5 provocative questions about branding that no one dares to answer

#1: "Why new branding? We already have a 'light branding' with corporate colors and fonts."

A “branding light” is a good starting point, but not sufficient for a holistic external representation between a brand and its target audience on all touchpoints - online and offline.

Our client Spedifort, for example, started with a "light branding" and was perceived as a startup. The holistic branding we then developed for this client ensured that Spedifort is perceived as an established premium brand. Within a year, a 300% increase in profit was achieved – thanks to the rebranding combined with various marketing and sales activities based on the new branding.

# 2: “Why do we need a corporate design manual?”

The Corporate Design Manual is the tool for all touchpoints that a brand must serve now and in the future - both online and offline.

It also ensures the independence and freedom of an entrepreneur. Ultimately, any design professional can work with the corporate design manual – not just the one who originally developed the branding. No one becomes an entrepreneur to become dependent on others, but to experience entrepreneurial freedom. A corporate design manual is the ticket to this freedom of choice.

# 3: “A flexible design system – isn’t that a contradiction in terms?”

No. Professional branding can be thought of like guardrails on a highway. It ensures consistently good design and brand recognition, while simultaneously providing the company with guidelines and specifications that are flexible and practical.

#4: “What if I don’t like the branding?”

First of all: Branding isn't about personal taste, but about converting your target audience into paying customers. At HCG corporate designs, we work conceptually and iteratively, ensuring from the very beginning that the journey is heading towards where it's actually meant to head to – firstly, with a detailed briefing and secondly, with psychologically sound questions about positioning at the beginning of the collaboration.

To give our clients a sense of the branding direction early on, we work with stylescapes. These show a rough draft of all the design assets of a brand – compressed into the smallest possible space for a basic overview.

# 5: “How much does branding cost?”

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The more important question is: What is the cost of not having a branding? It costs a company massive revenue and profit growth. One of our clients achieved 180% revenue growth in one year, another client achieved 300% profit growth.

It costs a company crucial and lucrative collaborations with important sales and business partners. Without branding or visible external quality, such doors remain firmly closed because the company isn't taken seriously.

It costs companies a significant portion of their credibility. After all, they claim to stand for certain values but don't make this visible to the outside world. This creates a serious credibility problem.

It costs the company employees who would rather work for a modern employer than a dusty business. The result: dangerous capacity bottlenecks and customers moving on to the "sexy competition."

Without branding, it takes a lot of time for companies to constantly think about what something should look like. It simply takes away valuable time and focus from the day-to-day business, which should actually be generating revenue.