attract the first employees.

Not every agency offers everything. Some studios focus on strategy and identity, others also build websites, web portals and apps, a few also design booths and packaging. That is why it pays to know exactly which services you need before you contact agencies.

The 14 service areas of a branding agency

Brand strategy & positioning

The foundation of every brand: what your startup stands for, for whom – and why people should choose you over the competition.

Includes

  • Positioning & value proposition
  • Identity workshop with the founding team
  • Brand audit / brand check of the existing brand
  • Market, competitor & customer research (early adopters)
  • Purpose, vision, mission & values
  • Personas & customer journey
  • Brand story & storytelling
  • Brand architecture & product brands
  • Business plan & business model
  • Brand measurement & KPIs
  • Change & transformation (growth, pivot, M&A, exit)
  • Destination & lifestyle branding

Questionnaire: Brand strategy & positioning →

Naming & corporate wording

A name that is easy to remember, pronounce, protect and register as a domain – and a language that makes your brand recognisable.

Includes

  • Naming (company or product name)
  • Tagline / claim
  • Trademark, domain & social handle check
  • Linguistic check for target markets
  • Tone of voice & corporate wording
  • Messaging framework / key messages
  • Website & product copy

Questionnaire: Naming & corporate wording →

Logo & corporate design

Everything people see of your brand: from the logo, colours and fonts to the rules for using them.

Includes

  • Logo incl. variants (horizontal, stacked, icon, one colour)
  • Colours & typography
  • Mini style guide (1–2 pages)
  • Visual system & brand universe (key visual)
  • CI manual / brand guidelines
  • Image style & art direction
  • Icons & illustrations
  • Logo animation & motion design
  • Brand hub (online brand portal)

Questionnaire: Logo & corporate design →

Business stationery

The things every customer gets their hands on – designed consistently and with all legally required company details.

Includes

  • Business cards
  • Letterhead / letter template
  • Email signature with legal details
  • Quote & invoice templates
  • Presentation & document templates
  • Office tools (envelopes, stamp, badges)

Questionnaire: Business stationery →

Website, web portal & e-commerce

From a landing page to a web portal with customer login – designed, built and set up to turn visitors into customers.

Includes

  • Domain & email addresses
  • Landing page
  • Company website (5–10 pages)
  • Large corporate website (10+ pages, custom)
  • Web portal / platform with login
  • E-commerce / online shop (Shopify to custom)
  • Legal notice, privacy page & favicon
  • Google Business Profile
  • SEO basics
  • Digital strategy & service design
  • AI integration (e.g. chatbot)

Questionnaire: Website, web portal & e-commerce →

App & product design (UX/UI)

Brand and product must feel like one: the app is often the touchpoint your customers see most.

Includes

  • App icon
  • UX research & user tests
  • UX/UI design (iOS, Android, web app)
  • Clickable prototype (MVP, investors)
  • Design system / component library

Questionnaire: App & product design (UX/UI) →

Pitch deck & investors

Investors see hundreds of decks. Design will not save a weak story – but it makes a strong story clear and credible.

Includes

  • Pitch deck (storyline & design)
  • One-pager / executive summary
  • Editable deck master template
  • Pitch & presentation coaching
  • Investor relations (funding round)

Questionnaire: Pitch deck & investors →

Marketing, campaigns & editorial

The brand in everyday use: campaigns, content and templates that make your startup visible – and let your team keep going on its own.

Includes

  • Social media profile & cover images
  • Social media assets & templates
  • Marketing & content strategy
  • Campaign & ad creatives
  • SEA / Google Ads & performance
  • Content marketing & SEO
  • Newsletter & marketing automation
  • Flyer, brochure & posters
  • Editorial design (magazine, annual report)
  • Direct & dialogue marketing

Questionnaire: Marketing, campaigns & editorial →

Packaging design

For consumer products the packaging is the brand – on the shelf, in the online shop and in the unboxing video.

Includes

  • Packaging design (per product)
  • Labels & stickers
  • Shipping box & unboxing
  • Product photography & 3D packshots

Questionnaire: Packaging design →

Trade-fair booth, signage & space

The brand in physical space: at the trade fair, in the office, on the facade and on the company car.

Includes

  • Trade-fair booth design (concept & 3D)
  • Booth construction (build partner)
  • Roll-ups, banners & event materials
  • Signage, wayfinding & illuminated signs
  • Spatial design / office branding
  • Merchandise & workwear
  • Vehicle branding
  • Event design & live communication

Questionnaire: Trade-fair booth, signage & space →

Launch, film & photo

A launch people notice: campaign, film, photos and event around the moment your startup or product goes to market.

Includes

  • Launch campaign
  • Image film / brand film
  • Explainer / motion video
  • Photo shoot (team, product, portraits)
  • Launch event
  • Internal launch (employees)

Questionnaire: Launch, film & photo →

PR & communications

The right media, the right message, the right moment – from the funding announcement to crisis communication.

