How to Evaluate Branding Proposals Objectively

You have proposals from three branding agencies on your desk: one costs CHF 20,000, one CHF 45,000, one CHF 80,000. All promise “professional branding.” How do you decide which is right? This guide shows how to evaluate branding proposals objectively.

The Core Problem with Branding Proposals

Why Comparisons Are So Difficult

Problem 1: Unclear Service Descriptions “Corporate identity,” “branding package,” “brand development” – these terms mean something different at every agency.

Problem 2: Different Processes Agency A creates 3 logo drafts, Agency B creates 10. Which is better?

Problem 3: Subjective Evaluation “I like their portfolio better” is not an objective basis for CHF 50,000 decisions.

Problem 4: Hidden Costs One proposal seems cheap but only includes the logo. Website, materials, implementation cost extra.

Problem 5: Quality Hard to Measure How do you measure branding quality before implementation?

The Consequences of Poor Decisions

Scenario 1: Chose Cheapest Saved CHF 15,000, but result disappointing. After 6 months starting over, ultimately spent CHF 20,000 more.

Scenario 2: Chose Most Expensive Spent CHF 100,000 on branding that’s no better than what CHF 40,000 would have bought.

Scenario 3: Wrong Focus Chose agency with great portfolio but poor strategy competence. Beautiful design without substance.

Scenario 4: Unclear Expectations What exactly is included in the “branding package”? After project starts: “That costs extra.”

The Preparation: Before Requesting Proposals

1. Clarify Your Own Goals

Before requesting proposals, clarify:

Strategic Goals:

Why do you need branding/rebranding?
What should change?
Which business goals should branding support?

Example:

❌ Bad: “We want to appear more modern”
✅ Good: “We’re repositioning as specialists in SME digitalization and want to communicate that”

Concrete Goals:

Address new target audience
Justify premium prices
Differentiate from competition
Signal professionalism

2. Set Realistic Budget

Budget Framework for Swiss SMEs:

Basic Branding (CHF 15,000–30,000):

Brand workshop
Logo + basic corporate identity
Simple brand guidelines
Business cards, letterhead

Standard Branding (CHF 30,000–60,000):

Brand strategy
Complete corporate identity
Brand guidelines
Website concept (implementation possibly separate)
Basic marketing materials

Premium Branding (CHF 60,000–150,000+):

full brand strategy
Complete corporate identity
Website relaunch
Extensive materials
Implementation support

Important: Don’t treat budget as a secret. Agencies can advise better when they know the budget.

3. Define Scope of Work

What do you really need?

Strategy:

Design:

Implementation:

Brand guidelines (manual)
Business stationery (cards, letterhead, etc.)
Website (concept, design, development)
Social media templates
Presentation templates
Marketing materials (brochures, flyers, etc.)

Support:

Internal workshops
Employee training
Implementation support
Brand management (ongoing)

Create a clear list of what you need.

4. Create Brief

A good brief contains:

About the Company:

Size, industry, history
Current situation
Challenges
Strengths

Project Goals:

Why branding/rebranding?
What should be achieved?
Measurable goals (if possible)

Target Audience:

Who are your customers?
B2B or B2C?
Demographic/psychographic characteristics

Competition:

Main competitors
How do you differentiate?
What do others do well/poorly?

Desired Scope:

What should be done?
What’s must-have, what’s nice-to-have?

Framework Conditions:

Budget range
Timeline
Decision-making process

Pre-Inspiration (optional):

Brands you like (from other industries)
Style directions (minimalist, playful, classic, etc.)

Important: The clearer your brief, the more comparable the proposals.

The Evaluation Criteria

1. Completeness and Clarity of Proposal

What should a good proposal contain?

Executive Summary:

Brief summary of understanding your challenge
Solution approach in 2-3 sentences
Total costs at a glance

Project Understanding:

Has the agency understood your brief?
Are your goals addressed?
Does the proposal show understanding of your industry/situation?

