32: How We Make Great, Strategic Branding Accessible for Pet Businesses

I'm pulling back the curtain on PMU's most popular service: Branding Week. This one is a real personal one that shares our mission and how it’s grown and evolved over the years into what we have now in order to make strategic branding accessible for the people we want to be working with - small pet business owners.

You'll learn:

• Traditional branding costs and our accessible alternative
• Our 6-step branding day process from start to finish
• One-concept strategy vs. multiple options approach
• How focused collaboration beats months-long timelines
• The industry gap behind nearly 200 successful projects

Get the full episode blog at www.petmarketingunleashed.com/32

🎉 Ready to get a brand you're proud of? Get focused one-on-one attention with an experienced designer, no five-figure price tag or months-long wait. Podcast listeners save 10% on their first Brand Day. Mention PMUPODCAST at petmarketingunleashed.com/contact!

🛠️ Here’s how we can help pet business owners get found and booked while you’re away from your desk or out with the dogs: 

🎓Free Website Onboarding Masterclass

💻Pet Business Website Templates

📈 SEO Course

💡Custom Brand, Copy, and Website Design Services

🔗 Links Mentioned in This Episode

• Learn About Our Branding Days & See Real Client Projects
• Book Your Branding Day (mention PMUPODCAST for 10% off)
• Connect with us on Instagram
• Pet Marketing Unleashed website

