Branding in a Day?! How We Make Great, Strategic Branding Accessible for Pet Businesses
- ekrorkx
- 4 hours ago
- 7 min read
When most pet business owners think about branding, they picture a long, expensive process filled with back-and-forth revisions, endless decisions, and weeks (if not months) of waiting.
I get it because I’ve been there too, both as a designer and a small business owner myself.
That’s exactly why I wanted to share a behind-the-scenes look at why we do branding differently here at Pet Marketing Unleashed.
Our Branding Day model was not created just to be fast or efficient (though it is). It was born from something deeper: a commitment to helping small pet business owners access professional, high-quality branding that does not take months or cost five figures.
We understand the time, effort, and care you put into every client and pet you serve, and you deserve a brand that reflects that same level of care.
This post is for the pet business owner who wants to understand the why behind our process, see how it all works, and feel confident knowing their investment is rooted in strategy, purpose, and heart.
Let’s take a peek behind the scenes at how our Branding Day model came to be, how it works, and why it’s helping so many petpreneurs feel confident and proud of their pet care businesses again.
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Why Branding Matters for Pet Businesses
Branding is so much more than a logo or a color palette. It is about connection. It is the feeling someone gets when they land on your website, read your materials, or see your name pop up in their neighborhood. It’s the feeling, trust, and professionalism that draws pet parents in and makes them say, “Yes, this is the one.”
That impression happens fast. Studies show you have roughly eight seconds to capture someone’s attention online, and it’s probably even less as I’m writing this (I’d venture to say like 2-3 seconds).
In the pet care industry, where trust is everything, your branding can be the difference between someone scrolling past or reaching out. Great branding doesn’t just look beautiful. It creates a feeling of confidence and connection that makes potential clients say, “Yes, I want to work with them.”
That is why we care so deeply about helping pet business owners, from dog walkers and sitters to dog trainers and pet photographers, create branding that is not just pretty, but strategic and purposeful. We want to help you attract your dream clients and feel confident showing up online.
The Gap We Saw in the Industry (and How We Fixed It)
Back in the day, we only offered website design (not brand design). But, we quickly noticed something: most pet businesses didn’t have a solid brand foundation. They had logos, but not the intentional strategy, colors, or consistency needed to build trust online via their websites.
At the same time, traditional branding packages were often completely out of reach for small business owners. A quick look online shows that the average branding project in the U.S. (in 2025) can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000, with larger companies spending even more.
For most pet sitters, walkers, or solo trainers, that just isn’t realistic.
Seeing so many amazing pet pros struggle with generic logos or inconsistent visuals broke my heart a little as a designer. They were doing incredible work but didn’t have branding that reflected their professionalism and care.
We didn’t want great design to feel out of reach for small pet business owners. So we asked ourselves:
How can we provide the same level of strategy and quality when it comes to design for small pet business owners without sacrificing quality?
After a lot of trial, testing, and refining, our Branding Day model was born as a way to deliver professional-level design in a faster, more accessible, and more enjoyable way.
It’s not about rushing. It is about focus.
It’s about giving you dedicated, one-on-one attention from a professional designer who is fully immersed in your brand for the day.
It’s about removing the overwhelm so you can walk away with a brand that feels like you.
What Is a Branding Day (and How It Works)
A Branding Day is a focused, one-on-one design experience where your designer dedicates an entire day exclusively to your project. It is a structured, collaborative process that delivers strategic, professional branding without the drawn-out timelines.
Here is what it looks like:
Step 1: Brand Strategy Homework
Before your Branding Day, you’ll complete a strategic questionnaire and Pinterest Board link to help capture your vibe. This gives your designer a deep understanding of your goals, audience, and visual preferences so that when the day comes, we are ready to dive right in.
Step 2: Mood Board and Review Call
We create a visual direction, or mood board, and review it with you on a short video call before design begins. You’ll share your feedback so we’re completely aligned before your Branding Day starts.
Step 3: Your Branding Day
The fun part! You’ll receive your brand concept first thing that morning. From there, you and your designer will collaborate via Slack messenger to refine and finalize your visuals. It is a fun, focused, and creative process that allows you to see your brand come to life in real time.
