A short guide to Hiring a brand strategist

Let’s start with what qualifies me to lead your brand strategy.

First, let’s walk through a few of my career wins as a creative leader:

• As creative director for a powerhouse nonprofit brand, my creative media work was regularly seen by live audiences of 400 to 2500 people and sponsored by the likes of JC Penney, Chick-fil-a, and Gatorade. That same work, to this day, has helped raise several million dollars.

• 13 of my former volunteer designers, filmmakers, and photographers have gone on to start their own creative media companies!

• My brand strategies & designs today are regularly experienced by big time audiences like global brands, Hollywood producers/entertainers, corporate executives, and others. But my creative roots are grounded in nonprofit creative work (meaning I don’t carry a pretentious ego).

• In 2017, a multi-billion dollar insurance client hired me to get marketing initiatives moving in their Seattle office. One of those projects was a multi-million dollar win for them that you can read about in my blog.

• Several Southern California high school track stars were recruited in 2019 by D1 track programs after their coach hired me to concept a pitch deck series to get the attention of college programs.

• In 2010 I concepted and created a wilderness "tribal competition" designed for college men to connect. That annual event is now known as Survivor Weekend, an award-winning, premiere event for 500+ college men & women at several universities.

“Fit.”

Finding the right leader who’s both talented AND LIKABLE is critical because developing a great brand strategy is a medium to long range partnership. Here are a few things I look for when I’m approached:

How much will it cost?

My brand strategy rates are currently valued at $6k--$50k depending on your company size, revenue, etc.

General* price ranges for:

• Personal brand, 1-person company, or product brand: $6k—$10k

• Small startup: $6k—$10k

• Small business: $10k—$20k

• Large company: $20k—$30k

• Global brand: $30k—$50k

*Be ready to pay these rates. I will provide a specific rate once I hear more from you.

WHAT YOU’RE BUYING > In this phase, I’ll work directly with your decision makers crafting high-level brand concepts that will direct the vision and image of your company. This 2 to 3 month stage would follow my method and involve meetings & phone calls, and ultimately developing a winning brand strategy majoring on things like researching, concepting, sketching, and strategizing with you. Blueprint stuff. Whiteboard stuff! All to get things set using a systematic method and only then, moving on to produce your visuals, messaging, and beyond. Together, we’ll lean on my experience as a designer, producer, and creative director to fully develop your brand strategy which will power all your creative marketing initiatives for the near future. We’d follow this process of deliverables and timetables: 

• STEP 1. Assessment of your history, goals, biz DNA. I have a list of 10 interview questions I’ll ask. (1 week to process)

• STEP 2. Craft company themes & story with a “branding workflow” (1 week to process)

• STEP 3. Tag line zingers (1 week)

• STEP 4. Name brand (if needed) (1-2 weeks)

• STEP 5. Visual identity concepts, logo solution concept, and logo design (3-8 weeks)

• STEP 6. Colors (1 week)

Let’s talk.

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