How long does the branding process take from start to finish?

The timeline for a branding project depends on its scope.

As a rough guide: Smaller branding projects (e.g. a logo and basic visual identity refresh) typically take about 2-5 weeks .
This includes discovery, initial design concepts, revisions, and finalizing the assets.

Comprehensive branding or rebranding for a mid-size business often spans 1-3 months . This timeframe allows for in-depth research, strategy development, multiple design iterations, and creation of brand guidelines and collateral.

Major rebrands for established organizations can take 3–12 months , especially if there’s extensive stakeholder input, auditing of the existing brand, and a carefully phased rollout plan.

For example, auditing all current brand touchpoints, developing a new strategy, redesigning the identity, and implementing changes across a large company’s materials globally is a complex endeavor requiring up to a year.

Branding agencies like SVZ will often break the process into phases: discovery & strategy, concept development, refinement, and implementation. It’s important to note these timelines are approximations – the schedule can shift based on feedback rounds, scheduling of workshops, and how quickly decisions are made. Also, larger organizations may purposely extend timelines to socialize the new brand internally or align with a big launch event.

At SVZ, we’ve streamlined our branding workflow to be as efficient as possible (leveraging our US-based team and Global Team to work around the clock), but we also ensure we don’t rush the creative process. Typically, we ask clients to expect about 4–12 weeks for a new brand identity project, which includes ample time for feedback and iteration, ensuring the final result is something everyone is confident in.

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