Scope of Work (detailed):

All phases listed
Each phase with concrete deliverables
Clear description of what’s included
Clear description of what’s NOT included

Process and Timeline:

What’s the workflow?
What phases exist?
How long does each phase take?
Where are your inputs needed?
Milestones and approvals

Team:

Who works on the project?
Who’s your contact person?
Qualifications of people
Time commitment per person

Costs:

Detailed cost breakdown
Costs per phase or service
What’s included in the price?
Additional costs (if relevant)
Payment terms

Conditions:

Number of revision rounds
Usage rights
Contract terms
Proposal validity period

Warning Sign: Proposal is vague, unstructured, omits important points → Professional agency delivers clear proposals.

2. Strategic Competence

Questions for Evaluation:

Is Strategy Addressed?

Is brand analysis/positioning mentioned?
Is there a strategy part in the process?
Or does it go straight to design?

Understanding Your Challenge:

Are specific challenges of your industry mentioned?
Does the agency show understanding of your target audience?
Are strategic questions asked?

Solution Approach:

Is there a clear approach (not just “we’ll make a logo”)?
Is it explained WHY this approach fits you?
Are there references to similar projects?

Red Flag: Agency immediately goes to design without discussing strategy → Design shop, not branding expertise.

Good Signs:

Agency critically questions your brief
Proposal includes strategy workshop
Focus on “Why” before “How”

3. Design Competence

Portfolio Evaluation:

Quality Criteria:

Is the design professional and contemporary?
Variety (different styles, not all the same)?
Does the level match your expectations?

Relevance:

Are there projects in similar industries?
Are there projects of similar size/complexity?
Do case studies show process, not just end result?

Consistency:

Is quality consistent across projects?
Or a few highlights and lots of mediocrity?

Important: Don’t just look at “I like it,” but at quality and relevance.

Questions You Should Ask:

Who worked on these projects?
Will this person also work on my project?
Are there case studies with measurable results?

4. Process and Methodology

A good branding process has clear phases:

Phase 1: Discovery/Analysis

Kick-off meeting
Current state analysis
Stakeholder interviews
Target audience analysis
Competitive analysis

Phase 2: Strategy

Positioning workshop
Value proposition
Brand personality
Brand values
Strategy document

Phase 3: Creation

First drafts (logo, colour worlds, etc.)
Presentation and feedback
Refinement
Finalization

Phase 4: Development

Complete corporate identity
Brand guidelines
Templates and applications

Phase 5: Implementation

Rollout planning
Material production
Website implementation (if included)
Training

Evaluation Criteria:

Structure:

Is the process clearly described?
Are phases logically structured?
Are there clear deliverables per phase?

Your Involvement:

When are your inputs requested?
How many feedback loops exist?
Are approval points defined?

Flexibility:

What happens with change requests?
How are additional requests handled?

Red Flag: Process is vague or missing entirely → Unprofessional.

5. Team and Contact Person

Important Questions:

Who’s on the Team?

Strategist/consultant
Designer
Project manager
Copywriter (if relevant)
Developer (if website included)

Who’s Your Main Contact?

Is it the CEO or a junior?
How accessible is the person?

Experience:

How long has the agency been in business?
How experienced are individual people?
Are there references or awards?

Chemistry:

Do you trust these people?
Do you feel understood?
Is communication clear and professional?

Warning: A-team in pitch/proposal, then B-team works on project → Explicitly ask who will work on the project.

6. Costs and Value for Money

Understanding What You Get:

Create a Comparison Table:

Service	Agency A	Agency B	Agency C
Brand analysis	✓	✗	✓
Strategy workshop	✓ (1 day)	✗	✓ (2 days)
Logo drafts	3	5	3
Revision rounds	2	unlimited	3
Brand guidelines	Basic (10 p.)	✗	thorough (40 p.)
Website design	✗	✓	✓
Implementation	✗	✗	✓
Project duration	6 weeks	8 weeks	12 weeks
Price	CHF 25,000	CHF 20,000	CHF 60,000

Now you can compare apples to apples.

