The Big Branding Questionnaire (Our Top Branding Questions Answered)

Welcome to the big branding questionnaire.

This post is full of branding questions to get your head spinning, and boat floating when it comes to designing brand identity.

For any business owner, this can be tough to get right.

We’ve broken the most common branding questions down into three categories:

1. Branding Questions People Ask Us
2. Branding Questions We Ask Our Clients
3. Weird and Wonderful Branding Questions

There were far too many questions to answer, so we’ve taken the best of the best and wrapped them up into this post.

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So without further ado, let’s get stuck into the big branding questionnaire.

Branding Questions People Ask Us

Let’s start by answering the branding questions that we get asked when we start working on a project.

How Much Does Branding Cost?

The cost of branding is often the first question people ask when considering their project.

In fact, we get asked about the cost of branding so much, we wrote a post about exactly that, which answers the big question of exactly: “How Much Does Branding Cost?”

To recap on some of the key points:

It’s impossible to give an accurate cost for a branding project because every single company has different goals and requirements.

We’ve worked on branding projects worth £3000 and branding projects worth £15,000.

That’s a vast range.

But it really does depend on the size and type of project.

Think about it:

A family owned and operated pet food business is going to have completely different requirements than a National IT provider.

Essentially, without diving into project specifics, the question “how much does branding cost?” is impossible to answer.

Here’s something to consider, though:

Think about your company branding as an investment, rather than a cost.

Sure, you’re handing over your hard earned cash, but you’re building equity in the business by having a well designed brand identity.

How Does the Branding Process Work?

The branding process itself is pretty easy to outline, but for the sake of having everything in one handy place:

1. Branding Discovery Session
2. Visual Branding Research
3. Visual Research Feedback Session
4. The Initial Brain Dump
5. Concept Creation
6. Internal Team Meeting to Refine Concepts
7. Creation of the First Brand Identity Round
8. Feedback Session
9. Iterate, Repeat Cycle
10. Finalise the Brand Identity

That’s the ten steps we take with each and every one of our branding projects.

Essentially, to get started with a branding project, it’s a meeting, then research, then a discussion about the research.

From there, we let out the initial ideas, and once our brains are empty, we can set about creating the initial brand concepts. Then we have an internal team meeting to discuss and refine them.

That leads us to creating the “first round” of brand identity design. This is then handed over to our client.

A “round” is a PDF presentation of several different routes and ideas that a branding project could unfold.

After the round is presented, it’s a feedback session where everyone has the chance to discuss their thoughts and ideas.

We then iterate on the feedback, improve the round, take things in different directions, and repeat the cycle.

Eventually, a final direction is settled on, and we finalise the brand identity.

There’s a lot of opportunity for clients to be involved, and we welcome discussions at any stage throughout the project.

How Long Will Branding My Business Take?

This depends on the deliverables that you’re asking us to create for you.

Here’s the deal:

Typically, at Canny, we find that most of our branding projects take between six and twelve weeks.

We prefer to have a whole week to deliver each round of identity, normally taking five or six weeks.

Then, we like to have some time in the diary to polish and refine the final identity. After that, we can create the extra deliverables.

What Is Involved in a Branding Project/What Do You Get For Your Money?

Again, this all depends on you and your business.

To help answer this question, I’m going to take a cue from our most recent branding proposal, which includes the things we typically see as part of a branding project.

Brand Strategy Development

• Competitor research and report
• Brand values, mission, and story creation
• Brand messaging, including: who we are, what we do, and our USP

Brand Identity Development

• 1 custom moodboard or stylescape concept
• Up to 6 rounds of brand identity development
• 3 rounds of revisions to the final brand identity
• Stationery design for: business card, letterhead, and 5 promotional items
• Complete brand guidelines (16-20 pages)
• Social media avatar/template creation for 5 social channels
• 16 page slide deck/brand deck
• 16 page company brochure
• All files delivered in print and web format

This is what most of our branding projects tend to entail.

Obviously, this depends on your specific business, but the above should give you an idea of the sort of things we tend to work on with our clients.

How Do You Start a Branding Project?

Here’s how we deal with new enquiries:

1. Initial contact is made
2. Initial telephone conversation or Skype meeting
3. Agreement to a further meeting
4. Further meeting takes place
5. The proposal for the work is issued and agreed upon

Then from there, the first invoice is sent alongside the contract, and you’re into the project as outlined above.

One thing to be aware of is that:

You really can’t get started on a branding project or with a branding agency without a telephone conversation or a meeting.

You need to be able to talk and bounce off each other to make your branding project a success.

So, when your agency invites you in for a meeting or wants to jump on a call, take the chance, and help them help you!

Branding Questions We Ask Our Clients

Let’s talk about the questions we ask.

These are the branding questions we use at Canny to help us evaluate a potential new client’s business.

Where Are You Now vs Where You Want to Be?

Having clear goals and objectives set around a branding project drives things forward more efficiently.

