my two cents on branding
I’ve worked on projects across healthcare, literature, entertainment, and fashion – and what always fascinates me is how different each one looks. Completely different aesthetics, totally different audiences. And yet, no matter the industry, there’s always a subtle thread of me embroidered into the work. That’s not ego – it’s just what happens when you hire a creative. You’re not paying for copy-and-paste. You’re paying for someone’s instincts, style, and way of seeing the world.
If you don’t know me, my career in marketing began with rebrands. And let me tell you – I’ve lost count of how many clients have come to me completely disenchanted with their existing look. Nine times out of ten, it’s because they fell for the wrong promise. Here’s the truth: there are a lot of “marketing” agencies out there that "specialize" in branding that churn out the same look for every client. These Derek Zoolander marketeers are giving the rest of us a bad name – and leaving businesses with cookie-cutter identities that don’t connect. And here’s the kicker: once you’ve been burned, rebranding is always an uphill battle. You’re not just fixing the visuals – you’re repairing trust, confidence, and vision.
Real branding isn’t just changing the font and swapping in a new color. Every decision – typography, spacing, imagery, tone – speaks volumes about who a business is and what they stand for. Of course, any creative you hire will bring their own fingerprints. That’s normal. That’s why you hire them. For me, you’ll see a love of clean layouts, bold fonts, negative space, and dynamic images that stir something in the viewer. Those threads appear across my work – but here’s the difference: you’ll never see overlap. Brands aren’t meant to be stamped out like widgets. They’re snowflakes. From afar, they may all sparkle, but up close, each one has its own story, beauty, and complexity.
At the heart of it, branding is translation. Our job as creatives is to extract the truth of who a client is, why they do what they do, and who they want to be – and then turn that into a visual and verbal identity the world instantly understands. Done right, it’s not just eye-catching – it’s connective.
So here’s my “two cents”...
For creatives:
· Start with the why.
· Ask questions until you know their business as well as they do.
· Show references and mock-ups to stay in sync.
· Build the relationship as much as the work.
· And remember, never take a “no” personally. No is always an opportunity.
For businesses or individuals:
· Hire a creative whose aesthetic you already like. If their style doesn’t vibe with you, it never will – no matter how many revisions you beg for.
· If you’re a small to mid-size business, look for someone with a multi-disciplinary background. The right person will save you time, money, and a lot of heartache by knowing how all the pieces fit together.