Finalist of the 2024 Enterprise Nation Adviser Awardsfor Marketing Strategy

The Identity Bureau

A naming and branding agency for start-ups and business owners who desire distinction in the marketplace.

As a modern business owner, you understand that well executed and distinctive branding is not optional.

You can't afford to be ignored.  

My clients work with me because they believe in the same principles that guide my agency.
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They believe a distinctive brand is not an ‘optional extra’ or a ‘nice to have’. It’s an imperative asset in a world where competition is often global and consumers have an abundance of choice.
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In short, if you don’t proactively influence how you want your brand to be perceived, your competition will gladly do that for you.

My brand identity design and brand naming services complement each other.

My intention is to positively influence the perception of your brand in the minds of your customers.

Underpinned by strategy and delivered with guidance, I create names and visual identities that will make you fall in love with your brand, right before your customers do the same.

Book a Discovery Call...

Selected work

See all projects

Menticulture Magazine

Naming, branding and editorial design for a new arts and culture magazine launching in Chelmsford, Essex.

Auto Classica

A re-brand for one of the UK's fastest growing, high-end car storage companies.

Workwell International

Combining two brand identities as 6CATS International rebrands to Workwell International.

Justin Walton

Brand strategy, messaging and identity design for Justin Walton, an executive and financial coach based in Essex and London.

Who I work with

Start-ups

You're starting a new business and looking for naming and branding to stake your position in the marketplace.

You want to launch your brand strategically into the hearts and minds of those who need to see it.

Growing businesses

You've been in business for one to three years, growing a team and earning a great reputation.

The time is right to invest in a brand identity that truly reflects the business you have become in order to propel your business forward.

Rebranding businesses

You've been in business for several years and your old branding no longer reflects the business you run. It is tired, inconsistent and does not stand up to the competition.

You recognise the need for change.

The Transformative Identity Programme

Are you ready for your brand to be noticed, admired and remembered?

The Transformative Identity Programme is a four-stage branding process that delivers brand clarity, direction and change. Developed for start-ups, growing businesses and rebranding businesses.

1

STAGE ONE

Brand Strategy Workshop

Turning complex strategy into ‘ah ha!’ clarity

Delivered in house, or remotely, and designed to create a unified and clear vision of your business' purpose, personality and positioning. These 2 x two-hour workshops will create a foundational base for your brand. The results will be presented in your Brand Activation Playbook.

Agenda:
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Internal Brand
Brand mission
Brand vision
Brand values
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Positioning
Positioning exercises
Customer personas
Competitor analysis
Differentiation and distinction
Past, present, future exercises
Industry perceptions
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Brand Personality
Audience needs
How does your brand present
Brand personality traits
Strapline
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Brand Voice
Tone of voice
Tonal values
Messaging word list‍

2

STAGE TWO

Brand Naming

Brand names that are memorable, pique interest, and above all, sound great...

However it sounds, together we’ll craft a brand name and language that is both irresistible and unforgettable to your audience. My brand naming service includes a naming workshop and brief creation, a provision of ten shortlisted names and preliminary legal checks, allowing you to make informed decisions on your chosen names.

Deliverables:
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Brand naming workshop and brief creation (approx 90 mins in person or online)
Brand name ideation by The Identity Bureau
Supply of short-listed brand names (up to 10)
Domain name availability guidance on short-listed names
Preliminary legal checks on short-listed names by our legal partner BrandProtect
Checked brand names presented with ‘red, amber, green’ traffic light caution‍

3

STAGE THREE

Brand Identity Design

Your strategy. Made visible.

The culmination of your strategic work, a brand identity designed specifically to create an emotional connection with your intended audience. Brand identity design by The Identity Bureau is entirely bespoke and based on our findings and research from the Brand Strategy Workshop.

Deliverables:
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Visual Identity Development Research and design of brand identity concepts and assets. This visual identity will be based on the brand name chosen from the recommendations made in your legal checks in Stage Two of the programme (or on your existing name if you are not using the naming service).

Identity Design Presentation An online presentation of your brand identity concepts for your consideration. You will be shown your brand concepts in a 'real world' context so you can see how your brand may look in practice. The presentation is an opportunity for feedback and refinement before your visual identity is finalised.
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Visual Identity Asset Suite
Logo files supplied in digital formats
Colour pallets
Typographic recommendations
Additional illustrations and patterns
Comprehensive brand guidlelines
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4

STAGE FOUR

Brand Activation Playbook

Your Transformative Identity in the wild. Proceed with confidence...

Your 56 page Brand Activation Playbook guide is supplied in printed and digital formats. Split into three main sections, it is a guide to your brand foundations, positioning, and tone of voice. This guide also contains your comprehensive set of brand guidelines, showing you how to apply your brand visually and verbally online and via social media.

Chapters include:

Name and Strapline
‍How to write it
How to pronounce it
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Foundational Brand Statements
‍Mission statement
Vision statement
Positioning statement
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Verbal Identity Guidelines
‍Tonal values
Tone of voice
Word lists

Visual Identity Guidelines
How to apply your brand identity correctly, everywhere your customer will see you
Logo Do's and Don'ts
Minimum logo sizes and exclusion zones
Colour palette and font choices
Photographic tone-of-voice
How to use your brand fonts together
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Brand Activation Guidelines
‍Marketing, thought leadership, social media and essential tools to activate your brand consistently
Developing your website
Anatomy of a homepage
Developing thought leadership
Advantages of blogging
Social media platforms
Creating a content calendar
What to post and how often
The importance of consistency and developing brand salience
Email marketing
Google Business Profile
Recommended online tools

From £8,995
Pay in 1, 2 or 3 equal installments.
Typical timeframe eight to ten weeks.

