What Is a Brand Kit, and Should I Buy One?
I recently posted on Instagram about my new semi-custom brand kits, and thought clients might be wondering, “What is a brand kit?” In this short blog, I tackle the definition of a semi-custom brand design kit, and whether you should invest in one.
What are brand kits or premade brands?
What is a brand kit?
A brand identity kit is a set of predesigned logos that you can purchase as-is from a graphic designer’s shop who will input your business information into the design. Typically, you are provided with a limited number of logo variations in a brand design kit.
What does a branding kit include?
Primary logo design
Secondary logo design
Submark / brandmark / monogram
Color palette
Pattern
Note: Because you need to purchase a license for brand fonts, those are likely not included. You will need to purchase brand typefaces separately on a site like Creative Market.
How many times can a brand kit be sold?
Depending on the designer, the brand kit may be sold anywhere from once to unlimited times. The price is usually much lower for brand design kits with no purchase limits because the design is not unique to a sole business owner. The price tends to be higher for brand kits that have a limit (1-3 purchases).
Should I buy a semi-custom brand kit or a custom brand design?
Great question! The answer will be different for everyone, so here are a few considerations to keep in mind.
What’s your branding budget?
A custom brand is great for businesses that are ready to invest at least $5k in their business. I know that may seem like a big number, but it’s not. If you plan to make just $50,000 in your business, a standard budget is to estimate 10% of your annual revenue to spend on branding/marketing.
If you plan on making less than $50,000 this year, then a brand kit could be a great alternative to custom branding! Brand kits cost anywhere from $25 on Etsy to over $1k in a professional brand designer’s shop (like mine). There are certainly some custom brand designers that float in the middle of that $1k to $5k gap, but I’m averaging here.
If you’re a new business and worried about making money your first year or two in business, a brand kit gives you the professionalism of a custom brand on a dime-sized budget. (You can always rebrand later, but if you can invest in a custom design from the beginning, you may save yourself time, stress, and money in the end).
What’s your timeline to launch?
Another reason some businesses opt to use a brand kit is timing. Maybe the owner got so busy working in the business that they forgot they needed a brand to launch. If you can’t wait 3-4 weeks for a brand designer to develop a custom brand for your new business, then a brand kit is a timely alternative!
Do you care if someone else has the same brand design?
After considering your budget and timeline, you also want to think about differentiation. Basically, do you care if someone else has the same brand design as you, or do you want to stand out?
Part of good branding is having strong brand recognition, meaning that when someone sees your logo or brand elements, they know it’s you and no one else. If you have the same logo as another business, whether they are in the same industry or not, it can cause brand confusion.
If you are in a saturated industry and want to differentiate yourself from competitors, you may want to consider investing in a custom brand design instead of a brand kit.
How do semi-custom brands work?
With a semi-custom brand, you fill out an order form that asks for your specific business information. For example, in my Willow Bark brand kit, I ask for the following information about your business:
Business name ("willow bark")
Industry ("photography")
Tagline ("capturing romantic moments")
Established date ("2020")
Brand initials ("wb")
After collecting your brand’s details, I will replace what’s currently displayed in the brand kit with your answers. (I.e. the fonts and colors will stay the same, but instead of saying "willow bark photography" it'll use your business name, along with the answers you submitted on the order form about your biz.)
