Branding and Marketing Strategy in Indianapolis

Define the decision before requesting a proposal

Give prospective consultants a brief describing your customer, offer and unresolved question. You might need to choose a business customer segment, explain a new service or plan a launch. Include customer feedback, current sales materials and the marketing results you already track. Mark assumptions that you want the consultant to test.

For positioning, request a defined audience, reasons to choose your business and messaging your staff can use. For identity design, list the logo files, typography, colors and applications you need. For a marketing plan, request channel choices, spending priorities, implementation duties and measures of progress. Ask the provider to describe each part even if you commission them together.

Gather research through local business resources

Indiana SBDC offers no-cost market research reports and help interpreting them. Its startup guidance also describes assistance with identifying customers and defining a value proposition. Ask an advisor which reports address your question, then bring the findings to your consultant. [2]

IndyPL describes Data Axle Reference Solutions as useful for researching potential business customers and competitors. Its business librarians offer assistance. Ask for help selecting search filters for your intended customer type and service area, then record the geography and search date alongside your findings. [4]

Ask the consultant to separate existing research from proposed new discovery. Request an explanation of which assumptions need customer interviews and which need further database research. Agree on who recruits interview participants, how the consultant handles customer information and what findings you will receive.

Compare scope, fees and implementation duties

Request itemized fees for research, positioning, messaging, design and implementation. Ask providers to identify meetings, revision limits, approval points and charges for scope changes. Separate consultant fees from advertising spend, printing, photography, software and any attorney assistance you commission.

Ask each provider for a research summary, messaging guide or channel plan they have permission to share. Discuss their role in producing it and the decisions their client needed to make. Use that conversation to assess whether their proposed process fits your question.

For campaign execution, identify who writes content, manages accounts, approves spending and reviews results. If you want strategy without implementation, require a handover plan that names the tasks your staff will need to complete. Resolve scope differences before comparing proposal totals.

Arrange name research and agree on ownership

Indianapolis Public Library operates a Patent and Trademark Resource Center. Staff can demonstrate patent and trademark research and connect you with intellectual-property information. The library states that staff cannot conduct legal research for you or provide legal advice. [3]

If you plan to rename the business, schedule preliminary research before approving identity design. Assign responsibility for arranging any attorney review and approving the final name. Ask the consultant to identify which naming tasks they include and which you must arrange.

Ask the agreement to specify ownership and permitted use of final artwork, editable files, research and copy. Request a list of fonts, photographs and other assets that require licenses. Keep business account administration under your control and agree on the access the consultant needs.

Set approval points and a usable handover

Choose someone who can approve decisions and collect staff feedback. Agree on milestones for research findings, positioning, design and handover. Ask the consultant to account for your availability and any launch commitments when proposing dates.

At handover, request a walkthrough of files, messaging and the marketing plan. Ask for examples your staff can use in customer conversations and sales materials. Assign responsibility for updating business touchpoints and choose measures to review after launch, such as qualified inquiries or completed bookings.

Published US business-record thresholds in an IndyPL research database

Choose a starting scope

Your hiring checklist

1. Name the business decision and customer group you want to investigate.
2. Gather customer feedback, sales materials and existing marketing results.
3. Explore SBDC reports and IndyPL research assistance.
4. Send consultants the same brief and request itemized deliverables.
5. Confirm approval duties, meetings, revision limits and scope-change charges.
6. Assign responsibility for name research and any attorney review.
7. Agree on file ownership, asset licenses and account access.
8. Set handover requirements and assign implementation duties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get local planning help before hiring a consultant?

Indiana SBDC offers no-cost market research reports and interpretation assistance. The Central Indiana office describes support that includes branding and go-to-market planning. Contact the office with your business question and ask what assistance is available. [1] [2]

Should I commission a logo or strategy first?

Start with the decisions you still need to make. If you have not defined your customer, offer or message, request research and positioning. After agreeing on those decisions, specify identity deliverables for the places your staff will use them.

Does library trademark assistance approve a business name?

IndyPL offers research demonstrations and information assistance. Staff cannot conduct legal research for you or provide legal advice. Consult an attorney if you need legal assistance, and assign responsibility for that work before approving the name. [3]

How should I compare consultant quotes?

Give providers the same brief. Compare research, deliverables, revisions, implementation duties and exclusions, then ask them to separate professional fees from advertising and other expenses. Resolve differences in scope before choosing a proposal.