*The Transformative Identity Programme is also available without Brand Naming if required for £7,495.

Marc De'ath

Chelmsford City Council

“For the past seven years I've heard Chelmsford's creative community call for stronger marketing support of its arts and culture scene.  Menticulture Magazine answers that call, cutting through the digital noise with beautiful print and authentic editorial that champions grassroots creativity.”.

Alex Pietrasiuk

Kinline CPAs

"By the end of the project, we had an accounting firm brand that we could not be more proud of… Ben could not have been easier to work with".

Nick Pauley

Auto Classica

"The new brand identity design has been exceptionally well-received... Ben's researched-focussed approach got to the root of the issues... delivering what the business truly needed, not just what we thought we wanted".

Jordan French

Jordan French

St. George Property Group

"We instantly liked Ben and his approach to our goal. He explained everything clearly and ... the finished product was everything and more than what we could have imagined".

Stefanie Cook

Workwell International

“Ben delivered on our brief perfectly, preserving the highly recognised identity that our brand is so well known for, while combining it tastefully with our new parent company brand. It is working exactly as we had hoped”.

Louise Burmeister

Canine Genetics Centre

“We had a requirement to rebrand the Canine Genetics Centre... Ben worked to produce something memorable and vibrant, that has been extremely well received. Our new identity not only differentiates us from our peers but reflects our passion for dogs and the work we do".

Jim Clark

Numerity

“Ben was a pleasure to work with… A year later, we are still getting compliments about our logo and website. Ben took a personal approach and we felt like more than just a client".

Wendy Walton

Wendy Walton Executive Coaching

“I thoroughly enjoyed working with Ben. He explained things clearly and listened carefully to what I wanted as well as managing expectations. He challenged my thinking but also listened to my feedback. My clients really like my new branding and website".

Rob Brown

Rob Brown

Accounting Influencers Roundtable

"Quality design work and insightful insights on brand strategy for professional firms. Ben Stanbury is extremely professional, responsive and great to work with!".

Meet your brand partner...

All flesh, blood and creative brains...

Hello I’m Ben. a trained graphic designer and brand strategist. I enjoy writing and naming, and these are the reasons I started The Identity Bureau.

I believe that for brands to truly make a connection with the people they are trying to serve, they need to be created by people.

Brand identities are created through collaboration and conversation, they require strategy, process and understanding. That's why they cost money and take time. That's why they can't be picked off a shelf, or whipped up in minutes.
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If your brand has a story to tell and an impression to make, then you're in the right place...

When you work with me I’ll steer you through a strategic process to determine how you want your company to be perceived and then, together, we’ll take the steps to create that perception.

Questions? Here are a few...

What is the Transformative Identity Programme?

The Transformative Identity Programme is four-part brand identity process split into four deliverables.

The programme equips start-up businesses with distinctive brand assets to give them a competitive advantage in the marketplace, and also revives brands in need of change, growth or renewed vigour.

What does the programme consist of?

The programme consists of workshops, research, design and presentations which provide the following four deliverables for my clients:

Brand Strategy Workshop
Brand Naming
Brand Identity Design
Brand Activation Playbook

How long does it take?

Typically between eight and ten weeks depending on the size of the organisation I'm working with.

I will provide an approximate timeline of the programme so you know what to expect over the time we are working together.

Do you work with clients outside of the UK?

Yes, I have worked with clients in the US and Canada and can deliver the Transformative Identity Programme entirely online.

I encourage face-to-face Google Meets (or similar)
and I can present your branding concepts to you online via a video call.

As I do with my clients in the UK, I'll keep you in the loop throughout.

I've never worked with a brand agency before...

And that's completely fine... My process is collaborative and done with you. Together we will discuss your answers, talk about what your business means to you, and what you want your business to mean to the people you serve.
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Your brand strategy (or, as I like to call it your brand plan) is the foundational work we do before we begin naming or branding your business. You should find it interesting, conversational and thought-provoking.

Who will I be dealing with if I work with The Identity Bureau?

You'll work with me (Ben). I facilitate the entire Transformative Identity Programme and only work with one or two clients at any one time.

This means you'll deal directly with me in meeting, calls and presentations as we go through each stage of the process.

None of the Transformative Identity Processes is outsourced to third parties.

I have a brand name already, can we still work together?

Yes, this is entirely possible. Fees for the programme without the Brand Naming deliverable start at £7,495 (with added VAT for UK based customers).

Do you run trademark checks on the brand names? 

Yes, we work in partnership with Intellectual Property Lawyers BrandProtect.

We supply a shortlist of your chosen brand names for preliminary trademark checks to help you make an informed decision on your final name. This service is included in your fee.  

I have a question that isn't answered here...

Please email studio@theidbureau.com and I'll do my best to answer...

"How lucky were we to find Ben? The reaction to our rebrand was extraordinary...  We have had so much positive feedback"

Michelle Reilly - 6CATS International

I'm here for the perceptions shifters, the outside-thinkers, and the firms that don't want to look like the other firms...

And you're not here for a cheap fix. You're aware of the stakes and true cost of brand mediocracy.
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So, welcome then to The Identity Bureau, a small naming and branding agency for start-ups and businesses that want to be seen among the unremarkable.

Are you ready for your brand to be noticed, admired and remembered? Make yourself known at The Identity Bureau...

Book a Discovery Call...
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