Unpacking the Misunderstood Art of Rebranding
A rebrand is more likely to be a matter of when, not if, you will rework your brand into a newer, better, stronger-than-ever version of itself. It is a natural stage in the life cycle of any business. Whether it’s a thorough, all-encompassing reinvention of your business model through its name and logo or just a refresh on the colour palette and website design, we are here to dispel the myth that the process of rebranding isn’t as daunting as it seems.
The question to lead the process should be “will this be worth it?” If your target audience is older or generally resistant to the unfamiliar, the answer is most likely no. If your visual identity feels antiquated and irrelevant, things can change. The next step should be a deep dive that allows you to discern where your brand is lacking. Core recognition of your motivation will provide the best source for meeting your rebranding targets. It is equally critical to define your boundaries, in terms of what you DON’T want your brand to be perceived as.
By taking time to deliberate on what makes your brand desirable, reimagining it can leverage the best characteristics of a company and hone a deeper connection with consumers. It isn’t for the faint of heart and should certainly not be done on the cheap. Onboarding a creative agency with a track record of success is a surefire way to tease out “why now and what for” from the executive team. Bringing the stakeholders together to have the tough conversations early on ensures alignment every step of the way.
Armed with this knowledge, determine the scale of necessary changes. Will small updates to your brand be enough to reposition your business, such as a logo tweak? Or is a massive rebrand needed, from developing a new product line or service to overhauling your website?
Be clear about your story, leveraging tools such as social media, press releases, media contacts, and customer and industry email updates to help people understand your rebrand and the benefits behind it. Ultimately, your messaging should communicate why they want or need your product or service, and why they should get it from you – or continue doing so, in the case of a current customer.
Rebranding is laborious – we’ve experienced it ourselves and know it isn’t easy. But as you might’ve read in one of our previous blogs, 4 Reasons Why Rebranding is Worth Your While – it can result in serious growth. Remember that identifying your reason for rebranding – whether it’s repositioning, modernising, or changing your message – is the most important step and will inform your entire rebrand strategy.
