REBRAND OR REFRESH
When working with a company who is looking rebrand, we often consider instead a refresh. Instead of a complete overhaul, we consider both the past and the future, what we can keep and what we can toss out (Does this brand spark joy?). Because your brand may have served you very well, perhaps consider instead refreshing your visual identity.
The question for any business is, " what warrants a rebrand?" For an established company, (1) a rebrand may herald a new division or approach to doing business, (2) new ownership, a new partnership, a legal resolution or company structure, or (3) a design update.
Now, What are some good excuses for a brand face-lift? (1) Your company has grown our of it old skin, maybe you started with a “look or feel” and have now changed into something bigger and better. (2) You’ve evolved and added new services that have morphed your business into more than it was. (3) You have the budget to expand your horizons and give your business the dream makeover you always envisioned.
In our competitive marketplace populated by seasoned consumers, businesses need to deliver current, accurate information about their services and products. So, when there are significant changes in a business, a rebrand/refresh brings clarity, and can be a unique opportunity to 'relaunch'. Building on established credibility, a business can explain changes or new product lines during this process. And, a relaunch is an ideal marketing/sales moment--not to be missed.
Confronting legal issues or market rejection necessitating a rebrand, reactively, present a more difficult environment. As 'New Coke' experienced, rebranding is potentially dangerous and can spark consumer disapproval. Remember the process of launching and cancelling the New Coke brand? Read more
However, even if structural or leadership changes requiring reactive rebranding haven't occurred, currency is king in the interactive world. So just as Google 'tweaked' its logo, a company or business can tweak its brand.
Googling 'rebrand' delivers pages of rebranding failures, so during strategic planning, companies need to determine the reasons for a rebrand and the scope of the rebrand before moving forward to outline the process. Risingabovethenoise.com has a great article we recommend reading: "How to rebrand: 19 questions to ask before you start." Read more
Here is an excerpt: 19 Questions That Every Rebrand Needs to Ask
1. Why are we doing a rebrand?
2. What problem are we attempting to solve?
3. Has there been a change in the competitive landscape that is impacting our growth potential?
4. Has our customer profile changed?
5. Are we pigeonholed as something that we (and our customers) have outgrown?
6. Does our brand tell the wrong (or outdated) story?
7. What do we want to convey? To whom?
8. Why should anyone care about our brand?
9. Have we isolated exactly who should care about our brand?
10. Have their needs, or the way they define them, changed?
11. Are we asking our customer to care more about our brand — and what it means — than we do?
12. Is our brand associated with something that is no longer meaningful?
13. Is our brand out of step with the current needs and desires of our customers?
14. Are we leading with our brand direction?
15. Are we following with our brand direction?
16. Is the goal of this rebrand a stepping stone (evolutionary) or a milestone (revolutionary) ?
17. Will this solution work in 5, 10 and 15 years from now based on what we can anticipate?
18. Have we assigned some committee to manage the project versus someone (or at most, two people) who is/are focused, inspired and can lead?
19. If we were starting our business today, would this be the brand solution we would come up with? -
After you have worked through those questions, if you are considering a rebrand or refresh and would like to talk through the decision, call us anytime, 410-236-4105