Branding
What a Rebrand Actually Costs (and Why Quotes Vary So Much)
8 min read
Two studios quote the same rebrand at $4,000 and $60,000. Neither is necessarily wrong. The gap comes from scope variables that rarely appear in the proposal summary.
The first variable is surface count. A logo is one asset. An identity that has to work across an app interface, packaging, vehicle livery, trade stands, and a hundred-page document set is a different project entirely.
The second is strategy depth. Some engagements start with research, positioning, and message testing. Others start with 'here is our positioning, make it look good'. The second is faster and cheaper, and only appropriate when the positioning is genuinely settled.
The third is rollout. Designing an identity is not the same as applying it. Application across existing assets is often larger than the design work that preceded it.
The fourth is governance. A guidelines document that anticipates edge cases takes longer to produce than a page showing colours and a logo, and it is the difference between an identity that holds and one that drifts within a year.
When you compare quotes, compare these four variables rather than the headline number. A cheap quote that omits rollout is not cheaper; it just moves the cost to later.