Transcript

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If you are listening to this episode after August of 2026, I want you to know that we have now officially re-recorded over the previous episode 32 because we have recently changed our model from a branding day model to now a branding week model. And I wanted to pull back the curtain again and show you guys the process, why we created this. And honestly, it really is the same exact heart. It's the same mission, it's the same principles as this original episode. So I'm not going to be updating all of it. I'm just going to be updating the specific areas targeted for the branding day because we don't do that anymore. Now we do it by a week. So I'm going to talk a little bit about the reasoning behind that and get into all the nitty-gird details. I'm really excited to share all with you. And I think this is going to be such a beautiful fit for our clients. Again, it's the same heart, same mission, same all the reasonings and everything behind why we do what we do is going to be exactly the same. We're just tweaking some details here. So you'll hear some of the repeated stuff from the previous episode, but you'll also hear some new stuff as we tailor it into our new process. I'm excited for you to dig in. Without further ado, let's get into the previous recording and then I will pivot and share the new details of our updated service. Welcome, Petpreneur, to the Pet Marketing Unleashed podcast. I'm your host, Michaela Vargas, founder, designer, and educator behind Pet Marketing Unleashed. This podcast is all about growing your pet business without the stress. Here you'll find episodes packed with actionable tips and advice for streamlining your online presence, avoiding burnout, and onboarding new clients while you're away from your desk or out with the dogs. So pop in those earbuds and learn stress-free marketing and website strategies with me while you head out on your next dog walk, pet sitting visit, drive to your next session, or just wherever your pet business takes you next. Let's dive in. I wanted to record this episode to pull back the curtain a bit on one of our most loved and most popular services here at Pet Marketing Unleashed, which is our branding services. This is going to be more of a transparent and vulnerable episode at really at the heart of why we do what we do and how it works and how we came up with this process. We have done so many branding projects over the years. I actually tried to look and we've done like almost 150 of them since having our booking CRM, but we even did them for years before having that tracking. So I have to imagine we'd be close to almost 200 brands that we've designed through Pet Marketing Unleashed. And our process has evolved so much over time. And really, it's been such a powerful way for pet businesses to get high quality professional branding without spending five figures or waiting months in the process. And again, it's something that's really evolved over time and something that we've improved over time. And I just wanted to take this time to share why we do them this way, because it's not just about speed. It truly is about accessibility and strategy and our commitment to helping small pet business owners feel really confident and professional without, you know, having to sacrifice quality or spend a whole bunch of money. And that's something that has been really important to me, especially as my business has grown. It really is at the heart of working with really small businesses. We prefer working with small businesses because we are also a small business. And so we get it. And I just really wanted to take this opportunity to explain to you guys what our branding actually looks like behind the scenes, why it works, how it keeps design strategic and streamlined, and why we're so passionate about making great branding accessible for every pet business owner who wants to stand out. So let's get started. Before we talk about our process, I want to zoom out for a second because branding isn't just about having a cute logo or pretty colors. Your brand is the first impression that people get of your business. It's the overall vibe, it's the connection, it's the emotional response. And it's truly what helps potential clients decide within like seconds whether you feel trustworthy, professional, and aligned with the kind of care that they want for their pets. And it happens so fast. Research says you have about eight seconds to capture attention online. And I honestly think that that's even less these days, especially with AI and Instagram reels and just how quickly we consume information and how quickly we scroll. It's probably less than eight seconds now. And in an industry as personal as pet care where trust is truly everything, your branding can really be the difference between someone clicking away or clicking book now. Like that's how important it is. And I think a lot of times people don't realize that misconnection because they're not seeing the people who didn't reach out to them because they didn't have that connection process. Like it's so important here. And that's why we care so much about helping small businesses access this professional level branding because we don't just want something pretty, we really want to help them build trust with their ideal clients in a way that helps them grow their business. So when we first started offering branding, we noticed a really big gap in the industry. So we actually going from going back now, when we first started doing design, we were only doing website design. But I very quickly realized that I was doing website design for brands that were not strategically created. They didn't really have brand guidelines, they didn't have strategic colors, they didn't really have like an overall brand strategy. And so there's a really big gap there. Um, and I knew that they needed that. So that's when I started bringing on brand designers. I'm actually, this is Michaela here recording. I'm actually a website designer. That's more of my expertise. So I've actually always hired brand designers to do that brand process of it. And as you guys know, hiring can be a tricky thing, especially for small businesses. And so I've really taken the time to make sure that whoever we bring onto our team is as passionate as I am about the industry. We train them specifically on the industry, they really know what they're doing. I'm hiring professional level designers, I'm not just hiring someone off the street who knows how to piece together like a Canva logo. That's not what this is. But with this gap, though, that I noticed, because I knew that it was important to have branding. I didn't do this myself. So how do I figure out price points? How do I figure out how people can access this sort of branding? And it's crazy because obviously most pet business owners will want strong professional branding, but they don't have the time or budget for those traditional branding packages that really truly, honestly, on average take months and cost thousands and thousands of dollars. I actually just did a quick Google search on the average cost of branding projects. And it says the average cost for a branding project in the US typically ranges from $5,000 to $20,000 for small businesses, while larger companies can spend $50,000 to $500,000 and even millions for extensive enterprise branding initiatives. That's wild. If you're a dog walker or a pet sitter listening to this, that is not the budget that you have for branding. And just from my overall experience looking into other designers that didn't work in our industry or even outside of our industry, but perhaps did some projects within it, or even just within my network of other brand designers. I'm in a couple of groups for designers. And the minimum project price that I'm seeing is always around that five to $10,000 range for branding, which to me feels very inaccessible for really small businesses. And we did not want great design to feel out of reach for small, hardworking pet care providers. So I asked myself, how can I make this more accessible without sacrificing quality or strategy? I did a lot of work with this, figuring out, okay, how do I pay for the hourly of brand designers while also making sure that I can hire these great brand designers while also providing a tangible brand for our clients that feels really good, that feels really smart and feels really strategic. And that's when our branding day model was born. It was a process designed to give clients focused one-on-one attention with an experienced designer with a clear structure and beautiful results, all in that shorter time frame. However, despite our branding day model being super successful, I would say probably like 90 to 95% of our branding days went very smoothly. They were so much fun because it was so collaborative and back and forth, and we really will miss that sort of process. We did find that the branding day model also felt a little bit more rushed, and we had designers who felt a lot of pressure and then clients who also felt a lot of pressure. And we wanted to focus more on the integrity of the design versus making sure that we just have something to walk away with. So instead of staying with that branding day model, we now have expanded our branding projects into a full branding week project. And I'm going to outline exactly what that process looks like. The cool thing is it starts exactly the same as our branding day model. So essentially what happens is step one, we start with the client