Substance

Creative Strategy / Brand & Identity

Branding and identity agency based in Chicago, IL.

“A brand strategy firm first. NOT just design. We help brands tell their stories with depth and authenticity. What’s your story? That’s the question at the heart of great branding. What is it about you that is uniquely yours and sets you apart from everyone else? We ask the hard questions. Once we're done, your brand and the work are better for it. Let's build a brand together.”

AS DESCRIBED ON ITS CLUTCH PROFILE
$150 - $199AVG RATE / HR
2 - 9TEAM SIZE
2005FOUNDED
5/5CLUTCH · 14 REVIEWS

AS PUBLISHED BY THE FIRM AND ITS PUBLIC PROFILES · FULL DATA SHEET

Visit website ↗

Summary

Substance is a brand & identity agency in The Wall's Creative Strategy index, based in Chicago, IL. Executives can review its capabilities, published engagement data, and start contact directly through its website at isubstance.com.

Key facts about Substance: operating since 2005; team of 2 - 9; minimum project $10,000+; average rate $150 - $199 / hr; rated 5 out of 5 across 14 Clutch reviews; 4 published services.

About Substance

Substance is a brand & identity agency in the Creative Strategy section of The Wall, based in Chicago, IL. Branding and identity agency based in Chicago, IL.

Published figures put Substance at operating since 2005, a team of 2 - 9, a published minimum project of $10,000+, an average rate band of $150 - $199 / hr.

Quick facts

FOCUS
Creative Strategy · Brand & Identity
FEE STRUCTURE
Minimum project $10,000+ · avg. rate $150 - $199 / hr (per its Clutch profile).

Services Substance publishes

Branding · Marketing Strategy · Web Design · Low/No Code Development

4 services as published on its Clutch profile.

Where Substance sits in the index

  • Rate band $150 - $199: shared by 318 of the 753 Creative Strategy firms that publish one; 12% publish a higher band.
  • Minimum project $10,000+: shared by 246 of the 830 Creative Strategy firms that publish one; 27% publish a higher band.
  • Team size 2 - 9: shared by 292 of the 912 Creative Strategy firms that publish one; 67% publish a higher band.
  • Founded 2005: older than 70% of the 906 Creative Strategy firms that publish a founding year.
  • Clutch rating 5/5 across 14 reviews; 730 of 1,184 Creative Strategy firms carry a Clutch rating at all.
  • 72 Creative Strategy firms in the index list IL as home state, 52 of them in Chicago.

Computed from The Wall's 3,460 listings at build time. Shares, not rankings.

Reviews on record

5/5CLUTCH · 14 REVIEWS

“Thanks to Substance's work, the client successfully engaged over a hundred authors and achieved over 800 new email subscriptions. The team was professional and provided high-quality project management. Customers can expect a knowledgeable and creative team of website developers.”

CLUTCH REVIEW · Web Design · Feb 8, 2023

“Various stakeholders complimented the new site, describing its design as warm and user-friendly. Substance worked swiftly and stayed accessible during the entire process via email. Moreover, they had a personable attitude and were genuinely committed to ensuring a successful project.”

CLUTCH REVIEW · Web Design · Feb 7, 2023

“Substance has successfully designed the client's magazines and contributed to their increment in user engagement. The team has demonstrated a deep understanding of design and an impressive ability to create stunning magazine spreads. Substance is responsive to feedback and delivers work on time.”

CLUTCH REVIEW · Branding, Graphic Design, Print Design · Nov 29, 2023

Ratings as published on Clutch. The Wall collects no reviews of its own.

Web footprint

37EST. MONTHLY ORGANIC VISITS
16RANKING KEYWORDS (US)
16BACKLINK RANK / 100

Substance publishes 10 case studies on its site and names Trellus brand identity case study, Trellus office interior signage, The HistoryMakers Barack Obama, Pathlights outdoor signage campaign, Forefront outdoor signage, EMERGE event display, AIDS foundation of chicago website, Neovia Logistics truck on highway among its clients.

Traffic and keyword figures are DataForSEO estimates for US Google; the stack is read from the live site.

On the record

PROFILES
linkedin · linkedin · linkedin
LINKEDIN SPECIALTIES
recruitment, staffing, headhunting, human resources services, talent acquisition, career coaching, executive search, remote hiring, fractional hiring, permanent hiring, contract hiring, internship

Questions people ask about Substance

Q.01How much does Substance charge?

Clutch lists Substance at $150 - $199 / hr with a minimum project of $10,000+. Ask for a fixed-scope proposal that lists each deliverable and revision round before you compare it with other agencies.

Q.02How should I choose Substance?

Substance lists 10 case studies on its site, including a brand identity project for Trellus, and holds a 5 of 5 rating from 14 reviews on Clutch. Its LinkedIn specialties list recruitment and staffing, which does not match its branding work, so confirm its scope in writing.

Q.03What does Substance do for a brand?

Substance describes itself as a brand strategy firm first, and says it helps brands tell their stories with depth and authenticity. Clutch lists its services as branding, marketing strategy, web design and low/no code development.

Q.04What is the process of working with Substance?

Any branding agency should explain its discovery, concept, revision and handoff stages in writing before you sign, so ask Substance to walk through them. A Clutch reviewer says it worked swiftly and stayed accessible during a web design project.

Q.05What kinds of branding work does Substance do?

Clutch lists branding, marketing strategy, web design and low/no code development as Substance's services. Its site also shows physical work, including office interior signage, an outdoor signage campaign, an event display and a Neovia Logistics truck on the highway.

Data sheet

DOMAIN
isubstance.com
CATEGORY
CREATIVE STRATEGY
SPECIALTY
BRAND & IDENTITY
TYPE
MARKETING AGENCY
SOLVES
BRAND IDENTITY AND CREATIVE PERFORMANCE
TYPICAL BUYER
CMO / BRAND DIRECTOR
CLIENT FIT
$5M-$50M+
HQ
CHICAGO, IL
FOUNDED
2005
TEAM SIZE
2 - 9
MIN PROJECT
$10,000+
AVG RATE
$150 - $199 / hr
CLUTCH RATING
5/5 · 14 reviews
STATUS
LISTED
PERMALINK
/c/isubstance.com.html

More creative agencies in Illinois

Substance is one of 72 creative agencies headquartered in Illinois in The Wall. Compare all 72 by rating, rate, and minimum.

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