Every company is reliant on their consumer base, as well as expanding that base with new clients. Certain industries, such as advertising, public relations and marketing, often focus on growing their services to entice new customers, as well as build and strengthen their relationship with current clients. An additional service many public relations, marketing and advertising agencies work to add is graphic design, which is becoming a growing need among the clients these industries serve. In-house graphic design teams, however, can be time-consuming or cost-prohibitive for certain agencies, which is why many are partnering with graphic design agencies to expand their services and boost their profits. Partnerships with graphic design firms are more than outsourcing projects. They’re a collaborative effort between your company and your design agency partner, which translates to an equal investment among both parties to deliver a project that meets and achieves your clients’ needs. Check out the three ways graphic design agencies can expand your service offerings, and benefit your company, below. One-Stop Shopping One of the biggest benefits of working with a graphic design agency is that you’re able to expand your menu of services, which provides a one-stop shop for your existing and potential clients. Think about your personal shopping habits. Why visit the pharmacy and grocery store if you can go to one place and get everything you need? It’s the same principle with offering both graphic design and your company’s other services at the same location. Your client gets everything they want in one convenient spot while working with staff that’s familiar with their business needs and goals. All-in-one service also makes you stand out from your competitors by giving you an edge in the marketplace. Through a design agency partnership, you can provide services like these: Logo design Company stationery design Product catalogs Website redesigns Graphic illustrations And more! While other marketing firms, for example, are unable to provide a client with a website or catalog redesign, you can through your partnership with a graphic design agency. Customers in today’s marketplace are also shifting away from firms that do not provide full service, which is why lots of companies now offer a catalog of services that meets the growing needs of consumers in the marketplace. Failing to expand and round-out your company’s offerings can cause: Decreased growth Reduced profits Loss of existing clients Failure to sign new customers If you already offer full service to clients but are struggling to handle the number of graphic design requests, a design firm can also provide aid during select time frames or situations, such as: Seasons with an increased number of graphic design orders Large orders from newly signed clients Periods of decreased staff or department sizes The benefit of this arrangement is that it’s on-demand and you’re only paying for the services you need, without a retainer fee. Partnering with a graphic design agency is essential if your company wants to grow in a marketplace that now asks for one-stop services. Manage Workflow [...]

In our post-recession economy it can be very tempting to cut corners in order to save money– especially when it comes to creative work like graphic design. When vetting agencies to handle your design work, cost can often be the determining factor. Many times you’ll discover that agencies charge the same ballpark amounts, but one or two of your candidates will undercut prices significantly. Have you ever wondered how this is possible? Typically, graphic firms that offer bargain prices utilize templates. This practice allows them to keep costs low, and they pass that savings on to their clients. However, there are many pitfalls that come along with templates, and you should think twice before partnering with an agency that utilizes them as their primary method of design. Why Do Agencies Use Templates? Agencies use templates because they are profitable. They can simply pull a logo off the shelf, swap out some colors and fonts, and in no time flat, the client has a logo and the designer can begin the next project. Agencies that operate in this way typically hire untalented or burned-out designers who don’t do any actual design. They simply manipulate images one after the other. It’s the design equivalent of a factory assembly line. Template-happy agencies are far more interested in profit than they are in customer service. They don’t care what your business does, what its goals are, or what your plans for the future are. They just want to crank out logos the way Hostess cranks out Twinkies. […]