Includes

  • Media relations & press kit
  • Corporate communications
  • Media & presentation training
  • Stakeholder & reputation management
  • Crisis communication (incl. cyber crisis)
  • Public affairs & litigation PR
  • Sector communication (health, fintech, proptech, tech)

Questionnaire: PR & communications →

Employer branding & culture

Hiring is often the bottleneck of a growing startup – the brand has to convince future employees, too.

Includes

  • Employer value proposition (EVP)
  • Careers page & job ads
  • Internal & behavioural branding
  • Corporate culture & leadership engagement
  • Onboarding materials
  • Organisational development

Questionnaire: Employer branding & culture →

Ongoing support (per month)

The real work starts after the launch: a fixed monthly budget keeps the brand consistent while your startup grows.

Includes

  • Design retainer
  • Brand help desk & rollout support
  • Social media management
  • PR retainer (ongoing media relations)

Questionnaire: Ongoing support (per month) →

How a branding project runs

Briefing

Goals, scope, budget and deadline are agreed.

Discovery

Workshops, interviews and research.

Strategy

Positioning and brand platform.

Concept & design

Name, identity and first applications in 2–3 directions.

Refinement

One direction is developed and tested on real touchpoints.

Rollout

Guidelines, templates, website, app, booth …

Duration depends heavily on scope: a logo refresh can take a few weeks, a full brand with naming, website and app several months.

What agencies need to know before they can quote

  • Stage, industry and business model
  • Target customers and markets
  • Exactly which services and deliverables
  • What already exists and what must stay
  • Budget range and whether it is approved
  • Start date and deadline – and why
  • Who decides and how many people are involved
  • How you want to choose the agency

Our brief asks exactly these questions – and for each service only the details that matter for the quote.

How to choose the right agency

  • Look for work in your industry or stage – not just beautiful portfolios.
  • Ask who will actually work on your project.
  • Compare proposals on scope and process, not only on price.
  • Avoid unpaid pitches: good agencies invest time in understanding you, not in free designs.
  • Clarify rights of use: logo and designs should belong fully to you after payment.

A proposal, not questionnaires

Describe your project once – we forward it to the ideal agency.

Start your brief

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between branding and a logo?
The logo is one element of the brand. Branding also covers strategy, name, language, imagery and how the brand is applied – on the website, in the app, on packaging or at a trade fair.
Does a branding agency also build websites and apps?
Many do, often together with development partners. Web portals with login and native apps are usually built by agencies with their own development team – state this in your brief.
Can a branding agency also design a trade-fair booth?
Yes, many agencies design booths and coordinate with booth builders who produce them. Give the fair, date and booth size as early as possible.
When should a startup invest in branding?
Typically before a launch, a fundraising round or international expansion – and whenever the name or look no longer fits the company.

Your branding brief

About 10 minutes. The more precise your answers, the more precise the proposal – and the fewer calls you need.

Take your time – you don't have to do it all at once.Your answers are saved automatically in this browser. Fill in the brief in two or three sessions: close the window, come back later – everything you entered is still there. To continue on another device, save your answers as a file.

1. Your startup

The basics every agency asks first.

Stage

Business model

Target markets

2. What you need

From strategy and logo to web portal, app and trade-fair booth.

What do you need? Tick everything that applies. Grouped the way branding agencies structure their services. Not sure where to start? Select the essential kit – you can add or remove items afterwards.

Nothing selected yet

★ = essential kit every startup needs

Brand strategy & positioning

Naming & corporate wording

Logo & corporate design

Business stationery

Website, web portal & e-commerce

App & product design (UX/UI)

Pitch deck & investors

Marketing, campaigns & editorial

Packaging design

Trade-fair booth, signage & space

Launch, film & photo

PR & communications

Employer branding & culture

Ongoing support (per month)

3. Starting point

What exists already and where the brand should go.

Why now? The trigger for the project.

What already exists?

What must stay?

at least 20 characters

Interested in a digital competitor analysis?How your competitors show up online: website or shop, which pages and search terms (keywords) bring them the most traffic, social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok), apps and ads. Many agencies do this together with SEO and online-marketing partners.

Brand characterMove the sliders – the middle means «no preference».

PlayfulSerious
ClassicModern
AffordablePremium
UnderstatedBold
Warm & humanTechnical & precise
4. Budget & timing

The two questions that decide whether an agency can help you.

Budget for this project Excl. VAT. A realistic range saves everyone time – agencies scale the scope to it.

Is the budget approved?

Payment models you are open to

Would you be willing to pay part of the fee in company shares (equity)?Some agencies work with startups partly in exchange for a stake – this can lower the cash amount. Whether it is possible is always up to the agency.

How fixed is the deadline?

5. Working together

So you are matched with agencies that work the way you do.

Who makes the final decision?

How do you want to choose an agency?We do not forward requests for unpaid creative pitches.

Location of the agency

Preferred agency size

Experience with agencies

Should the agency also take care of legal protection?Trademark search and registration for name and logo, design protection, domains and transfer of usage rights. Agencies usually coordinate this with an IP lawyer. Patents protect technical inventions and are a matter for a patent attorney, not a branding agency.

6. Contact

Who the agencies should talk to.

Preferred first contact

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