We are empathetic, open and transparent. Frank Brands welcomes your Branding FAQs.

We are empathetic, open and transparent.
Frank Brands welcomes your Branding FAQs.

Corporate identity solutions

A few regular Branding FAQs answered

Corporate identity and branding is a complex process. If you like the design aesthetic across our graphic design and business branding work but are not quite ready to reach for the phone and commit to a coffee and chat; We have answered some of the questions about corporate identity solutions, usually asked on first contact. See below Branding FAQs. If there’s anything else you want to know about your corporate identity project, just give us a shout and we can go over all your questions in more detail and find brand solutions tailored for your specific needs.

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I DON’T THINK MY BUSINESS NEEDS ANY BRANDING.

You may well be right, but you are an expert in your own field and maybe not in business branding, corporate identity solutions, and graphic design? – so you may not actually know you need it and have not realise the missed opportunities your business may be experiencing. Have a quick call with us – We’ll give honest feedback and advice.

SORRY – I CANNOT AFFORD BRANDING

What is an average deal worth for your business? Well, you will only need a certain amount of business to recover the cost of this essential work. The proven results of our business branding design work are an improved market reputation, competitive advantage, and increased profits. Alternatively; a poor business brand image will lose you money – giving away opportunities to your competition. The quality of work that we offer is on average one-third or less than the cost of going to an agency offering the same level of quality. We can also offer interest-free stage payments to make life easier for you.

I HAVE ENOUGH WORK COMING IN ALREADY

If businesses want to connect with high net worth customers, having the right image and messages is absolutely crucial to attract them. A poor business image catches lower hanging fruit with less budget and more hassle. You need to start working smarter not harder. How would you like to have fewer customers but make more money – would this be good for you? and what could you do with all that extra time?

WHAT SORT OF CLIENTS HAVE YOU PROVIDED GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR?

A little bit about me – I am trained in Graphic Design and Visual Communication – 5 years at The London Institute, UK. I have 25 years brand agency experience in UK and Dubai at Creative Director level, servicing very large international corporations. My experience covers a wide-ranging client list which includes Emaar, Qatar Airways, British Telecom, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, Emirates Post, Nokia, SABIC industries, The Royal College of Art, Kempinski, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, Emirates Post, TECOM, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, Hamptons, DMG World Media, The Palace Ras Al Khaimah, Thai Airlines, Dubai Sports City, World Future Energy Summit, Roads and Transport Authority, Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities, Tridonic, Doha Airport, DMG World Media, Hertz and Etisalat to name but a few. This has given me excellent experience over multiple design disciplines, acquiring key skills that will be applied across your business branding.

WHO DO YOU WORK FOR NOW?

Business owners who did not invest in their business branding at the start, and now need to take their business image to the next level. Also, start-up business entrepreneurs who have the capital to invest in their business identities from the get-go. Companies that have existing brand guidelines but need specific communication media designed. International brands that employ large agencies for brand communications, but want the same results for a smaller price. Event or PR companies that do not have in-house capability for more prestigious projects and need to outsource design for their clients.

ARE YOU ANY GOOD AT GRAPHIC DESIGN THEN?

Well, we’d like to think so. Our creative Director Frank has lived and breathed art and design since a toddler – and just loves what he does for a living. With every project we finish – our understanding and passion for corporate identity solutions and brand communication problem-solving become deeper. We love to help businesses become more successful. To develop and create unique visual identities that communicate their core values, differentiate their service or product, and connect them to their customers. By providing clear and compelling business branding and corporate identity solutions, our clients experience a competitive advantage, improved reputation.

SO HOW MUCH IS THIS GOING TO COST ME?

Not as much as you may think. We can give a ballpark figure if required, but it’s impossible to give an accurate cost estimate without knowing project specifics. The total investment depends on your individual requirements and the number of deliverables. You are getting agency-quality design and 26 years of premium experience for a fraction of agency prices – keep in mind that larger agencies might frequently get a more junior designer to roll out subsequent design after the initial pitch; Frank executes ALL the work, so the attention to excellence is constant throughout our relationship.

THIS OTHER FREELANCER/COMPANY CHARGES LESS THAN YOU. CAN YOU MATCH THEIR PRICE?

