Melbourne is home to a diverse branding industry. Some agencies concentrate on strategy and positioning, others specialise in visual identity and packaging, while others combine branding with digital, campaigns and broader marketing.
For businesses, choosing a branding partner is therefore less about finding an agency that simply produces a logo and more about finding one that understands the business problem behind the branding project.
This editorial looks at 10 Melbourne agencies and considers their approach, core capabilities and the types of branding projects they may be suited to.
The ranking is an editorial comparison based on publicly available information about each agency's services, experience, portfolio and positioning. It is not an official industry ranking.
Top 10 Branding Agencies in Melbourne
- Liquid Creativity
- Truly Deeply
- Principals
- Watts Design
- Brandwell
- Storyfolk
- Willow and Blake
- R Co Brand
- Hunter
- Bellman Branding Agency
1. Liquid Creativity
Location: North Melbourne, Victoria
Focus: Brand strategy, brand design, brand development, brand identity, rebranding and brand marketing.
Liquid Creativity is a Melbourne boutique branding agency with more than 30 years of experience. The agency's philosophy is built around the idea that branding should begin with business understanding rather than visual design alone.
Its three stage approach is simple: strategy first, design next and development afterwards. Liquid researches the business, market, audience and competitive environment before developing the creative direction.
Brand Strategy Before Design
Liquid's brand strategy agency Melbourne service focuses on defining where a business sits in its market and how it should communicate its value.
Its strategy work can examine the business, customers, competitors, positioning, messaging, values and personality. The resulting Brand Blueprint is intended to become a strategic reference point for future branding and marketing decisions.
Turning Strategy Into Identity
Liquid's brand design agency Melbourne service covers naming, logo design, colour, typography, visual identity, graphics, tone of voice and brand guidelines. Importantly, the agency develops the visual identity after the strategic foundation has been established.
Brand Development and Implementation
Brand development is where strategy and identity become practical business tools.
Liquid's brand development service can extend branding across websites, social media, advertising, signage, packaging, communications and other customer touchpoints.
The agency also works with established companies that need rebranding rather than a completely new identity. Its published work includes projects for Arli Homes, DDEG, The Andrews Foundation, Belle Balloons and Wealthyer.
Why Liquid Is Featured First
Liquid's strongest point of difference is the connection between business strategy, creative design and implementation.
Businesses that only need a new logo can find many design providers. A business that needs to clarify its position, establish a distinctive identity and then apply that identity consistently across its marketing has a broader problem.
Liquid's process is specifically designed around that wider journey. Its current positioning combines strategic thinking, creative design and brand development, supported by more than three decades of experience.
Best suited for: Businesses launching new brands, repositioning an existing business, undertaking a rebrand or looking for an integrated strategy and identity partner.
2. Truly Deeply
Truly Deeply is a long established Melbourne brand strategy and creative agency. Its approach puts research and strategic insight before identity design.
Its services include stakeholder interviews, focus groups, market review, competitor analysis, customer segmentation, customer journey mapping, positioning, naming, brand architecture and identity design.
Best suited for: Businesses and organisations looking for research led brand strategy, positioning and identity development.
3. Principals
Principals has a strong strategic branding focus, with brand strategy at the centre of its offering.
Its capabilities include brand strategy frameworks, brand architecture, value proposition development, consumer branding, brand identity, brand voice and culture.
Best suited for: Established organisations dealing with brand transformation, portfolio architecture or significant positioning challenges.
4. Watts Design
Watts Design brings together branding, strategy, packaging, digital, advertising and naming.
With more than 35 years of experience, the agency works across both local and global brands and focuses on developing distinctive identity systems that work across print, digital and physical environments.
Best suited for: Consumer brands that need branding connected with packaging, advertising and digital execution.
5. Brandwell
Brandwell is a Melbourne strategic brand and design agency based in Collingwood.
Its capabilities include brand strategy, identity, design, naming, messaging, packaging, websites and brand collateral. Its portfolio includes consumer focused businesses and product brands.
Best suited for: FMCG, food, beverage, health, wellness and product businesses requiring strong identity and packaging.
6. Storyfolk
Storyfolk combines strategy, branding and digital with a strong emphasis on storytelling.
Its current services include research and co design, brand strategy, branding and logo design, website development, packaging, animation, videography and marketing campaigns. It also works across technology, healthcare and not for profit sectors.
Best suited for: Organisations that need branding connected to storytelling, digital experiences and communications.
7. Willow and Blake
Willow and Blake is a Melbourne creative branding agency combining strategy, visual identity, voice, graphic design and packaging.
Its work includes consumer brands and creative campaigns, giving it a broader creative role than a traditional identity design studio.
Best suited for: Consumer facing brands looking for distinctive creative identity and campaign development.
8. R Co Brand
R Co Brand focuses on the relationship between business ambition, brand meaning and customer experience.
The agency's work extends from strategic positioning into brand expression across multiple touchpoints and includes major Australian organisations and brands.
Best suited for: Established organisations requiring strategic positioning and broader brand experience work.
9. Hunter
Hunter is a Melbourne creative design and branding agency working with ambitious businesses and growth focused brands.
Its positioning combines creative design, branding and marketing, making it relevant to companies looking for a branding partner that can connect identity with broader commercial activity.
Best suited for: Growing businesses looking for branding and creative support alongside marketing.
10. Bellman Branding Agency
Bellman is a Melbourne branding agency based in Hawthorn. Its capabilities include brand strategy, naming, brand story, identity, creative development and brand assets.
The agency combines strategy and creative execution, making it an option for businesses wanting several branding requirements managed through one partner.
Best suited for: Businesses needing strategy, naming, identity and ongoing creative brand assets.
What Should Businesses Look For in a Branding Agency?
The right agency depends on the problem behind the project.
If the business does not have clear positioning, a brand strategy agency Melbourne may be more appropriate than a studio focused only on visual design.
If the strategy already exists but the identity feels outdated, a brand identity agency Melbourne may be the priority.
For businesses going through expansion, restructuring or repositioning, brand development and rebranding may become more important.
Packaging companies may prioritise consumer and FMCG expertise, while technology and professional services firms may put more emphasis on positioning, messaging, digital identity and customer experience.
Final Thoughts
The Melbourne branding market offers very different agency models.
Truly Deeply brings a strong research and strategy focus. Principals works extensively with strategic brand transformation. Watts Design combines branding with packaging and digital. Brandwell is particularly relevant to product and consumer brands. Storyfolk connects strategy with storytelling and digital experiences, while Willow and Blake, R Co Brand, Hunter and Bellman provide their own combinations of strategy, creative and implementation.
Liquid Creativity stands out in this comparison through its integrated progression from strategy to design to development. Its branding services Melbourne cover the foundations of a brand as well as its practical rollout across customer touchpoints.
For businesses that need to clarify their positioning before creating their identity, or need an established brand refreshed and developed for its next stage, that strategy first approach provides a clearly defined route from business thinking to creative execution.
Ultimately, effective branding is not simply about looking different. It is about understanding what makes a business different and turning that difference into a brand people can recognise, understand and remember.
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