How we created a boutique branding agency

65% of businesses fail within 10 years, proof that it’s not easy to turn a business around. Could branding be an untapped resource to traverse treacherous waters?

As you set up your brand or refresh an existing one, the brand identity package is a crucial part of the work. But do you really know what you are expected to find inside?

The humble About Us page is sometimes overlooked in favor of the flashy homepage. But this corner of the website is far from useless. Here’s how you can make it work.

What do the best branding agencies have in common? Not necessarily their style or approach, of course, but a set of values that delivers outstanding work.

Luxury branding is – in a sense – a league of its own, with its own dos and don’ts. The luxury audience has very precise expectations, and you’d better not break them.

If you are looking to expand a small business, you have several ways to do that. Maybe you haven’t been thinking about branding, though. We explain why it might actually help your efforts.

Everybody seems to be talking about brand purpose today. But while the keyword might be fashionable, businesses need to think hard about what it really means for them.

Have you ever considered the idea of tying your brand identity to a fictional character? It might sound like an obsolete choice, but numbers might just change your mind.

Turning yourself into a brand scares most people, especially because it’s hard to figure out how to differentiate oneself. And yet the answer might be easier than you think.

Not all brands are Nike or Burger King. But this doesn’t mean you should just put up with being “boring”. Just the opposite: it’s always possible to be interesting, as long as you have the right communication strategy.

Once considered a niche phenomenon, gaming is today the driving force in the world of entertainment, but most of all a culture that unites billions of people. And one that brands should watch carefully.

If you are thinking of expanding your business to the Italian market, make sure your brand can match the expectations and mindset of the locals.

The experience a client has of a brand is the result of many concurring elements. We often focus on only some of these, missing some precious opportunities.

Storytelling. Easier said than done. What does it mean for a brand to “have a good story”? And how do you build one?

As we get used to global brands, we tend to overlook the challenges of bringing a brand to a different culture from its own. Here are some pitfalls and solutions.

In a global market, the national roots of a brand can add value. As long as you can leverage them in the right way.

Companies are not black boxes, but entities that the world can see. What happens inside them contributes to defining their brand.

Naming a brand might be one of the most exciting journeys, but also one of the most distressing. Some advice to avoid it going downhill.

Luxury brands can’t bask in the glow of that one-off commercial anymore. To connect with their audiences they must produce content. A lot of it.

As all brands struggle to understand the evolving customer, luxury brands have the most daunting task: ushering their intangible values into a new era.

Jewelry customers differ wildly. Knowing who is going to buy your jewels makes all the difference for structuring your brand.

Entering the luxury market is not an easy feat to accomplish for a brand. Attempting it with the wrong logo can be an utter disaster.

Fashion brands are traditionally very scrupulous about visuals in their communication. Does this leave out words?

Creating a brand is such a sensitive matter, you will want to make sure you pick the right partner for the job. Here’s what to look for.

Tone of voice is essential for your brand identity, but will you ever use that nice document or will it just sit somewhere on your hard disk?

For smaller brands it might be tempting to skip strategy and just get a bloody logo. But cutting corners might backfire.

Does branding require a large agency? Not really. Here is what brands can expect when working with a boutique.

Before you start spreading your brand, make sure you have set a clear brand strategy, with this practical checklist.

A complete briefing helps the designer to work better and faster, and the company to get the logo it had in mind. Here are 11 essential points.

Like a custom-made suit, even a logo ages. And here the doubt often arises: change it completely or opt for a restyling?

When a brand doesn’t work every communication initiative is accompanied by enormous efforts. Here are some possible causes (and solutions).

A complete briefing helps the designer to work better and faster, and the company to get the logo it had in mind. Here are 11 essential points.

Are there situations in which it is legitimate, permitted or simply reasonable to adapt one’s professionalism to the context?

Let’s start with number one: the importance of saying “I don’t know”.

Why fashion logos suddenly became identical? In my opinion, it’s not because of designers’ laziness.

What does it mean to be a luxury brand in a world where everything is digital and free?

Something is happening, in the fashion world and specifically in the fashion brand communication: from image, fashion is becoming a story.

Some of us believe in it, others despise it. But all of us are doing personal branding, constantly. We just don’t realize it.

Is it obvious that a brand should reflect the nature of the founder? The answer is blurred and comes from my personal experience.