1. What does a branding agency actually do?

The conventional answer would be: A branding agency helps shape how your organization is seen, understood, and trusted.

But at The Bureau Of Small Projects, we like to create attractors that bring you business or for nonprofits, increase donations and expand membership. Our principal clientele are Small Businesses, Startups and Nonprofits and they typically don’t have huge budgets so we need their branding to perform.

Beyond logos fonts and colors, branding includes clarifying your mission, audience, and voice… then turning that into consistent visuals and messaging for your website, marketing, and outreach. The goal is to help the right people recognize you, trust you, and do business with you or support your organization.

2. How is branding different from marketing or advertising?

At The Bureau Of Small Projects we look at branding a bit differently than most agencies. For us they are all interconnected. This is because we like our branding to be an attractor and for it to serve that purpose your brand needs to live in the world.

It works like this: At The Bureau Of Small Projects we define your brand as that which makes your organization different and better than your competitors. Not different and better than everyone in the world of course, but better for the people you’d like to work with.

After that marketing – attracting customers or growing membership – is easy. It’s just a matter of getting your message in front of as many people as possible. And never before in the history of the world has there bern more ways to do that: Your website of course, including blog posts, case studies and white papers, social media, Email newsletters and campaigns, co-hosting events, Workshops, panels, community meetings, conferences, webinars, articles, interviews, podcasts, and local news features, google Search ads, display ads, podcast ads, sponsorships, traditional media like radio, television spots, billboards, brochures, reports, posters, signage, direct mail, grassroots campaigns, local bulletin boards, faith-based groups, schools, civic organizations can be powerful channels (especially for nonprofits). As you can see the list is almost endless.

3. Do nonprofits really need branding, or is it only for businesses?

Nonprofits absolutely need branding.

Powerful branding helps nonprofits clearly communicate their mission, build trust with donors and communities, and stand out in a crowded funding and advocacy landscape. A clear, consistent brand makes it easier for people to understand what you do, remember you, and support your work.

Branding isn’t about a pretty logo, branding is about mission clarity, credibility, and connection so the right people believe in your mission and take action.

We tell our nonprofit clients to think like a business. Our clientele are people who want to make the world a better place and to do that you need to grow your membership and resources and branding helps do that.

We create attractors, for nonprofits that means attracting members, volunteers and of course donations.

4. When is the right time for a startup to invest in branding?

Most startups benefit from branding when they’re preparing to launch, seeking funding, entering a competitive market, or struggling to clearly explain what they do.

If customers, investors, or partners don’t immediately understand or trust your organization, branding will help create focus and consistency.

You don’t need a massive brand early on, but you do need a clear story, message, and recognizable visual identity that will make you stand out from your competitors.

On that note, we work with a lot of Silicon Valley startups who have products and services that are brand new and unique. Often they tell us that they have no competition. This is a big mistake. A competitor is not an organization doing the same thing you do. A competitor is any person or organization taking business away from you.

With 80% of startups failing in the first year, I’d argue that startups need branding even more than established businesses.

5. How much does branding cost for a small business or nonprofit?

Branding for small businesses and nonprofits ranges from as little as a few thousand dollars here and there for an incremental refresh. The cost depends on what you need: strategy, messaging, visual identity, or a complete brand foundation.

At The Bureau Of Small Projects we practice what we call Evolutionary Branding.

The concept is based upon ideas developed by cycling coach Dave Brailsford when he took over as head of the British Cycling team in 2002, called the aggregation of marginal gains. The idea that many small inexpensive changes can have more of an impact than a few big ones.

Applied to branding this means looking at the low hanging fruit first. Fixing what needs the most work right away, then as budget permits moving to the next most important fix. We like it when an increase in revenue due to branding improvement pays for our services.

We take budgets very seriously. At the Bureau of SMALL Projects, we of course know the power of “thinking small”. Our clientele — startups, nonprofits and businesses that are making a difference in the world — don’t have the deep pockets of Fortune 500 companies and Big Brands, so they must be smarter and more agile in their branding and marketing efforts.

Because many SMALL changes — while learning as you go and making adjustments based on data — can make more of a difference than a few BIG expensive ones.