Understanding where you are as a company now, and where you want to get to (by when) can help decide on the appropriate solution.

With most new businesses, the problem they have is a lack of identity, and no way for customers to recognise them.

With existing businesses, perhaps it’s a case of wanting to enter a new market, ditch a tired image, or recover from some sort of PR disaster. There is a whole range of reasons companies decide to rebrand.

Establishing clear branding goals with your branding or rebranding agency will make sure everyone is on the same page from day one.

What Exists in Terms of Your Brand Identity?

New companies don’t tend to have a lot in the way of existing brand identity.

However, if you’ve been in business for a while, there’s a chance you’ll have a mounting pile of branded products and goods.

But remember: Your brand identity isn’t just about visuals. It’s also how you communicate. Your tone, key messages, and brand personality all shape how your audience perceives you.

We ask this question to get an understanding of the scale of business we’re working with.

It also helps inform the list of branding deliverables as we discussed above.

To help us understand each new project, we run a brand audit in our initial meetings, which gets everyone clear on the current state of play.

Once that’s established, it’s time to decide what’s to be kept and what’s for the (recycling) bin.

What is Your Intended Target Market or Audience?

Identifying your target market is essential, no matter what you’re doing within your business.

Some people find creating customer personas difficult, and I don’t blame them – it’s very difficult.

A lot of people focus on creating a very real person in a very defined niche, and that’s sometimes a perfect solution.

If you’re going to be narrow in your focus, try noting down the following about your customer:

Demographic traits such as:

• Age
• Gender
• Location
• Occupation
• Education level, etc

Psychographic characteristics such as:

• Personality
• Attitude
• Lifestyle
• Situations
• Values/Beliefs
• Environment, etc

And my favourite, and often most insightful, personal questions:

• What does their family structure look like?
• What type of car do they drive?
• Are they a pet owner?
• What newspapers/magazines do they read?
• Which websites do they visit? And for what purpose?

These sorts of things can help you build laser focused customer personas, which can then be put to use by your branding agency.

These aren’t “forever” documents; they’re living, breathing documents that should change as your business grows.

Who Are your Competitors and How Do You Fit Into the Competitive Landscape?

It’s funny to think about, but your competitors will actually help to shape your branding choices.

Consider the trends in your sector, note what competitors are doing and think about what works and what doesn’t.

Think about your target audience and how they perceive these brands.

Then you need to ask yourself:

• Where do you fit in the market? Are you the Rolls Royce of organic snacks or the Larder?

Your positioning will guide your messaging, visual identity, and overall brand strategy.

For example:

• EasyJet is cheap and cheerful, and this is reflected in their bold orange branding.
• Waitrose, meanwhile, is a high-end supermarket, which is shown in their polished, premium identity.

Clear positioning will help your brand stand out, without trying to be everything to everyone.

What Are the 3 Key Benefits You Bring to Your Customers / What’s Your USP?

It’s important that your business has something to offer customers that’s completely different from your competition.

These USPs are a good thing to help anchor your brand strategy, identity, and messaging.

If you have nothing unique, then you’re “just another bakery” or “just another tea or coffee company.”

Just because you have an awesome packaging design doesn’t mean you have a great offering.

At Canny, we have three values that we use to hold ourselves accountable:

They are:

1. Awesome design, always
2. Partnership over profit
3. Small but mighty

We use these to guide the choices we make and the clients we work with.

You need to straighten out your offering before diving headfirst into a branding project.

What Action Do You Want Your Customers to Take?

This isn’t so much a concern when building your brand, but your website. And as your website is part of your brand identity, that’s why it’s included.

The actions you want your site visitors to take must be 100% clear.

For example, if you’re a B2B company, perhaps you prefer phone over email. In that case, it’s no good prioritising your email address in your calls to action.

Maybe you want blog readers to opt-in to a download.

Try going through your website pages, and ask yourself two things:

• What words should visitors use to get to this page?
• What action do I want them to take when they get here?

Having clarity around search intent should help you identify the logical next step in the process.

You need to be crystal clear about the desired actions of your visitors, as then you can build that into your branding or website project.

Do You Have an Existing Audience We Can Leverage?

Having an existing audience or customer base that you’re familiar with can help drive your branding project forward with ease.

Rather than stabbing in the dark or creating an identity based purely on your brand strategy, you can also ask customers for contributions.

Now, we’re not saying designing out in the open and running every decision by your consumers is a good idea.

In fact, that can ruin a good project. So don’t do that.

But inviting a select handful of your target audience to provide feedback to you on the way your branding is shaping up is a useful tactic.

We’ve seen this unfold in a number of different ways:

• You can use online surveys using a tool like SurveyMonkey or HotJar
• If you’re in a service based business, you can seek feedback from customers when you meet them
• You could even invite your best customers to a roundtable over lunch

Getting feedback from your ideal customers is always going to be a valuable experience that will help shape your brand.

How Do You Make Money and What Does the Buying Process Look Like?

Understanding how our customers make their money and what drives their customers to buy influences a branding project more than anything else.

