I was recently shopping for polo shirts and was surprised at the options. The Old Navy pique polo shirts top out at about $14. Ok, that’s acceptable. The Ralph Lauren pique polo shirts cost up to $90. Wow. Logo + “Thermovent” + “hint of stretch” = $76? The answer to why one is so much more expensive lies in each company’s brand positioning.

The term ‘branding’ is lobbed around like a volleyball these days. You’ll hear statements from all corners of the marketing world:

"We need to build brand-awareness.”
“This campaign launch has to be ‘on-brand’.”
“I want to develop a sub-brand for this new product launch.”

The word ‘brand’ has become synonymous with ‘identity.' In reality, a brand and its identity are two separate things.

Picture this: It’s your first week at a new company, and you’re ready to meet with your agency to develop some new marketing initiatives. As you dig into your organization’s branding materials, you gasp in horror. What decade is this logo from? Who approved this color usage? Is there even a web-friendly version of the corporate font available?

 For some marketers, leading a branding—or rebranding—initiative is the holy grail. 

Even the most skilled marketers cannot do it all. Graphic design, website development, branding strategy, marketing campaigns, advertisements and more shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of one person. The solution is to hire a digital branding agency that is reliable and the right fit for your company. 

Using an agency can allow you access to top talent and expertise in your industry if you find the right one. A good agency will act as a support team, there to help you tackle whatever projects or campaigns you need completed. Below are some pointers that will help you narrow down which digital branding agency is right for you.

The only constant that exists is change. As time passes your B2B brand may become outdated, your company message might change, or a merger may occur. Whatever the reason, there may come a point in time where you will need to rebrand your company name, logo and tagline.

When it comes to B2B branding, many marketers strive to find innovation and inspiration. Numerous questions arise about how to tell a brand’s story correctly and then get the world to perceive it that way. The most successful brands are those that elicit an emotional response upon seeing a visual representation of the brand—not because a logo is associated with the brand but because an experience is attached to it.

Here are 5 quick B2B branding tips to think about when creating a new brand, or to use to enhance an existing brand:

It’s 2015 and technology is still evolving with an ever changing landscape for marketers. Due to these changes brands must adapt and stay abreast of trends in order to remain relevant. The digital age has created this phenomenon of relevancy for brands by adding new levels of engagement and interaction with customers. Without social, videos or online presence, a brand almost ceases to exist.

We work with a number of clients spanning a variety of roles, from Marketing Coordinator to Master of the Marketing Universe. Each client has a different need; a different audience to reach; a different result to incite. One consistent goal we see in creative briefs is the desire to hit a “home run” with marketing programs—whether it's to “push the brand” to generate more buzz in the industry, or to create a story that “goes viral.”

Imagine your brand as a movie, and your audience as a film critic who wrote single-word reviews. What would you want them to say about you? What would be that one big word in quotes on your matinee poster, summing up how your movie made them feel?

That’s your brand essence. It’s the promise you make to your audience, the idea that your brand provides a specific unique experience. It’s something your consumer relates to, understands, and desires on a fundamental level.

Branding might be your business, but are you guilty of these rookie mistakes? Find out if you’re committing one of these five branding sins.