Branding
Why Branding for Startups is So Important
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there were 30.7 million small businesses in 2019 across the country. Looking from...
Branding is one of the most crucial aspects of any business, large or small. An effective brand can give you a significant edge in today’s highly competitive market.
At Crafted, we value our clients’ creative identities, and offer solutions that sync with their strategic aspirations.
A great brand strategy acts as a guiding light for the brand and all future communication, as well as an objective measure by which to evaluating work and making brand decisions. We walk you through the process of discovery, research and positioning to achieve the expected business results.
This is the foundational blueprint for your entire brand. It defines who you are, why you exist, and how you are different.
This is the design aspect—what people actually see and remember.
This defines how your brand speaks and connects with its audience across all communication channels.
These services ensure your brand is implemented consistently and correctly over time.
– Greg Valvano – Creative Director and Founder @ Crafted.Every powerful brand starts with a focused plan. The Crafted NYC Branding System is our signature, six-step methodology, refined through years of launching and transforming enterprises in the competitive New York City market. We move beyond simple design to engineer a robust brand ecosystem, ensuring every touchpoint—from your core values to your digital identity—is strategically aligned to drive growth, increase loyalty, and make a commanding impact in your industry.
We begin with an intensive workshop to deep-dive into your business objectives, competitive landscape, and audience insights. This phase includes a comprehensive market and brand audit to uncover your distinct positioning opportunities in the NYC and global markets.
This is the foundation. We define your Brand Pillars, Mission, Vision, and craft a unique Brand Voice and key messaging architecture. This ensures your brand narrative is compelling, differentiated, and poised for sustained relevance.
Our team translates the strategy into a distinctive visual language. This includes expert logo design, a refined color palette, typography, custom iconography, and a clear Art Direction that ensures a memorable and impactful presence.
We document all strategic and visual elements into a comprehensive, easy-to-use Brand Guidelines document. This style guide ensures consistent and scalable application of the brand across all digital, print, and physical touchpoints for your entire team.
We collaborate with your teams to roll out the new identity across critical assets. This includes website design, social media assets, product packaging, and corporate materials, ensuring a seamless and high-impact transition.
Your new brand is ready for market. We coordinate the public launch and provide ongoing consultation and support to track performance, measure impact, and ensure your brand strategy evolves alongside your business growth.
There are already so many branding firms and agencies in the marketplace, and it’s only becoming more and more saturated every day. At Crafted, we try to make this decision as easy as possible for the client. Our work speaks for itself and our passion shows through the high level of strategy and thought in every brand we launch.
Bonus: We don’t outsource any aspects of of our work, which means we can 100% guarantee high standards for each and every project.
– Bryan Wethington, Founder & CEO of MusicFolioStay up to date on all that is branding, and what's happening in all of our digital endeavors.
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Brand strategy is the long-term, intellectual blueprint for your business. It answers the fundamental “why” and “how”—defining your Brand Positioning, core values, mission, and unique Messaging Framework. It is the non-visual, psychological foundation that guides every business decision.
Brand Identity is the visual and verbal execution of that strategy. This is the "what" your audience sees, including the Logo Design, color palette, typography, and visual assets. A great identity is always informed by a solid strategy; one without the other is just a pretty picture without a purpose.
The New York City market is saturated and moves at a breakneck pace. A Specialized Agency like Crafted focuses solely on the difficult work of differentiation. General marketing firms focus on execution (ads, social media); we focus on Brand Strategy and building the identity you market. Our deep expertise in NYC market dynamics ensures your Brand Positioning is unique and built to last, providing a stronger foundation than campaign-focused marketing.
A comprehensive project with Crafted provides both strategic and visual Brand Assets. The key deliverables include:
Brand Strategy Document (Mission, Vision, Value Proposition, Target Audience Personas).
Complete Visual Identity System (Primary Logo, Logo Variations, Color Palette, Typography).
Messaging Framework (Brand Voice, Taglines, Key Copy).
