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Brand identity & design for UK SMEs

A brand is more than a logo — it's what you look like, how you sound, and what people think when they hear your name. Getting this right early makes everything else easier: your website, your content, your sales conversations.

Logo Design by Marc Bates at Fractional Marc
Personal branding by Marc Bates at Fractional Marc

When brand design matters

You might recognise one of these:

  • You're starting out and need a professional identity that builds trust immediately.

  • Your current brand looks dated or inconsistent across your website, materials, and social channels.

  • You've strategically rebranded your offer, but the visuals haven't kept up.

  • You're preparing for a funding round, a merger, or a new market — and first impressions matter.

  • Your team is using the logo inconsistently across channels, and there are no guidelines to address it.

How I approach brand development work

Every project starts with understanding the business — what it values, how it wants to be perceived, and who it needs to reach. From there, I develop the identity: visual direction, logo concepts, colour and typography, and a tone of voice that genuinely sounds like you. You're involved throughout, with checkpoints built in.

Brand projects typically run four to eight weeks, depending on scope. We agree what's involved before anything begins.

What's included

  • Logo variations for print, digital, and social media

  • Brand guidelines covering how to use every element correctly — across print, digital, and everything else you produce

  • Colour palette and typography system

  • Tone of voice framework

United Uk content strategy development by Marc Bates - Fractional Marc
Brand Guidelines creation for Origami Energy - Fractional Marc

Brand guidelines that keep you consistent

A brand handbook ensures everyone — your team, a designer, a supplier — uses your identity correctly. Clear guidelines covering logos, colours, typography, and tone of voice mean consistency wherever your brand appears, and the confidence to adapt without losing recognition.

Melius Pharma LLP brand design by Marc Bates - Fractional Marc

Marc developed a great logo that I feel proud to show when I meet with clients and that we all identify with internally. Creative, flexible, and patient. He quickly understood our needs. Marc is the right person if you are looking for a true professional to work with, in a flexible and pleasant environment."

Mark Kornfeld, CEO, Melius  Pharma

Brand identity & AI powered search

AI-powered search tools — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google's AI overviews — are increasingly the first place potential clients look for service recommendations. What they reference and recommend is built on clarity: businesses with a strong, consistent brand identity are easier for AI to understand and describe accurately.

A vague or inconsistent brand doesn't just confuse people — it confuses AI too. Clear positioning, a consistent visual identity, and a distinct tone of voice all help AI tools understand what you do, whom you do it for, and why you're worth recommending.

Brand identity and AI powered search - Fractional Marc - Marc Bates

A few of the brands I've worked on

Every mark, colour, and typeface here started with a conversation about the business behind it. From funded startups to established businesses ready for a refresh — no two are the same, which is rather the point.

Geometric Abstract Design
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