You're tasked with rebranding to follow design trends. Will sacrificing brand consistency pay off?

When it comes to design trends, it's easy to get caught up in what's hot right now. But, before you overhaul your brand's look, take a step back and think about whether these trends really fit your brand's core values. Just because minimalism or maximalism is trending doesn't mean it's right for you. Trends come and go, and if you're not careful, your brand might end up looking dated. So, analyze each trend critically and see how it can be woven into your brand without losing what makes it unique. Remember, staying true to your brand's essence is more important than chasing the latest fad.

The process of rebranding often times takes place after a deep and broad market research, if done correctly. Now, when talking about redesigning or following the brand consistency, not always that has to mean a type of "sacrifice". If on a long run, you decide to give the brand identity a fresh perspective, incorporating your USPs, keeping the primary brand palette, the value of the slogan, the typography and the logo design but enriching them at the same time with minimal changes, rebranding can be achieved in a more balanced way. Under no circumstances you should rebrand under the guidelines of trends, instead you can launch limited editions/ special offers according to those type of trends (including contemporary trend elements). :D

Your brand identity is like the personality of your business. It's what makes your customers recognize and connect with you. Think of it as a mix of your logo, your messaging, and the feelings these elements evoke. When you're thinking about jumping on new design trends, keep in mind that your brand's consistency is what builds trust and loyalty. If a new trend is too different from your established identity, it could confuse your audience. Instead, find a balance—bring in fresh ideas, but make sure they still align with the core aspects your customers already love and trust about your brand.

Customer perception is crucial for a successful rebrand. A sudden shift in branding can be jarring if customers are used to your current image. However, if market research shows a need for something new, a rebrand can rejuvenate interest. Engage with customers to gather their preferences and ensure your rebranding resonates with them. Their perception is your reality in the marketplace.

Customer perception is everything in marketing, sales, public relation and graphic design in general. As brand you can spend resources, assets and a great amount of budget to communicate your brand mission and your values to the public but if not perceived in the right way all effort could go in vain. The outdated quote "the customer is always right" it truly stands for a reason, that is why many brands before incorporating any type of change run a test version and ask their most loyal costumers or a wider range of public, if the redesign is approved by your clients it will be a success. So make sure to get to know your target groups their values, wants, perceptions...and analyze the data with an open but critical way of thinking.

Many clients foolishly conflate themselves with their audience. If they're tired of a messaging approach, or they've been starstruck by the newest "shiny ball", they assume their audience is, too. I was working in the marketing department of a big hotel-casino at Lake Tahoe. We were two years into a branding campaign that had been developed by our advertising agency, when a group of VPs insisted that we needed to change things up. The agency principal flew up and presented quantitative data proving that in a flat market, we were gaining market share, and had been since the beginning of the campaign. Sure, I was also bored with the campaign, but recognized it would be stupid to stop doing what was working. The campaign ran several more years