UK branding brief template for businesses

Follow the branch that matches the project now, then complete the prompts it opens. Keep the brief grounded in the business decision, what the agency must do, the money available and who can approve the result. Include existing assets and constraints rather than asking agencies to guess.

If you cannot yet name the change

Begin with the one decision you need the brand to influence, rather than naming assets such as a logo, deck or website.

A useful sentence could say that the business needs to be chosen for technical expertise rather than price in the Midlands market by next spring. Use one business decision to keep the outcome clear.

Keep that decision visible on the first page. Use it later to judge each proposed route, so the choice is based on whether it answers the business need rather than whether someone simply prefers its look. If the decision is still unclear, resolve it before asking agencies to propose deliverables.

• Rule of thumb: Decide what should change before listing what should be made.

If the outcome is clear but the request is not

Turn the decision into prompts that explain the situation, the audience, existing brand elements, requested work, budget and authority to approve. Complete the table in plain language, adding detail wherever an agency would otherwise have to make an assumption about the brief.

Name the audience and the change you want from them, then say what evidence you can share. For scope, be explicit about channels, outputs, exclusions and what your team will provide. If you are unsure whether you need strategy, design or both, compare branding and design roles before setting the request.

• Rule of thumb: Give every agency the same six fields to complete against.

If the spend could produce incomparable quotes

State a budget band in pounds and say whether it includes VAT. Also mark whether photography and font licensing sit inside or outside that amount. A budget template gives you a place to record those fields before you invite agencies to price the work.

Use a band rather than leaving the amount open. The budget guide explains why the VAT treatment belongs beside the figure. If responses differ sharply, such as £9,000 and £22,000, revisit the scope and assumptions rather than treating the prices as directly comparable.

Day rates vary by region and seniority, so the band should reflect where and whom you buy. The London cost breakdown sets out typical bands by project type. Use a worked allocation only as an illustration, not as a substitute for defining which tasks, exclusions and licensing costs each agency is being asked to include.

The example is for a twelve week project using a two-person strategy team and one designer. The stated band and VAT treatment show whether the project may be affordable before an agency spends time on a pitch. Keep photography and font licensing explicitly marked as included or excluded too.

• Rule of thumb: Give every bidder one scope, one budget band and one VAT position.

If existing identity elements may be protected or fixed

Search the UK Intellectual Property Office trade mark register and record registered trade marks, their numbers and their owners. Mark any licensed marks separately from those owned by the business. The Trade Marks Act 1994 sets out how those rights work, so the register should inform the brief.

Record the rest of the intellectual property and identity constraints too: fixed colours, licensed typefaces, straplines leadership will defend, and elements open to change. Distinguishing fixed requirements from preferences helps an agency understand where it can explore options and where the business expects it to preserve existing material.

• Rule of thumb: Identify what is owned, licensed, fixed and open to change.

If research or advertising claims are part of the work

Audience research can collect personal data, including in a short interview round. The ICO guide for organisations explains what is owed to people whose details you hold. Tell the agency what research data handling is expected, and include accountability and governance in the brief.

Write down any claims the brand may make in advertising early enough to consider them during the work. Those claims must fit the CAP codes. If the agreement needs a governing law, name it in the brief because contract law differs in Scotland. Keep claims and research handling visible rather than leaving them until sign-off.

• Rule of thumb: Flag research data and advertising claims before creative work begins.

If approval depends on several people

Name one person with authority to approve spend and a substitute, then identify who advises and who approves at each stage. State the criteria for decisions and how conflicting feedback or unresolved choices will be handled. Listing meeting attendees alone does not tell an agency who has final decision rights.

Before work starts, settle the commercial clauses that affect payment stages, kill fees and ownership of artwork. In the brief, make clear who owns concepts that are not selected and what happens if the project stops partway through. That lets the agency understand the approval route and the boundaries of the work.

• Rule of thumb: Give every decision one named owner and a route for resolving disagreement.