Best Branding and Design Agencies in the UK (2024)

What is a branding design agency?

Since branding has long ceased to be something of a luxury, but has become an indispensable companion of any business, the popularity of branding design agencies is only growing and among the various representatives of this market, more specialised structures are appearing that detail their work in any of the areas.

Thus, companies that position themselves as design experts provide their clients with two lines of important services in parallel – branding and design. The result of this is incredibly successful campaigns, in which every detail is a well-thought-out and logically complete structure.

Design, as one of the physical manifestations of creative branding, enhances and supports those ideas that help businesses convey their meanings and values ​​to the end consumer, and since Great Britain has long been one of the trendsetters in the field of creativity, it is in local providers that world trends sometimes arise.

Working harmoniously in one team, branding experts and designers perfectly combine analytical data from market research with emotional impact through creative visual effects, and therefore contacting such agencies brings the expected effect faster and sometimes even with less cost to the client.

The main difference of such vendors are:

• the emphasis on detailing the image of brands,
• attention to the development of identity,
• the formation of a strategy for the purpose of long-term interaction with customers.

All this becomes possible thanks to a comprehensive approach both from the side of virtual products and through physical manifestations in printing, packaging, and outdoor advertising.

What does a branding and design agency do?

Since, as we have already said in our review, such organisations provide comprehensive services from creating a strategy to visual identity and implementing all ideas in practice, the list of services in such companies is quite wide. We will focus on the main ones so that you know exactly what you can expect when contacting one of these firms.

1. Brand strategy. This is the main type of activity, but each type of provider implements it in its own way; in this case, a significant part of the work is devoted to analysing the market in terms of design solutions and adjusting their own approaches accordingly in order to break through “banner blindness” and potential clients pay attention to the new brand.

   The strategy also describes in detail the goals, mission and history of the company, which will subsequently be broadcast in any interactions with the audience.

2. Visual identity. This is a kind of “hobby horse” of branding and design agency, since all the advantages of the joint work of designers and brand managers are manifested here. This area includes not only the development of a logo, the choice of colour schemes and styles, but also the design of packaging, branded goods, printing and other visual manifestations.

   However, the logo is still one of the key figures in branding. And an example of this is Nike, seeing the logo of which you just decide to do it – isn’t it? By the way, did you know that the most used colour of logos is blue, it is used by almost 40% of companies from the Fortune 500 list.

3. Verbal identity. A list of services aimed at ensuring that any message, be it an email, a notification in a mobile application, an advertising slogan, etc., are precisely aligned with the general idea and mission of the company. To do this, a tone of voice is first formed, which all other messages will subsequently have to match.

4. Digital branding. Today’s business can no longer be separated from the web and digital tools, and therefore, top teams providing branding always have employees on staff who are proficient in modern technologies and help present the brand in the online space with maximum efficiency.

   Here, the function of branding and design companies is also clearly manifested, since the website, pages in social networks and platforms, as well as online advertising layouts, designed in a single style, can loudly declare that this brand always keeps up with the times, and therefore will meet all modern customers’ requirements.

5. Branding Guide. This is a complete guide that collects previous developments and formulates clear rules for the use of visual and verbal elements, spells out the tone of messages, as well as recommendations for further brand development. All employees check this document when planning any activity to present the company on the market.

A feature of all the reviewing services in an agency that combines design and brand consulting is the active participation of creatives at each stage, so that all brand manifestations are covered by a single style and demonstrate the advantages and differences in the most favourable way.

How to choose branding design agencies?

It would seem that the answer to this question is obvious – you just need to look through the list of companies and choose the best one, but here is where the catch lies. After all, a partner that at first glance seems quite respectable may in fact be not quite competent in some matters or not sufficiently correspond to your values.

That is why our reviewer recommends a comprehensive approach to the choice, taking into account several important factors at once, namely:

• Evaluate the work performed. Seeing how the declared services are implemented in practice is the best way to make sure that what is written on the company’s website is true. In addition, you can always evaluate your first impression as a potential buyer: if a fragment of advertising or packaging elements evoke an emotional response in you, most likely, others will react just as actively.
• Study the industry experience. Analysing the portfolio, you can note in which areas this provider has already worked, and therefore – assume how close your niche is to it. Of course, large branding and design firms can adjust existing tools to the required area, but it is better for brand design experts to already be familiar with the specifics of your industry.
• Read customer reviews. This is a real treasure for those who want to get an unbiased opinion, because clients sometimes concentrate on details that employees may not mention. For example, how quickly they respond to your request or how the team communicates. Sometimes such little things can significantly affect the choice and further cooperation.
• Assess the level of proficiency in modern technologies. This can be done in all the ways listed above (portfolio, customer reviews, independent analysis of the site). In the descriptions of implemented cases or customer reviews, you can see the names of the technologies that were used in the development of the project, and in the articles on the site you can read more about the approaches that the company adheres to.

And if among this you do not find a mention of trendy methods of market research or creating visuals, it is worth considering whether your brand will keep up with current trends.

Price of a design and branding agency

Often, the choice of a branding provider largely depends on the financial plans and capabilities of the business, and in order to stop your attention on any of the representatives of our list, you should know the estimated amount that will have to be spent on a particular project.

Here, two key factors are usually considered: the level of the agency and the required service. So, if you only need a logo design, you can easily fit into a budget of £5,000 in a small agency, and by turning to high-level specialists for a complex design layout with preliminary market research, you will have to spend about £15,000.

If a mid-sized business needs a comprehensive rebranding, then the development of a strategy, logo design, visual and verbal identity, as well as digital services will cost about £50,000.

In addition to the complexity and volume of work, you should also regard the pricing model adopted in a particular organisation. There are three main types that are commonly used:

• Hourly rate model (used for small projects, calculated by multiplying the number of hours spent by the hourly rate of a particular agency).
• Project-based model (used more often by large providers and in cases with comprehensive services).
• A fee agreement (if you need ongoing support from the team, this is a great option for quarterly or monthly payments, as a result of which the client receives comprehensive assistance in any issues related to branding or design).

Whichever option you choose, remember that investing in brand development always pays off handsomely, if only you have correctly identified a crew in which each designer or brand master is interested in coordinated and effective work.

Looking for a branding and design company?

Investing in brand development is an investment in the future, which means it does not tolerate fuss and haste. That is why, when choosing an agency, take the time to study the offers from various providers in order to really create the perfect match and not only get the expected result, but enjoy the process of creating a new masterpiece that will win the hearts of your audience.

The visual perfection that a professional agency can give your brand will skillfully complement the values ​​​​and mission that you have invested in the creation of your brainchild. Of course, the question of choosing a vendor is not an easy one, so if you are at a crossroads, refer to other pages of our platform, where reviews of many similar companies are collected.

With our guidance you will definitely be better prepared for the marathon to successfully reach the finish line of the branding race, and since our list includes only the best British representatives of the market, your brand style will be in good hands.