[ghaff]

And the expensive designers are better skilled to make it part of a branding system, consider issues like scalability from logos to tradeshow backdrops, etc. But, yeah, in many cases they can spend a lot of time developing concepts that are an immediate "No" from your perspective.

>hampered by the limitations of creative brainstorming as much as anybody

That's as good a way of putting it as any. Maybe they're better at thinking "outside the box" than someone within the company or off the street. But that hasn't really been my experience working with branding and design firms--especially if you already have at least some idea of the direction you'd like to take things.