“OVERPRICED?” WHAT CUSTOM BRAND IDENTITY ACTUALLY COSTS, AND WHY
Updated: Sep 13
If you have started pricing out brand identity work, you have probably seen numbers ranging from a few hundred dollars to well over $20,000 for what looks like the same deliverable: a logo, some colors, a style guide. The range exists because custom brand identity is not one product. It is a scope of work, and the price reflects what is actually included.
At Studio Ruby Signorelli, custom brand identity projects start at $5,000. Here is what drives that number.
Strategy and positioning Before any design work begins, a custom identity starts with understanding the business: who it serves, what it competes against, and what it needs to communicate before a single visual choice is made. This is the part that separates a brand identity from a logo design job. Skipping it is why some identities look nice and still do not work.
Number of applications A logo alone is a small project. A full identity system, covering packaging, signage, digital, print, and collateral, is a much larger one. Every additional application the identity needs to work across adds design and production time.
Revision rounds Custom work means the direction is built specifically for one brand, which takes more rounds of feedback and refinement than choosing from a template. That back and forth is part of what you are paying for.
Deliverables and guidelines A finished identity project includes a brand guidelines document: file formats, color values, typography rules, and usage guidance your team can apply consistently going forward without coming back to the studio for every new asset.
Why it is not a fixed price A founder launching a single product line needs less than a hospitality brand covering signage, menus, packaging, and a website. The cost scales with scope, not with how "premium" the brand wants to look.
If you are budgeting for a rebrand or a new brand launch, the most useful thing you can do before reaching out to a studio is get clear on your own scope: what applications the identity needs to cover, and what stage your business is at right now. That is what actually determines the number.
Studio Ruby Signorelli works with founders and creative directors at independent luxury and premium brands in skincare, beauty, fragrance, fashion, hospitality, wine, and cafe. Get in touch to talk through your project.
