As with many keyword searches, Google’s results aren’t indicative of who actually does real branding work.
The intention of this page is to clarify how each company positions itself within the larger scope of the Edmonton marketing scene. Based on how they position themselves, it should also prove to be a useful resource in determining how each company will position your organization.
Urban Jungle positions itself as Alberta’s only specialist branding firm delivering brand strategy, brand naming, brand identity, brand environments, brand training, brand activation, and brand management.
How is Urban Jungle different from all of the other companies that made this list? It’s the only company able to deliver the complete brand development package. While some firms only offer the creative services of branding, no other firm is equipped or experienced enough to offer brand training and brand management. Why is this important? Without training, your staff won’t be able to actually deliver the experience you’re intending to create, and without management there’s no way to check in and course correct if you need to.
Making its second appearance, Urban Jungle comes in at #2 with the top resource page specific to Edmonton’s branding scene. Coincidentally it’s the page you are on now.
The name says it all. Vision is a creative boutique specializing in design. If you’re looking for one of Edmonton’s top pretty-makers, Vision should definitely be on your short list.
FREE is positioned as an agency of ad men and women. Like the other agencies that made this list, FREE only offers strategy, creative and activation services. While FREE has the knowledge and capability to offer more than most when it comes to branding, it doesn’t offer brand training, brand experience or brand management. If your objective is to see your brand realized you’ll need the complete package.
Graphos positions itself between a big ad agency and a boutique marketing firm and it has a grocery list of services. So, in other words, a little country, a little rock & roll, and a little hip-hop. While we give it props for its great SEO work, Graphos is not a branding firm. It sells branding as naming and identity, which are two very small pieces to the branding puzzle.
While we give Sundial credit for doing its SEO homework, it’s not a branding company. Sundial is a print shop offering the creative services of branding. That is all.
After a quick peruse of its website Web3 is clearly a web design studio, not a branding firm. Like most web studios and design shops, Web3 sells branding as simply identity.
Spark is positioned as a screen printing and promo product company. Despite calling itself “the branding shop,” Spark specializes in attaching your logo to various promo products. In other words, “branding” a product with a logo much in the same way a rancher would brand his cattle. That said, if you need a promo product company, this is your shop. Spark is Urban Jungle’s promo product company of choice. It has an amazing art department and carries its own clothing line called Deadwear. Very cool.
Having developed award-winning ad campaigns for the Edmonton Public Library and the Edmonton International Airport, Donovan was a staple in the Edmonton marketing and advertising scene. In 2013 Calgary marketing agency, ZGM acquired Donovan. The website still exists, but the signs on its wall say ZGM. We’re not sure what that means.
Three. It’s a magic number. Rounding out the top 10, Urban Jungle makes its third appearance, reinforcing the point about its specialization.