A robust, digital Brand Guidelines document or Brand Book that details the proper usage of all elements across all channels.
Yes, working with ambitious Startups is one of our core specializations. We understand the unique challenges of the New York Startup Ecosystem—the need for speed, scalability, and an investor-ready brand from day one. Our process is designed to be lean yet thorough, delivering a powerful Brand Identity and strategy that helps young companies secure funding and acquire early market traction.
The Branding Cost varies significantly based on complexity, scope, and the agency's level of expertise. In NYC, a basic Visual Identity package can range from $5,000 to $20,000, while a Comprehensive Branding Package (including in-depth strategy, identity, and guidelines) typically requires an investment in the range of $25,000 to $100,000+ for a top-tier Branding Agency like Crafted. We provide transparent, project-based quotes tailored to your specific goals.
Our Crafted NYC Branding System is designed for maximum clarity and impact. The process flows through six distinct phases: 1) Discovery & Audit (research and insight gathering), 2) Core Strategy & Positioning (defining brand purpose and messaging), 3) Visual Identity Design (logo, colors, and graphics), 4) Comprehensive Brand Guidelines (documentation), 5) Implementation (digital and physical rollout), and 6) Launch & Stewardship (measurement and ongoing support). This structured approach guarantees a cohesive and measurable result.
Your involvement is essential, particularly in the initial Discovery Phase. We begin with mandatory leadership workshops and Stakeholder Interviews to capture your vision and market insights. After strategy sign-off, our team manages the creative execution, requiring your input only during scheduled Feedback Rounds for the visual identity and final strategy approval. This minimizes disruption while maximizing alignment.
While timelines vary based on scope, most full Branding Projects—including strategy, identity, and guidelines—are completed within 8 to 12 weeks. A pure Rebranding effort involving complex legacy assets or multiple business units may take longer. We establish a clear project schedule during the proposal phase to ensure all milestones are met efficiently.
The best time for a Rebranding is when your business strategy has fundamentally changed, or when your current identity no longer reflects your value or mission. Common triggers include major market shifts, product portfolio expansion, merger or acquisition activity, or declining relevance/sales due to a dated visual presence. A Brand Audit can help determine if an evolution or a full revolution is needed.
For the clarity and security of our clients, we primarily offer Fixed Fee pricing based on a defined scope of work. This ensures you know the total Project Budget upfront with no surprise costs. Hourly rates are typically reserved for small, isolated tasks or for Brand Consulting work requested after the main project completion.
We measure the ROI of a new brand by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) before and after the launch. This includes quantitative metrics like increases in Brand Awareness, conversion rates, customer retention, and qualitative metrics like improved talent acquisition, higher NPS Scores (Net Promoter Score), and a more positive perception by key analysts or investors.
Absolutely. Upon final sign-off and project payment, you receive complete ownership and licensing of all created assets. This includes the finalized Logo Design in all necessary formats (e.g., scalable Vector Files), color codes, typography files, and digital versions of the full Brand Book.
A Brand Guidelines document, or Brand Book, is the single most important tool for protecting your investment. It is a comprehensive manual that ensures Brand Consistency across every touchpoint. It details not only logo usage and color palettes but also the proper Brand Voice, photography style, and tone of communication for internal teams and external vendors alike.
Yes. Our presence as a Branding Agency in NYC means we specialize in tailoring global or national brands for the specific cultural and competitive dynamics of this market. We assist with Localization by adjusting your messaging, visual tone, and Brand Positioning to resonate authentically with the New York consumer base, ensuring a successful market entry.
Yes, we offer Brand Stewardship and ongoing Brand Management retainers. This ensures your Brand Strategy remains effective as your company scales. These services include strategic check-ins, minor design adjustments, creation of new templates, and general Brand Consulting to support your internal marketing and design teams.
Discover a new side to your company with a dedicated & innovative branding agency in NYC. Looking to rebrand or start from the scratch? Give us a call, our experienced branding team is here to guide you through the process.
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