Step 4: Delivery and Post-Day Support
Within three business days, you’ll receive your final brand files, including your logos, color palette, typography, and brand guide. Your Slack channel stays open for seven days for extra support as you start using your new visuals.
It’s smooth, structured, intentional, and designed to remove the confusion that often comes with longer projects.
The One-Concept Method: Confidence Without Overwhelm
Another way we keep this process efficient and focused is through our one-concept method.
Instead of presenting multiple logo options and asking you to choose, we create one strategic, well-thought-out concept that is the BEST recommended option tailored to your goals and ideal clients.
Multiple concepts often lead to second-guessing and indecision and poor design choices (where clients prefer combining options despite it being different styles, etc.). Our one-concept method focuses your energy where it matters, and that’s on refining and perfecting the right direction.
As one of our branding clients, Raina from Biota Pet Care, shared:
“They really made my vision come to life even though I had very little idea of what I wanted. From the questionnaire I filled out before the VIP day, they got such a good sense of what I was looking for.”
This approach keeps you confident, not overwhelmed, and ensures your brand looks and performs beautifully.
How Branding Day Revisions Work
We do offer unlimited revisions within your Branding Day. That means your designer is all in with you that day, refining, adjusting, and making sure every detail feels right, all within the day.
However, if we need to completely shift directions or start from scratch with a new concept, that may require booking an additional half or full Branding Day if it extends outside of the Branding Day allotment. This additional time is paid separately, but it ensures your project continues to get our full focus and care rather than being rushed or squeezed into the original day.
This “by the day” approach is intentional. It keeps professional branding within reach while still maintaining the quality and strategy our clients expect. Instead of paying a flat $5,000 or more like many traditional branding packages, you only pay for the time you actually need.
As Jodi from Expurrt Cat Sitting said:
“The VIP day was so fun and exciting watching my brand take form one step at a time. Emily just nailed everything! The revisions were quick and came back just perfect. You can’t beat having everything done for you in one day.”
Most clients finish their full brand within one day (we’d estimate around 90%), but in those rare cases where more time is needed, you have the flexibility to add on only what is necessary. This structure gives you control over your investment while ensuring that your brand gets the time, attention, and strategy it deserves.
After years of refining this model, it’s safe to say it works, not just for us, but for the hundreds of petpreneurs who’ve experienced it firsthand.
Why the Branding Day Model Works So Well
Our Branding Day model works because it’s designed to be strategic, streamlined, and completely focused on you.
You get:
Dedicated focus from a professional designer for your entire day
A faster turnaround so you can start using your brand right away
A fair, accessible investment without compromising quality or strategy
Our designers are experts not just in design but in the pet industry itself. They understand how to create branding that connects with your audience and builds trust in an instant.
“It was as if they’d been friends with me for years and knew just what I’d like.” — Jan, Doggy Daybreaks
“Working with PMU was the best investment I’ve ever made for my business. I’m ten times more confident as a business owner now with such a strong brand.” — Sarah, Sarah DeRemer Photography
It is this mix of professionalism, heart, and understanding of the pet industry that makes our Branding Day model work so well.
Our Mission: Accessible, Strategic Design for Small Pet Businesses
At the heart of Pet Marketing Unleashed is a simple mission: to make high-quality, strategic branding accessible for small pet business owners who are ready to grow.
We know what it feels like to be a small business juggling all the moving parts, clients, marketing, admin tasks, and more. You deserve a brand that makes you feel proud, professional, and seen.
Your business deserves to look as trustworthy and polished as the care you give to your clients and their pets every day. And we are proud to offer a process that helps make that happen without the stress or the sky-high investment.
Our Branding Day model makes that possible by blending strategy, creativity, and accessibility all in a way that works for busy, hard-working petpreneurs.
Your business deserves branding that shines as brightly as the care you give to your clients’ pets.
Ready to Launch Your Pet Brand?
If you’re ready to elevate your business with branding that feels as professional and heartfelt as the work you do, we would love to bring it to life with you.
Explore our Branding Day options and see real client transformations in our Portfolio.
Your brand deserves to shine, and we can’t wait to help you make that happen.
