Brand strategy quotation
Quotation template for strategy consultants and agencies: brand discovery interviews, brand positioning and brand messaging framework. Excel or Word.
Templates by industry
- Brand discovery interviews
- Brand positioning
- Brand messaging framework
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Confirm scope and quantities
Example: start with "Brand discovery interviews", confirm the required quantity and client inputs, then agree completion criteria for each item.
Review and approve the quotation
Confirm acceptance evidence for "Brand messaging framework", all line quantities, exclusions and quote validity with the customer, and retain the approved version.
Deliver and prepare billing
Hand over the final report or activity record with the versions of the inputs reviewed. When the agreed milestone is complete, prepare an invoice using actual quantities and approved changes.
Founders and marketing leads usually buy brand strategy as a first phase, before any design is quoted, so the quotation has to make an abstract process concrete. This template prices three steps: interviews with customers and staff, positioning work that compares the brand with its competitors, and a messaging framework the team can use afterwards. Consultants and agencies send it to show the client what they will hold at the end of each step, not just what it costs.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Brand discovery interviews, Brand positioning, Brand messaging framework: specify the planned quantity and delivery scope for each item.
- Brand discovery interviews
- Give the number and length of interviews and who arranges them, such as eight customer calls of 45 minutes booked by the client.
- Brand positioning
- Name the competitors or categories compared and the output, for example a positioning statement presented in one workshop.
- Brand messaging framework
- Describe the delivered document, such as tagline options, key messages and tone-of-voice rules, and how many review rounds it gets.
- Assignment and inputs
- Identify the subject, source versions, and the inputs the client will supply with their due dates.
- Time and completion basis
- State the hourly or fixed-fee basis, meeting allowance, output format and review rounds.
- Scope to agree
- Set the interview count, positioning comparison scope and approver of the final messaging document.
Before sending
- Does “Brand discovery interviews” say what is included and what quantity the price assumes?
- Would the customer read “Brand positioning” the way you do, including what it leaves out?
- Can you still honour the price of “Brand messaging framework” on the last day the quotation is valid?
Show 3 more
- Check whether meeting preparation and follow-up revisions are included in the fee.
- Name the person who can approve additional research or a change in scope.
- Check quote validity, the customer approval method and payment milestones.
Worked example with sample figures
The figures below are invented to show how the template adds up: 3 lines in USD, with an example tax rate of 8%.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Brand discovery interviews | 5 × $80.00 | $400.00 |
| Brand positioning | 4 × $1,200.00 | $4,800.00 |
| Brand messaging framework | 6 × $120.00 | $720.00 |
| Subtotal | $5,920.00 | |
| Sales tax (8%) | $473.60 | |
| Total | $6,393.60 | |
Quoted net amount $5,920.00, sales tax $473.60, quoted total $6,393.60.
What the document must show
The details a quotation has to show, and why each one matters, are set out in the guide below.
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Full requirements: How to write a quotation: format, example and checklist
Frequently asked questions
Can strategy and visual identity go on one quotation?
They can, but separate quotations or clearly separate lines work better. The client may want to approve the strategy first, and the design work depends on what the strategy concludes.
Who keeps the interview recordings and notes?
State it in the quotation. Usually the client receives the summary while the consultant keeps raw notes confidential, and interviewees are told before the call how their answers will be used.
How is a workshop with the client’s team priced?
As a line of its own, with its length, the number of participants and the preparation included. Travel for an on-site workshop goes on a separate line, so the workshop fee stays comparable between offers.
How is the sales tax worked out on this quotation?
The worked example above uses an example rate of 8%: $473.60 on a net amount of $5,920.00, for a total of $6,393.60. The editor recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a price or the country.
How do I turn an approved quotation into an invoice?
Open the approved quotation and convert it. The original stays unchanged, and the invoice carries the same line items so the customer can match the two documents.
Read next
Reading for the Brand strategy quotation: How to write a quotation: format, example and checklist and Quote to invoice: how to convert a quote, step by step. The VAT and GST calculator adds tax to your quoted prices.