Choosing the Right Branding Consultant
Which consultant do you hire?
Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy for Once a Day Marketing™. Today is Recon Thursday and we are continuing our series about outsourcing branding and marketing support for your company with a discussion around Branding Consultants.
In Part I we examined assessing whether or not your current marketing is effective and if it makes sense to keep it in house or bring in an outside consultant. When you decide to hire a branding consultant, focus on the following four areas in your evaluation of the individual or company you are interviewing.
First is rapport. Have you established a relationship and get along with this individual or company? You will be working closely with them so it is very important that you work well together. Your branding consultant should get you excited about your brand and branding in the future. Number two; review examples of their past work and make sure you like it. Don’t assume that because they are talented they will be able to provide what you want.
Next look at their approach, the steps they will take to complete your scope of work. Fourth, call/review references, look at the age of the references and if they are not recent, request more up to date contacts.
Once you engage a consultant clearly define the scope of work. Discuss fees; every company is different, they may bill you on an hourly basis, a project basis or retainer. Decide what will work the best for your budget.
Establish a timeline. I recommend that you consider a phased delivery. Don’t encompass all the work into one milestone to be delivered at the end of the project. Rather, establish a number of smaller milestones. Review and approve one milestone at a time and then move on to the next. Lastly, be very clear on the deliverable or deliverables the consultant will turn over to you when the work is complete.
Once a Day Marketing™ positions brands to become #1 in the minds of target customers. Visit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com. Contact James Glover at (505) 501-1330 or email glover@onceadaymarketing.com. Listen to Ask Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11am (MST) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.
© 2013 Once a Day Marketing™. All rights reserved.
Filed in: 7Ps of Marketing • Day of the Week • Process • Recon Thursday
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