homework. So before the branding day even starts, we send a strategic brand questionnaire to dive deep into your brand's personality, audience, and goals, which ensures your designer fully understands your vision before the design work even begins. And we've actually had several clients who have told us that this brand questionnaire specifically has helped them outside of just this branding project because it really paints a good picture of the brand values, what really matters, what helps you stand out. So even that in itself is really valuable insight and some learning opportunities to figure out what makes your business unique so that we can use that to build your brand, but you can also use it in other areas of your marketing and in your business. We also send over a Pinterest board link as well for you to start pinning inspiration so we can start to gather the sort of vibe that you are looking for. And we really try and target all this stuff to appeal to your ideal clients, not necessarily your personal preferences, because that's really important when it comes to branding as well. The next step, step two, is mood board delivery. We will put together a mood board or a visual direction to make sure that we're aligned prior to actually getting started. You'll be able to review it and share feedback on a form, and you will also hop on a quick video call with your designer to go through that feedback form, talk about what you're liking, what you're not liking, confirm that you and your designer on the same page, refining any of that feedback before the branding actually starts. So a lot of this prep work ahead of the branding week is the most important to make sure that we're on the same page. This call helps lock that creative direction so we know exactly where to start and where to create from in order to send over your brand concept when your branding week starts on that Monday. Okay, and then next up is your official branding week. Super exciting. This is where all the fun really starts to take place. So on Monday morning, your designer is going to send you over your full brand concept with everything there so you can see exactly how it lives, how it breathes, all the things, including a Loom video that walks you through the decision making behind the entire process. So you know why they did what they did according with photos, the different elements, all of that fun stuff. So everything will be sent to you Monday morning. And then you will have Monday and Tuesday to submit and review any potential refinements that you might have. We'll send over a form to submit that feedback so that we have all the refinements in one spot. And then on Wednesday, your designer is going to apply any of those refinements and then we'll send over the updated brand for final approval. Then on Thursday, you'll provide any small tweaks and submit approval on your new brand. By Friday, your brand will be done and we'll send over all of those final files and exports to you within three business days. So by that following Wednesday, you'll have all of your final files to hit the ground running with your new brand. So we'll keep your Slack channel open for seven days after to answer any questions and help you implement everything smoothly. So in essence, the branding week will include two full rounds of refinements that you may or may not use throughout the week. However, if you do end up wanting more changes after those two rounds, if they are simple refinements to the initial brand and you like the concept, but we just still need to make some tweaks, that can be done simply via our hourly rate. But if you do want to see a completely new direction that is different from like the mood board locked creative direction, that would be a separate investment, which we would discuss with you and send over prior to moving forward on that. But within that brand concept, if you do have any final tweaks, that would just simply be done via our hourly rate to get anything else additional outside of the project scope. And that's our way to keep this accessible for pet business owners. Another thing that makes our process unique is our one concept method. So instead of showing you multiple logo directions and asking you to choose, we focus on perfecting and developing the strongest solution for your business based on strategy, research, and your goals. We found that presenting multiple directions actually introduces a lot of unnecessary confusion and it often leads people to pick what they personally like versus what will best resonate with their clients, or perhaps they like both and almost want to combine them, but they're two different styles. We know that there's a clear winner when we are developing concepts for clients. And that's the one that we want to lead with because that's the one that we strategically recommend for them. So by presenting one very cohesive, well thought out concept, you get a strategic brand that is meant to perform. And that's the whole point, right? So let's get into why I think this model works so well. I think it's really because while I am a designer, I'm actually very type A. And I feel like we've really mastered making this very strategic, very streamlined, and very focused on you. So you get 100% focused with your designer. Your designer is working only on your project. We have a faster turnaround so you can start using your new brand right away. And you're also in the flow of things, right? We're not just switching around, doing a quick edit, and sending it back to the client and then working on something else and going all over the place. No, we're getting into flow with your brand, with you in collaboration with the designer. And it really just works as like a magical collaborative process. Our designers are incredibly talented and they bring years of industry experience and knowledge, not just in design, but in understanding how pet businesses connect with their clients. And this model lets us offer that high level of expertise without creating really long, stressful timelines or five-figure price tags. And it's just been so nice to be able to do so for clients because I know how expensive the investment can be if you're hiring in a typical situation. And to be able to see so many of our clients so happy to have strong brands without having to spend that type of money makes me very happy and it's very rewarding as a business owner. And at the end of the day, everything we do at PMU comes back to one mission. We want to make high-quality branding and design accessible for small business owners who are ready to grow. I love working with small dog walkers, pet sitters, daycares, dog trainers, solopreneurs who are really trying to make a difference in their communities' lives and their pet-loving communities' lives. And we want to remain accessible for them. And that's really at the heart of what we do. And that's something I wanted to share with you too. So you guys know a little bit more about our model, why we offer what we do, and why it's more of a unique process. We believe that your business deserves to look as professional and trustworthy and polished as the service that you provide every day for your clients. And we're proud to have created a process that really helps you do that without extra stress or confusion or financial strain because your branding should really feel empowering, not intimidating. And that's what we're here to help you with. I just wanted you to walk away knowing what our passion is, why we do what we do, and what's at the heart of why we offer it the way that we do, because we want to remain accessible for you guys. Instead of charging $5,000 for branding, we're able to do so at a much more affordable rate. And if you need more time, you can always book more time. And that's how we've set it up to remain accessible for our clients. I hope that all makes sense. You can learn more and see real client projects at petmarketingunleash.com/slash branding. And if you've already booked, welcome to the PMU family. We're so excited to collaborate with you and bring your brand to life in a way that truly captures your story and your business and your values because your brand deserves to shine and we cannot wait to help you make that happen. I hope this episode was valuable for you, even if you're not interested in branding or you already have a brand, just to give a little insight into who we are as a team and why we do what we do. Our team is so passionate about serving those small pet business owners. It's so fun to get to collaborate and see them walk away with brands that are so strategic and powerful. And it's just been such a rewarding process. So we appreciate you listening and being a part of the PMU community. You guys rock. Thank you. Thanks for listening to the Pet Marketing Unleash podcast all the way to the end. You're the best. If you loved what you heard, please share the podcast with your Petbiz friends. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss an episode and leave us a five-star review. We love to hear what you think of the show, and we are so grateful for all the support and love you show by sharing the podcast with others. And don't forget to stop by our website, petmarketingunleash.com, where you'll find a ton of resources, recommended tools, logs, templates, courses, and more to help you grow a stress free and fulfilling pet business. Here's to Saving Time, Ditching the Stress, and Standing Out from the Pack. Thanks again so much for listening, and I will be back soon with a new episode. Bye for now.