When I was in elementary school, we were regularly shown films designed to teach us life lessons, like the hazards of tobacco or how to be a good neighbor. Sometimes, I think I should make similar cautionary films for founders, to help them avoid the pitfalls and temptations they are likely to face. One film would definitely be about the perils of hiring a branding agency.
Sooner or later, if they’re moderately successful, most entrepreneurs get persuaded by their peers to seek the counsel of a higher power to help them define their brands, certain that only the superior wisdom of a branding and marketing agency can set them on the road to hockey-stick growth. (Higher powers would never use hackneyed terms like hockey-stick growth, but never mind.)
I’ve been roped into hiring them too, and each time I’ve paid dearly. At both
