My opinion on why you don’t need a brand identity agency (until you do).
- You probably don’t need one. Yet.
- What a brand identity agency actually does.
- Why clarity comes first.
- When it’s too early to invest.
- When it’s time to take it seriously.
- What good agencies really do.
- Why AI isn’t a shortcut.
- Before you Google one.
Adam Buttress, Creative Director of Toast Branding, shares why choosing the right brand identity agency starts with understanding your business first. In his latest opinion piece, he explains how strategy must come before design and why a brand identity is more than just a logo. Discover what to look for in an agency and when it’s the right time to invest.
You probably don’t need one. Yet.
Let’s start with the awkward bit.
Most businesses don’t need a brand identity agency. Not at the point they usually think they do, anyway.
They jump the gun. They chase a new logo, a colour palette, or some shiny typeface, hoping it’ll fix whatever’s not quite working. But design isn’t a plaster. It’s a product of direction. And if you don’t have that direction nailed, design is just guesswork.
Until you’ve got that, throwing money at a brand identity agency is like repainting a car before checking if the engine even starts.
In short: if you’re not clear on who you are, what you do, and who it’s for, no design agency in the world is going to fix that for you.
What a brand identity agency actually does.
It’s not just “doing you a logo”. Or it shouldn’t be.
A proper brand identity agency should help you define your position, express it visually and verbally, and then apply that consistently across all relevant platforms, including your website, social media, signage, packaging, email footers, and more.
However, if your business is still in flux, changing products, targets, or tone, you’re building on sand.
Why clarity comes first.
Here’s the bit that makes this feel a bit backwards.
Clients often come to us asking for a new visual identity. But ten minutes in, it’s clear what they actually need is strategic clarity.
The visual aspect is just what they can see. It’s the mess underneath that needs sorting first.
- Who are your customers now?
- What do you want to be known for?
- What story are you telling (and to whom)?
Without answers to those, any rebrand is premature.
When it’s too early to invest.
If you’re starting, mid-pivot, or changing markets, a full-blown identity agency is probably overkill.
At that stage, your budget is better spent on customer research, offer refinement, or a low-effort visual identity you’re happy to bin six months down the line.
You need something that works for now. Something you won’t be precious about killing later.
That doesn’t mean ignoring the brand altogether. Tone of voice, personality and customer clarity still matter. However, they don’t need a £20k project wrapped around them straight away.
When it’s time to take it seriously.
The tipping point usually looks like this:
- You’re scaling, and the current look no longer stretches with you
- Your brand looks like the old you, not the current you
- There’s no consistency across channels
- Your messaging and visuals are telling different stories
- Your brand feels out of place in the room you’re trying to sell in
That last one’s a killer. If you’re embarrassed by your deck, your site, or your sales assets, you’re overdue for a rethink.
What good agencies really do.
A decent identity agency should act more like a mirror than a megaphone.
It should challenge assumptions. Ask annoying questions. Dig through the fluff and find the clarity you’ve not been able to articulate yet.
From there, it can help define:
- Values in plain English
- Visual and verbal identity systems
- Guidelines that future-proof you
- Tools that help your internal team actually *use* the brand
Design is the last step, not the first.
Why AI isn’t a shortcut.
No, AI can’t do this for you.
Sure, it can churn out logos, straplines, and colour palettes. But that’s just paint. It can’t understand your customers, your history, or your ambitions. It doesn’t know what matters.
A proper brand identity is made of decisions. Human decisions. Strategic ones. AI can press buttons. It can’t decide *which* buttons matter.
Before you Google one.
So before you throw “brand identity agency” into Google, ask yourself:
Do we need a logo?
Or do we need clarity?
Because if you’re not ready for the latter, you’re not prepared for the former.
It’s better to fix the foundations before choosing a paint colour.
