YOUR BRAND TELLS A STORY
IS IT TELLING THE RIGHT STORY?
When your brand is right, you don’t have to wait for prospects to meet you to understand who you are. They meet you to ask a few more questions and agree on the services they need. Your brand tells your story, and does most of the winning over for you.
TO WIN THEM OVER, FOCUS ON THEM
YOUR BRAND IS NOT FOR YOU
The most dangerous brand decision you can make is choosing what YOU like. Colours or images appealing to you. A name you’ve had for years. A “professional” tone of voice. But your ideal client is not you. What brand changes do you need to be more appealing to the clients you love?
Here’s what your brand includes:
It’s in the nitty gritty and in the feelings surrounding it all. It’s your name and logo and colours. It’s your way of speaking and the people you hire. It’s whether you wear a backwards cap or swear or work from home or have a five floor office building. It’s how people feel when they talk about you and your team and your services. It’s the impression people get when you send a proposal.
It’s the sum total of who you are.
WHO YOU ARE
WHO YOU SERVE
NAME & LOGO
YOUR PROCESS OR WAY
COLOURS & IMAGERY
TONE OF VOICE
If you want to level up as a firm, your brand is the first thing you need to address.
I knew we needed a rebrand but I had no idea of how much was really involved in it. It was such a relief to take the ego out of it: our brand is not about us, it’s about our client.
Since working with PF on our brand, we’ve doubled in head count, almost doubled in revenue and now have a waiting list for clients. This has a lot to do with our brand and being sure of who we are and what we’re putting out there.
Amy Walker, Walker Agency
BRANDING INVESTMENT
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
When prospects ask “how much for accounting services?”, you need some information first to give them the best quote. The same applies for your brand project. We need to understand who you are, who you serve, how you help them, and your firm’s story. Brand encompasses far more than a pretty looking logo. It’s the heart of who you are, and it’s worth investing in.
WHAT’S INVOLVED?
HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK?
You want to be clear what happens first, what happens next, how long it takes, and what’s required of you.
01
STRATEGY
Call with CMM and Head of Branding to review your firm’s TOV and values and where and how your brand will be used.
2-3 weeks later
02
DESIGN PROCESS
You’re presented with your full branding concept, with chosen colour(s) and font(s) which fit with your brand.
2 weeks later
03
Revisions
You receive your one logo concept in greyscale and we share our process and reasoning for your concept.
2 weeks later
04
Sign off
If required, one more round of revisions can be made. Then it’s time to sign off on your new brand concept.
05
What you’ll
get at the end
Full logo suite (logo variations, files for print and digital and thumbnail files for social media); Brand book – a visual logo guide for your new brand.
06
What happens
next?
You may move onto a website project and/or collaborate with PF on a fully customised brand launch package. You can discuss next steps with your CMM.
01
STRATEGY
Call with CMM and Head of Branding to review your firm’s TOV and values your team and where and how your brand will be used.
2-3 weeks later
02
DESIGN PROCESS
You’re presented with your full branding concept, with chosen colour(s) and font(s) which fit with your brand.
2 weeks later
03
Revisions
You receive your one logo concept in greyscale and we share our process and reasoning for your concept.
2 weeks later
04
Sign off
If required, one more round of revisions can be made. Then it’s time to sign off on your new brand concept.
05
What you’ll
get at the end
Full logo suite (logo variations, files for print and digital and thumbnail files for social media); Brand book – a visual logo guide for your new brand.
06
What happens
next?
You may move onto a website project and/or collaborate with PF on a fully customised brand launch package. You can discuss next steps with your CMM.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
BRAND PROJECT GUIDELINES
To make sure your branding project moves quickly and delivers exactly what your clients and buyers need, there are a few things to know about how we work.
NOT SURE? NEED MORE INFO?
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
You’ll be wondering how to justify a “return on investment” for what you spend on branding. Understanding how brand works, what our process is, and why it doesn’t stand alone is critical. Learn more about branding before starting the process.
How long does it take?
We commit to a brand project taking 8-10 weeks. But this does depend on a couple of things at your end: whether you give us feedback within the agreed timelines; if you reschedule arranged meetings. We will work with you to ensure your project is completed within the timeline you agree with your CMM at the start, and there is responsibility on both our side and yours to keep to that timeline.
Who will I work with?
You’ll have a dedicated CMM who you will have worked through your Foundations workshop with and they will be the leader of your brand project too. All work we do at PF is a team effort so behind the scenes, you’ll have our Head of Branding, our Creative Studio team and all other CMMs working together on your project.
What do you need from me?
Nobody knows your firm like you do. You have the knowledge and story behind your business so you will need to be actively involved and present in your brand process. We bring our expert brand and marketing knowledge and experience. Together, we’ll make a great team. We’ll need you to live up to the PF values throughout the branding process:
1. Collaboration: You’ll participate in discussions, share ideas and feelings (of all kinds.).
2. Opinion: We don’t want you to simply agree to be agreeable. We want your honest opinion and feedback so we can create the very best brand for accounting firm.
3. Transparency: your branding project will be an emotional experience. It’s exciting and fun, but it can also be challenging and confusing. We want to create a space where you can share your honest emotions, both positive and negative.
4. Graciousness: You might feel a little frustrated or overwhelmed at times and we want to work through that with you.
5. Positivity: We encourage you to look for the good when dealing with the challenges of a brand project.
6. Responsibility: You will take ownership of your brand and be actively involved in the process.
What exactly is included?
Your brand project will be custom to your accounting firm and so your project may look different to someone else depending on what you need. A brand project with PF can include a naming workshop, a full rebrand, a brand book and a brand launch package. Depending on the outcome of your Foundations workshop, you’ll discuss with us which options are best for you and your firm.
HOW BRAND FITS IN
START TODAY
Brand is one of the twelve elements of content marketing for accountants and learning how your brand is created and how it fits together in your marketing is your best first step. Start by telling us about you, your firm and where you need support with your brand.