The cost of a branding project depends on the problem to solve, the research and decisions required, the agreed deliverables, the number of applications and the complexity of implementation. The timeline and available resources can also influence the proposal. To compare usefully, you need to know what work the price includes, who does it and what you will be able to use at the end.
“We need branding” can mean a visual identity for a new product. It can also mean clarifying a company’s positioning, changing how it presents its services or building a coherent system for several products and markets.
These situations can have similar-looking visual deliverables at first glance. The decisions, research and work behind them can differ. That is where the conversation about price has to begin.
Are we talking about a logo, a visual identity or a broader project?
The logo is one element of the visual identity. The identity can include colors, typography, composition rules, imagery and applications. A branding project can also address positioning, the structure of the offer, messaging and how the promise is supported in the customer experience.
These components are not automatically part of every proposal. A company with a clear direction may need its visual system updated. Another may have polished materials but an offer that is hard to understand and differences that go unexplained.
When we define the project, we establish what should be kept, what needs clarifying and what needs building. That way, a useful earlier investment can keep doing its job.
What factors change the price?
| Factor | What it can add to the project | A helpful question |
|---|---|---|
| Clarity of direction | Research, interviews, analysis and positioning decisions | What do we know, and what still needs checking? |
| Size of the offer | Rules for products, sub-brands, services or markets | How many situations does the system have to cover? |
| Deliverables | Messaging, identity, guidelines, templates and applications | What will we actually use after handover? |
| Implementation | Adaptation on the website, materials, packaging or other touchpoints | Who makes the change in each place? |
| Coordination | Workshops, feedback, approvals and reviews | Who decides, and how many validation stages are needed? |
| Timeline | Reorganized capacity and stages that have to overlap | What has to be ready, by when and why? |
Complexity is not measured only by the number of files. A single message can require an important decision about audience and offer. At the same time, not every simple deliverable justifies an extended process.
How can you understand an estimate without a universal rate?
An illustrative calculation shows why defining the work matters. Purely for demonstration, let’s use an aggregate cost of €60 per hour and three possible volumes of work.
Hypothetical calculation example. These are not NOT MORE. rates, a proposal, market ranges or branding packages. Amounts exclude VAT and external costs.
| Assumed volume of work | Calculation at the same cost assumption | Illustrative result |
|---|---|---|
| 20 hours | 20 × €60 | €1,200 |
| 50 hours | 50 × €60 | €3,000 |
| 100 hours | 100 × €60 | €6,000 |
The table does not establish what can be delivered properly in each range. It only shows that the price cannot be separated from the estimated work. In a real project, roles can have different costs, and the proposal can be fixed, staged or time-based, depending on the collaboration.
More hours do not automatically prove better quality. We evaluate whether the work is needed, whether the approach answers the problem and whether the result can be used. Experience can reduce unnecessary trial and error, and a well-justified research stage can prevent costly rework.
What should be clear in the proposal?
The proposal has to define the intended outcome and the deliverables. If it mentions “strategy,” it is worth finding out which decisions it documents and how they will be used. If it mentions “identity,” you need to know which components, rules and applications are included.
We clarify the approval stages, how feedback is gathered and the revisions included. A change of objective after the direction is approved can mean additional work. It helps to have an explicit way to estimate and approve that work before it is done.
Handover should be discussed concretely: which files you receive, in which formats, what documentation accompanies the system and which usage rights or conditions are agreed. Fonts, photographs or other resources can have separate licenses, which should be identified in the proposal.
We also check what comes after handover. Implementation on the website, print production, photography and future adaptations can be included or contracted separately. An identity guide does not automatically mean every touchpoint has been updated.
Does an urgent project cost more?
It can cost more if the timeline requires reorganizing capacity, allocating extra resources or a different pace of coordination. The extra cost and the conditions should be communicated before confirmation.
Sometimes the answer is prioritization. We can prepare the components needed for launch and continue the remaining applications later. The choice depends on what can be delivered responsibly and on the client’s availability for feedback and approvals.
Urgency does not remove dependencies. If product information or commercial decisions are missing, speeding up the design does not solve them by itself.
How do you know whether the investment is worth it?
We establish what should become clearer or easier: understanding the offer, recognizing the brand, keeping materials consistent, the team’s use of the system or presenting relevant differences.
We can check these outcomes through concrete tasks, documented feedback and comparisons suited to the project. Sales growth has other influences too: the product, distribution, price, promotion and the experience provided. We do not automatically attribute a commercial change to the whole branding project.
At NOT MORE., we can clarify the direction, build the verbal and visual system and produce the agreed applications, including in digital environments. We can take on the whole process or the part you need, building on existing work and collaborating with the people involved.
For a relevant estimate, tell us what you want to change, what already exists, where the result has to be applied and what the deadline is. We can define the size and complexity of the project before setting the proposal.
On value, price and comparing proposals, continue with “‘Premium’ has to mean something.”, “Pricing starts with the problem to solve.”, “Same price. Very different proposals.” and “A new website does not automatically make buying easier.”.