Watch for Hidden Costs:

What’s NOT Included?

Printing costs
Licenses (fonts, stock photos)
Website development
Content creation
Photography
Additional revision rounds

Ask Explicitly: “What else will be added?”

Understanding Pricing Models:

Fixed Price:

Clear costs
Scope defined
Changes cost extra

Hourly Rate:

More flexible
Costs can vary
Hard to budget

Value-Based:

Price based on value to your business
Rare for SME projects

Warning: Too cheap offer is often too good to be true → Either incomplete or quality suffers.

7. Timing and Availability

Realistic Timelines:

Basic Branding:

At least 6-8 weeks
With good preparation

Complete Branding:

At least 3-4 months
Often 4-6 months

Rebranding (with Website):

4-8 months
Depending on complexity

Warning Sign: Agency promises branding in 2 weeks → Quality will suffer.

Questions:

When could the agency start?
What’s their capacity?
Is the timeline realistic?
Where are critical dependencies?

8. References and Track Record

What You Should Check:

Reference Projects:

Similar industry?
Similar size?
Similar complexity?
Visible results?

Direct Contact: Ask if you can speak with reference clients.

Questions for References:

Was the agency reliable?
Was budget/timeline maintained?
How was communication?
Were you satisfied with the result?
Were there surprises?
Would you hire the agency again?

Online Research:

Google Reviews
Industry portals
LinkedIn (employee profiles)
Case studies on website

Red Flag: Agency has no references or refuses to provide contacts.

The Evaluation Process: Step by Step

Step 1: Formal Review

Checklist:

Proposals that fail here are excluded.

Step 2: Create Comparability

Create an Overview Table:

List all services side by side to see who offers what.

If Proposals Aren’t Comparable: Ask follow-up questions until you have clarity.

Step 3: Create Evaluation Matrix

Example Matrix:

Criterion	Weight	Agency A	Agency B	Agency C
Strategic Competence	20%	8/10	5/10	9/10
Design Competence	20%	7/10	9/10	8/10
Process & Methodology	15%	9/10	6/10	8/10
Team & Experience	10%	7/10	8/10	9/10
Value for Money	20%	8/10	6/10	7/10
References	10%	8/10	7/10	9/10
Chemistry/Trust	5%	9/10	6/10	8/10
Total	100%	7.95	6.85	8.20

Now you have an objective basis.

Step 4: Create Shortlist

Reduce to 2-3 finalists.

Criteria:

Highest overall score
Meet must-haves
Budget-compatible

Step 5: In-Depth Conversations

With Finalists:

Personal meeting or video call
Clarify open questions
Get to know team
Check chemistry
Contact references

Important Questions:

How would you specifically approach our project?
What challenges do you see?
What differentiates you from other agencies?
How do you handle feedback/changes?
What would be your advice to us?

Step 6: Final Decision

Bring Together:

Evaluation matrix
Impression from conversations
Reference feedback
Gut feeling (yes, that counts too!)

Team Decision-Making: If multiple people decide:

Everyone fills out evaluation matrix
Discuss differences
Find consensus

Red Flags: When to Be Careful

1. Too Cheap

Warning: Proposal significantly below market price.

Possible Reasons:

Inexperienced agency/freelancer
Scope misunderstood (less included than you think)
Quality suffers
Outsourcing to low-wage countries

Not automatically bad, but examine closely.

2. Vague Descriptions

Warning: “We’ll develop your brand” without details.

Problem: You don’t know what you’re getting.

Solution: Ask follow-up questions until it becomes concrete.

3. No Strategy Competence

Warning: Proposal focuses only on design, strategy missing or overlooked.

Problem: Design without strategic basis is cosmetic.

Solution: Choose agency with strategy competence or have strategy developed separately.

4. Unrealistic Promises

Warning: “Guaranteed 50% more revenue through new branding”

Problem: Branding alone doesn’t guarantee revenue.