For example, if your customers all find your services online, then you need to dedicate a lot of time to the branding process for your online assets.

However, if you find most of your customers at trade fairs or exhibitions, then you need to ensure you have the relevant materials for that.

To understand how to brand a company, it’s important that we know how you make money and which brand touchpoints you’re utilising. And, if it’s not too much to ask, how much is your average customer worth?

Combine that with your customer personas, and you can start to build up a solid understanding of your business and brand.

From there, it’s a case of creating a corporate brand strategy and identity design that appeals.

What Marketing Materials Do You Anticipate Needing?

By now, we know where you’re at in terms of your existing brand, your audience, and how you position yourself in the market.

The next logical step is to think about how you’re going to bring that brand to life through marketing and promotional materials.

This includes everything from brochures, presentations, and social templates to your website, email campaigns, or even trade show collateral. This is about making sure every touchpoint reflects your brand identity and communicates your story consistently.

We also like to look back at what’s worked (or not) in the past. Maybe a previous campaign didn’t land, or your social posts didn’t feel on-brand.

Understanding those wins and misses helps shape smarter decisions for the future, meaning that your marketing efforts will amplify your brand rather than just exist.

What Are Your Visual Identity and Design Preferences?

Now that we’ve explored your audience, positioning, and key benefits, it’s time to think about how your brand looks and feels.

We ask clients about their preferences for logos, colour palettes, typography, and imagery, as well as which design styles inspire them.

Are you drawn to bold, modern aesthetics, or something more classic and understated?

Are there visual cues from competitors you want to avoid, or elements from other brands that really resonate?

Additional Insights and Preferences

Once the key questions are answered, we dive into the additional insights that can make your brand really sing.

This is where we explore subtleties, such as balancing contrasting brand characteristics, for example, being professional yet approachable, or luxurious yet sustainable.

We also ask about preferred imagery, lessons learned from previous branding efforts, and daily challenges your customers face.

What worked before? What didn’t?

Are there cultural associations or industry norms we should consider – or consciously break?

Even small details, like adjectives your customers use to describe your brand or significant milestones in your company’s journey, feed into creating a cohesive and memorable identity.

Weird and Wonderful Branding Questions

This is the “odd bunch.” Branding questions that didn’t fit in anywhere else, but we thought we should take a stab at answering anyway.

What’s The Difference Between Branding and Logo Design?

As a quick overview:

Your logo design is simply the one mark that customers recognise about your business. Like Apple’s apple, or McDonald’s golden arches.

Your brand is the whole package; it’s your strategy and identity brought to life.

It’s time for my favourite branding quote again:

“Branding is what people say about you when you’re not in the room” – Jeff Bezos

Check out our article What is Branding? for a deeper dive into this question.

Is Branding Dead?

No, and it never will be. Undoubtedly, though, branding is changing.

Rather than the flashing, “buy this, buy that” approach of years gone by, things are becoming more refined.

Branding is becoming more people-focused. Hence, the rise of personal branding.

This doesn’t mean business branding is dead.

You now need to have a business brand, supported by great people, with their own personal brands.

People buy from people, not businesses. They want to do business with people they know, like, and trust.

No amount of solid brand identity design is going to hide the fact that you run a shady operation.

Get the people right, get your brand right, and you’re going to win.

Do I Need Branding?

Every business looking to grow needs good branding.

But it does depend on your goals.

If you’re a builder, and you’re a one person team, doing it to tide you over until retirement age, and you’re happy plodding on, you don’t need professional branding.

An effective logo design would do the job.

But with any business looking to grow outside of that small team, branding is essential.

So, put the budget to one side, and as soon as you have enough to spend, get your branding taken care of professionally.

Is Branding Important?

Yes, and it always will be.

The importance of branding, again, is something we’ve talked about a lot of times on the blog.

Here’s the deal:

• Branding improves recognition
• Branding builds loyalty
• Branding is an investment that builds brand equity
• Branding supports your marketing activities
• Branding helps generate new customers
• Branding inspires employees

The list could go on and on, but the six reasons above should be enough to reassure you that branding is important.

Name a large successful business that doesn’t have its branding on point?

It’s an impossible task.

We now live in a brand aware world where branding is more important than ever, so don’t sleep on it.

Are Branding Costs Tax Deductible?

We’re not in a position to give out solid financial advice. In fact, our accountant was the first hire we made!

Look at it like this:

Branding is a business expense, and therefore would be considered tax deductible.

That said, check with a qualified accountant if you have any doubts at all!

The Big Branding Questionnaire (Branding Questions You Need to Answer)

There you have it.

The great big branding questionnaire, with a whole heap of branding questions and answers to help you understand branding at a higher level.

As you can see from the questions, there are lots of sides to branding a business successfully, and it relies on all parties playing their part.

Branding is a mighty big topic, and we hope this post has helped to shed some light on the processes we go through to produce our work.

Let us know in the comments below if you have any branding questions of your own!