Updating your brand is likely some of the most fun you’ll have as a business owner.

You get to look at gorgeous color palettes, review logo designs, review website copy and/or design changes… and you might even be working on your offers with a coach.

However, we doubt you’re doing all of that at once. You’re likely doing it in stages, generally going from “brand design” to “copywriting” to “web design” and back again as your business changes. In essence, you’re piecemealing your brand.

The Problem with Piecemealing

Piecemealing is great for a big holiday feast — but your brand isn’t a potluck. In fact, piecemealing (defined as ‘partial measures taken over a period of time’) your brand can actually cost you in the long run.

Now don’t get your knickers in a twist: We think that completing pieces of your brand as you have the budget is smart! But when you’re only working in “short sprints” on your brand — and your brand updates have been done over the course of months or years — the end result is usually a few hairs short of a cat.

Plus, when you try to approach your brand from a “piece by piece” perspective, you end up spending thousands more, in dollars and in time, trying to make it all work. And the worst part? It still isn’t what you wanted. 

Let’s look at why branding in bite-sized pieces is actually costing you. 

The Average Cost of a New Brand

Building your brand in phases can be the absolute pits — not to mention expensive. One contractor could be so affordable, but the other could be so expensive. 

How do you prioritize your budget? How can you make an accurate guess of how much this will all cost in the end?

Let’s draw up the numbers so you can see exactly what’s at stake with those smackers. 

• Average cost of brand design: $5,500-$10,000
  • Average timeline of brand design: 3-5 months
• Average cost of web design: $5,000-$7,000
  • Average timeline of web design: 1-2 months
• Average cost of web copy: $3,000-$5,000
  • Average timeline of web copy: 1 month
• Average costs for graphic design: $65-$150 per hour
  • Average timeline of graphic design: n/a
• Average costs for coaching: $200-$300 per hour
  • Average timeline for coaching: 6-12 month packages 
• Average costs for offer coaching or builds: $2500-$10k
  • Average timeline for offer coaching builds: 1-2 months
• Average costs for copywriting (to help build lead magnets, funnels, etc.): $30 – $75 per hour
  • Average timeline for copywriting projects: 1 month

If we tally it all up (and estimate 15 hours PER hourly rate), that’s a whopping $20,425 to $27,925 on average. If you tally up the timelines, you’re also looking at 10+ months just to get your project done if a few pieces, like coaching, can be done in tandem.

Branding isn’t cheap nor is it fast, but you probably already knew that. This is just the tangible dollars and cents, though. What about the other costs associated with branding? 

Communication Costs

Working in phases with a gaggle of different contractors means more room for miscommunication. Because your team isn’t working together at once, or together at all, it’s easy for pieces of the project to get muddied up. 

Plus, you’re the one directing edits and adding deliverables you forgot to ask for in the scope, all from different people. That only adds to your dollars-and-cents price tag. 

Time Costs

Working with multiple contractors also means more delays. You’re doing “pass the baton” work rather than streamlining it all on one timeline, where people are collaborating and finalizing deliverables in tandem. (That’s what we do here at Rendezvous 😉)

Picture this scenario: You wait months to work with a brand designer. They can finally get started, but you can’t choose a VIP day for your copywriter until you have the brand keywords and direction set. While the copywriter is working on copy, your web designer can’t get started until they know what’s going on each page. And all the while, your graphic designer needs brand standards and copy to start shifting your client assets, social media, etc.

Everyone is waiting for someone else to finish before they can start. And that, doll, is a recipe for delays, increased costs, and miscommunications via the age-old game of “Telephone.” 

That dreamy launch date you had your sites set on? You can kiss it goodbye because now, you’re at the whim of someone else’s timelines. The more individuals involved, the more room for delays (and frustrations). 

Capacity Costs

When you’re the one leading your brand overhaul (whether you’re developing a sister brand, sub-brand, or all-new brand), you’re spinning a lot of plates.

Even when you hire a team of experts, you’re still leading multiple people, which leads to more burnout. Everyone communicates differently. Everyone has their own processes, kickoff calls, and forms to fill out. Everyone has different working hours and different expectations. 

You’re constantly going back and forth between contractor communications to get something delivered. Because you’re “winging it,” there’s no overarching brand strategy in sight. 

*Feigns a dramatic sigh* Exhausting, isn’t it? Don’t worry, doll. We’ve got a juicy fix for you.

All-In-One Branding for the Busy Business Owner

Let’s fast-forward 10 to 12 months. Your team of contractors have delivered their individual projects, you’ve approved everything, and you’ve implemented what you can as it comes. 

You get the final piece in place, step back to enjoy your brand… and realize it’s not exactly what you had in mind. Hell, maybe it’s not even close. Cue the sad trombones, because it’s time to start the process all over again. 

Your branding experience doesn’t have to be a source of burnout and disillusionment, though. Not when Rendezvous is here to help. 

We start by getting to the root of your brand, its mission, and your ultimate vision. We work with you to understand your offers, the look, and the feel of your brand from tops to toes. And once we’ve laid the groundwork, we get to the juicy work. From offer audits and refinement to brand style guides, brand voice guides, website design, and full funnel and website copywriting… everything your brand needs to come to life is here. 

At Rendezvous Creative, you get white-glove concierge service to help you manage your brand project, guided by our trio of experts. While you’ll be included at every step of the process, you can also rest easy knowing that every step will be met along our 6-month Rendezvous Roadmap.

Ready for brand support, coaching, design, copywriting, and execution that helps you put the best version of your brand out in the world? Schedule a call with us here to get started!

Oh — and in case you’re curious, our Rendezvous Roadmap is $22,500 for everything you see below**, delivered in 6 months or less. 

🔹 Value + Mission + Vision definition + coaching

🔹 Brand creation + style guide (logo, colors, fonts, photography guidelines, graphic styles)

🔹 Website build (design + copy) 

🔹 Lead magnet creation (design + copy)

🔹 Content plans for up to 6 months

🔹 Welcome emails, email sequences + email templates

​​🔹 Social media (content plan incorporating launch + new offers; design templates)

🔹 Blog posts for SEO 

🔹 Sales funnels (copy + design)

🔹 Value-based client experience setup (welcome gift, product packaging, etc.)

🔹 Offer audit + design to map out your offers and the logistics of delivery

** Other elements necessary to make your brand go gangbusters are always up for discussion!

See our latest client project!