GUIDE · 7 MIN READ
What does brand strategy actually cost in the UK?
A straight breakdown of what you're paying for at each price tier — and why two studios quoting the same number can deliver completely different things.
The question nobody answers clearly
Ask five studios what brand strategy costs and you'll get five different answers, none of which explain what you're actually getting. One says £3,000. One says £40,000. Both call it "brand strategy."
The confusion is deliberate. Vague pricing keeps buyers dependent on sales calls. This guide removes the ambiguity. Here's what brand strategy work actually costs in the UK, what's inside each tier, and what to watch for when comparing quotes.
First: what brand strategy actually is
Brand strategy is the written foundation that governs how a business communicates. It answers: who you are, who you're for, what you stand for, and why it matters. It's not a logo. It's not a tagline. It's the document that makes every design decision defensible and every marketing decision coherent.
A complete brand strategy typically includes: positioning statement, audience definition, competitive differentiation, brand personality and tone of voice, messaging framework, and naming rationale. Some studios include visual direction. Most don't, that's a separate engagement.
The price tiers
These are real UK market ranges based on what studios and consultancies are charging in 2025–26. They represent what you should expect to receive at each level, not what's advertised.
TIER 1 · FREELANCER / TEMPLATE
£500 – £3,000
A document, often template-led, covering positioning basics. Typically completed in 1–2 weeks with one or two calls. Useful for early-stage validation or pre-seed businesses. Expect a competent framework with limited original thinking.
What you won't get: competitive depth, audience research, or anything that required the strategist to think hard about your specific market.
TIER 2 · BOUTIQUE STUDIO
£5,000 – £15,000
A full strategy engagement with discovery workshops, stakeholder interviews, competitive audit, and a written strategy document (typically 20–40 pages). Usually 4–8 weeks. This is the right tier for growing businesses preparing for investment or entering new markets.
Siete operates in this tier. Minimum engagement £8,000.
TIER 3 · BRAND CONSULTANCY
£20,000 – £100,000+
Enterprise-scale strategy involving large teams, multiple stakeholder layers, proprietary research methodologies, and rollout support across departments. 12–24 week timelines. Appropriate for listed companies, major rebrands, or category creation plays.
What the price is actually buying
At Tier 1, you're buying time. The strategist is fast because they're applying a repeatable process to your inputs. The output is usable but generic.
At Tier 2, you're buying thinking. The strategist is doing original competitive analysis, pushing back on your assumptions, and producing a document that couldn't have been written for any other business. This is where the real leverage is.
At Tier 3, you're buying infrastructure. The consultancy is managing internal politics, aligning executive teams, and building something that functions across an organisation. This is not relevant to most businesses reading this.
Red flags in a strategy quote
No discovery process listed
If the quote doesn't mention workshops, interviews, or research, the strategy will be built on what you tell them — not on independent analysis. You're paying for a document, not a diagnosis.
Deliverables listed as slides or decks
A strategy deck is a presentation format, not a usable document. Ask for a written strategy document your team can reference and hand to a designer. If they can't produce one, the thinking doesn't go deep enough.
Turnaround under two weeks at Tier 2 prices
Real strategy takes time. If someone is charging £8,000–£15,000 and promising delivery in 10 days, they are using a template. That's fine at Tier 1 prices. It's not acceptable at Tier 2.
Do you need strategy before identity?
Yes, if you're at Tier 2 or above. Without a positioning document, a designer is making visual decisions based on aesthetics alone. The result is a brand that looks good but doesn't do anything specific. You'll be redesigning in 18 months.
Some studios fold the strategy into the identity engagement. This is the most efficient approach: the strategy informs the visual work in real time, instead of being handed over as a brief to a separate team.
If you have a project
Siete works with businesses at the Tier 2 level — strategy-first, no templates, minimum engagement £8,000. If that sounds right, start a conversation.
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