Reality: Good branding supports business goals but guarantees nothing.

5. Pressure and Aggressive Sales Tactics

Warning: “Offer only valid until tomorrow,” “Book now or someone else takes the slot”

Problem: Serious agencies don’t need pressure tactics.

Solution: Don’t let yourself be rushed.

6. No References

Warning: Agency shows no portfolio or references.

Problem: You can’t assess quality.

Exception: Very new agency (but then expect correspondingly lower price).

7. Everything Included, No Delimitation

Warning: “We do everything” without clear definition.

Problem: Often ends in disappointment (“That wasn’t meant”).

Solution: Demand concrete service description.

8. Poor Communication in Proposal Process

Warning:

Responses take days
Emails are unclear or erroneous
Deadlines not met

Problem: This won’t get better in the project.

Solution: Communication is important, eliminate agencies with poor communication.

The Evaluation Checklist

Before Requesting Proposals

When Comparing Proposals

Formal Criteria:

Proposal complete and professional
Deadline met
All questions answered

Strategic Competence:

Strategy part included
Understanding of our challenge evident
Clear solution approach

Design Competence:

Portfolio viewed and convincing
Relevant reference projects available
Quality consistently high

Process:

Clear, structured process described
Phases and milestones defined
Our involvement clearly regulated

Team:

Team members introduced
Experience traceable
Contact person defined

Costs:

Detailed cost breakdown
Value for money comprehensible
Additional costs clarified

Timing:

Timeline realistic
Agency availability given

References:

Relevant references available
Possibility for reference conversations

Before Decision

Tips for Better Proposals

What You Can Do to Get Better Offers

1. Create Good Brief The clearer your brief, the better the proposals.

2. Communicate Budget Agencies can better address your budget when they know it.

3. Realistic Timeline Give agencies time for a good proposal (min. 1-2 weeks).

4. Be Reachable When agencies have follow-up questions, respond promptly.

5. Honesty Say if you’re getting multiple proposals and what your decision process looks like.

6. Give Feedback Give feedback even to rejected agencies (doesn’t have to be detailed, but general tone).

Contractual Aspects

What Should Be in the Contract?

Scope of Work:

Detailed listing of all deliverables
What’s included, what’s not

Timeline:

Milestones
Delivery dates
Approval deadlines

Costs and Payment:

Total price
Payment schedule (e.g., 30% down payment, 40% after interim presentation, 30% at completion)
Additional costs (e.g., hourly rate for changes)

Revision Rounds:

Number of included revision rounds
Costs for additional revisions

Usage Rights:

Who owns the rights to logo/design?
Usually: You buy all rights, agency retains right to show it (portfolio)

Confidentiality:

NDA, if needed

Liability:

What happens in case of delay?
What about defects?

Termination:

Under what conditions can contract be terminated?
What costs arise?

Important: Have contracts reviewed, especially for large projects.

Making the Final Call

Evaluating branding proposals objectively isn’t rocket science if you proceed systematically:

1. Preparation Is Everything Define clear goals, budget, and scope before requesting proposals.

2. Create Comparability Create detailed comparison tables to compare apples to apples.

3. Use Evaluation Matrix Define and weight objective criteria, don’t rely only on gut feeling.

4. Recognise Red Flags Too cheap, vague descriptions, unrealistic promises, poor communication.

5. Strategy Before Design Choose agency with strategy competence, not just beautiful portfolio.

6. Team and Chemistry Count You’ll work 3-6 months with these people, trust and good communication are important.

7. Don’t Just Look at Price Cheapest is rarely best. Most expensive also not always. Value for money counts.

Choosing the right agency is an investment in your brand success. Take time for a well-founded decision.

For a broader view of the Swiss agency market, see Understanding the Branding and Digital Agency Landscape in Switzerland.

Transparency Note: Alpine Excellence only lists verified providers. When seal holders are mentioned in this article, it serves to illustrate quality standards concretely, not as advertising.