Rebranding, the first steps to a new look

August 19, 2014
rebrand1

We all update ourselves as we grow older, fitter, smarter, or even as the climate changes. What we wore as a teenager most probably looks terrible on us at 30 (bell bottoms and crop tops – shudder!) we are the same person, we speak the same and we feel the same but overall we’re now having to present ourselves differently to fit in.
The same can be said for your company’s visual identity. You still have the same strong key message, but the ideal clients you wish to speak it to have changed their views and ideals – perhaps it’s time you got some new “clothes” for your business?

Now don’t panic, we know the first thing you think of is “this sounds expensive” but a rebrand does not necessarily have to mean you need an entirely new logo, for some of you it can be as simple as a few nips and tucks of your current logo to make it up to date.

There are some questions you need to think about before launching into a rebrand with your chosen brand specialist and if you answer all of them, it will save you money, time and ensure you get the right look going forward:

  • What problem are we attempting to solve, is it a new one or the same as always?
  • Are we pigeonholed as something that we have outgrown?
  • Is our brand out of step with the current needs and desires of our ideal customers?
  • Is the goal of this rebrand a stepping stone (evolutionary) or a milestone (revolutionary)?
  • Will this solution work in 5, 10 and 15 years from now based on what we can anticipate?
  • If we were starting our business today, would this be the brand solution we would come up with?
  • Do we have the means and resources to do this?

All of the above will TRULY help you to decide how far down the rabbit hole you will go when it comes to creating a new vehicle for your business message so be honest when you answer them! Involve your staff in the process, they may have some great insights into your customers and your vision. Speak to some of your long term customers and ask them what they’ve noticed change over the years. Every little bit helps.

There are many companies that we all know that go through a rebrand every so often, take a look at the picture above and you will see that some of them have only changed minor things to give them a whole new outlook – could this be just what you need too? I’ll leave you with that thought.