As with most things; cheap does not mean good. Our customers recognise and value good business branding development and the use of a skilled and creative graphic designer with the passion and depth of thought we will bring to their project. When you buy into Frank Brands; you get five years of  UK graphic design education, plus twenty-six years of hands-on design and marketing experience, eight of which Frank was the creative head of large agencies. We prefer to work with clients that recognise and value the services we provide.

WHAT DO I GET FOR MY MONEY?

Well, this depends on what you need. If we are looking at your overall business branding, then the following would be essential: • A comprehensive look at your message. Is it consistent in theme, tone, and presentation. • A critique of the design and layout of your marketing materials. Are they branded consistently? Do they support one another and work together or are they disjointed? • A review of your brand color combinations and typeface used. • A review of your photography. This includes the style and quality of photography – improving your selection of brand photos. • A comprehensive look at your website name, layout, fonts, colours, styles, content, photography and overall presentation. • A review of your business systems (logo, business card, letterhead and envelope etc.). • A look at your social media visual brands (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo or any other social media you are using). • A review of your primary keynote presentation. Does your presentation speak professionalism? Does it stand out? Are you conveying your message with great design and simplicity of message?.

HOW LONG WILL THE PROJECT TAKE TO COMPLETE?

The schedule depends entirely on knowing the specific corporate identity solutions needed and the number of deliverables. We inevitably have a few projects running concurrently and will allocate the necessary time per day to get your business branding project finished at the agreed deadline. Give us a call, let’s see what you need and when you need it – and we’ll schedule your project at the very earliest.

WHAT DOES THE DESIGN PROCESS INVOLVE?

First off, we’ll agree on a project brief based on a Q&A session together – we need to discover what your company’s unique and authentic voice is, enabling us to formulate and articulate brand positioning aligned with your business goals. Based on this, we can work out an estimate of the time it will take us to complete all the work and therefore the costs involved from our side. When this is agreed and signed off, next off is a period of research and brainstorming. We will present at least three creative options to choose the right direction and we’ll develop from there to the conclusion. The process of company branding must adhere to the following system: 1. Investigate and understand the business strategy; 2. Explore the business idea from a customer viewpoint; 3. Articulate brand positioning and key messages; 4. Create an Identity to express the brand to the audience; 5. Design communication tools for marketing; 6. Manage brand consultancy to client and other service providers.

ARE YOU GOING TO BE BUILDING MY WEBSITE?

Yes. I will be creating a unique branded website of a very high standard. The website will be responsive across all digital devices from smartphones to large computer screens. It will use WordPress as the Content Management System.

WILL YOU CREATE STYLE GUIDES FOR YOUR BRAND IDENTITIES AND PUBLISHING TEMPLATES?

Yes, we think it is certainly very useful for business branding and dependent upon individual client needs. If only one person is responsible for using the design, a style guide is much less important than if the client is a large organisation. Guides can be from a single page in length to upwards of 20 pages. They contain all the usage instructions needed to ensure a strong, recognisable and consistent identity across the board.

YOU’RE BASED IN THE UAE AND THE UK – I’M NOT. IS THIS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM?

We love the internet. Our clients come from absolutely EVERYWHERE. We split our design time between the United Arab Emirates and the UK – depending on the heat. We can communicate via Zoom, Email, WhatsApp, Phone, or Skype – so there is no reason why we cannot accept projects from anywhere on this beautiful digitally connected planet.

CAN YOU DEAL WITH PRINTING MY COLLATERAL?

Yes. We have extensive experience dealing with commercial printers in Dubai and will be able to save you money on print – even with a 15% print management fee, you’ll save money. Printers, unfortunately, bump up their price to the inexperienced or unwary. The alternative is that we just give you all the printer files and you take care of it yourself, but the print production process is sometimes far more complicated than it seems and you could well get a sub-standard result.

HOW DO YOU ACCEPT PAYMENT?

We request a 50% downpayment when goals, timelines, and costs are agreed. This is payable via bank transfer. Details will be included in our Cost Estimate. The remaining 50% is payable upon completion of the project, prior to supply of original un-watermarked digital artwork or delivery of hard copy collateral.

Thanks! We hope all this makes sense and look forward to hearing from you.

A distinct personality will help your brand, business, website and any other communication stand out from the competition. Our B2B corporate identity solutions are strategically positioned to create an emotional connection with your audience.

Here’s three good reasons to brand your business

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Interested in corporate identity solutions? Let’s get started.

Sounds interesting?

Drop us an email and let’s talk about how I can differentiate your business brand identity development.

Let’s do this.