A New You for a New Year: Rebranding
Introduction to Rebranding Yourself, Company or Organization
12 · 30 · 2019
re·brand · /rē?brand/ · verb; present participle: rebranding · 1. change the corporate image of (a company or organization).
In business, your image is everything; and not only in the way it looks on paper (logos, marketing materials, and reputation). Achieving the image you want in the eyes of the business and consumer world can be achieved in many ways. Of which many of those standard methods are employed now in the attempt to grow our business further. So what, you may ask, do we do when you want to "Rebrand" your company, self or organization? We'll go over some strategies and ideas here for you to consider in your "New Year, New You" branding & marketing campaign. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on complete rebranding and not what is often confused with "refreshing" a brand.A company's image very much stems from its overall customer perception and experience, both visually and logistically. This includes things like branding, social media impression & proven business acumen in B2B (Business to Business) & B2C (Business to Consumer) industries. Many times by way of direct referral and testimonials. Or what us old school businesses relied on; word of mouth.
Honestly, too many people think that branding starts with a name and ends with a logo; and maybe a quick website. Then "BOOM", the money should be rolling in. That is not the case at all. Even on a basic level, there are a plethora of items that should be created to build the foundation of your brand even before you branch out into more digital approaches like promo videos and presentations. We are talking about mission statements, company goals, attitude, messaging and so much more.So when we talk about rebranding, it presents its own set of innate challenges. Now, these hurdles are difficult enough when starting a business. But they can also present some difficulties when transitioning to a new company image & focus. Even simple things like maintaining a smooth transition if you're merging with another company.
Keeping your current client/customer base apprised of the changes to come seems easy enough. But that all can depend on how you communicate with your clients. Add spreading the word to new faces about the upcoming and amazing things your "rebranded company" will offer and you can run into some nightmares. You don't want to lose your current customer and subscriber base, and you certainly need to maintain new lead generation. So, let's look at why you are rebranding in the first place.
To name a few scenarios; company mergers, company direction change or complete corporate overhaul are amongst the larger scale reasons for a rebranded approach. Two of the more popular reasons for rebranding is to simply expand markets or to make up for errors made during the original formation of the company and its original brand strategy. We all make mistakes in life and in business; especially when it comes to waters we have never tread before. You can be brilliant at what you do and what you offer; but not having any know-how when it comes to building a company image can truly hinder the progress, exposure, and in-turn profits of your company.
More Reasons to Rebrand:
- Antiquated or Outdated Company Image: That is definitely not a phrase you want to be associated with your company. What was super cool, iconic and attractive 10 years ago may not be so much now.
- Poor Service Record and Testimonials: Sometimes even unearned "bad rapport" built over time simply happens. The old adage of "Any press is good press" does not apply to every business.
- Change in Competitor Pool/Market Reposition: Your market may have simply blown up around you at a level your company size could not keep up with. This happens every decade. Just review the past 40 years and you will see the bubbles.
- Major Expansion In Products and Services: The company has added so many new products and services that your current demographics and sales market simply does not provide the necessary ROI (Return On Investment).
These are all important reasons to reenvision your company's branding. For me, I find the most important reason on that list to be recovering from poorly planned branding and market repositioning. Because, regardless of how successful financially you are or how awesome your products, services and customer care is; once your products and services stop connecting with the demographic you've thrived on, it's time to take a new approach. Social media, live testimonials and customer review websites are now so easily accessible that trends shift constantly. And having a brand that looks like it doesn't belong in a modern world only compounds the issue.
As a first step (the most important) to your Rebranding Vision Quest, it is highly recommended that you do extensive research beforehand. Just like writing a research paper, you want to make sure you have a solid grasp and thorough understanding of everything about your industry, market trends and customer experience design. Get to know what works for other companies. We are not suggesting you copy and paste; simply take a moment to see who your competition is. What is there niche and what is working for them. We do the same thing with SEO and SERP research for websites. Why not do the same with your branding? And of course, know your demographic and who you want to get in front of your brand.
After you have done your research, have a plan mapped out. Depending on your reason for rebranding you may or may not be changing your company name. Either way, you still need to create a logo. Sometimes to do that you need to layout your new mission statement and company focus. What are you selling/providing? What demographic does this target? These things play a major role in deciding the imagery you want to be associated with your company. Your design needs to appeal to the people who will most benefit (and spend the most money on) your products and/or services.
As a common-sense reminder; you get what you pay for. So don't go cheap on your design. It is much more beneficial to pay a reputable design firm higher fees for a quality logo design package than to throw $5 at a "designer", with no portfolio to speak of, and walk away happy with your investment. And "Shop Local"... Hiring a designer in your local, state, regional or even national community promotes better business, relationships & communication during your rebranding process.
Your company mission statement should be your next focus if you have not tackled that part at this point. What makes this so important? Well even when you write out a business plan when you are applying for a business loan, investors (or banks) want to know the who what where when and why. What is the company's passion, market, goals and how will it affect the community and the industry in a positive way? Take the time to write out why you do what you do. Put your heart into how you want your company to act and how you want it to be perceived. And then... have a third (unassociated) party proofread it. This is a critical step. Make sure it's not just your own run-on dream blurted out on paper.
Moving forward. Once you have a solid plan of action, design ideas and something truly tangible that you have worked out with whoever handles your company's branding; discuss it with the rest of your team. It's always good to involve the people that work for you during this transition. They have to help overcome all the hurdles to come as well. And by involving them, even on a surface level, you build team ambition and cohesiveness. They will be more motivated to help with the success of this change and alleviate some of the burdens. Once everyone is on board, it is now time to implement your new strategy.
From here on you begin to expand your rebranding. Things like complete branding packages which include stationery, website(s), social media presence, email marketing templates as well as many other forms of print and digital presence. As stated before, if this is not something you do or feel comfortable doing on your own, there are so many providers you can find just in your local area that can give you the rebrand you need from concept to fruition. You can even look no further and talk to us here at WeCreate about your branding or rebranding strategy and allow us to guide you through these "treacherous waters" towards a successful reboot and a positive future for your company.
As you roll into the New Year, take heed of what you have learned. Read more articles about rebranding. It is always good to get other perspectives and ideas. We hope you enjoyed this novella of information on rebranding and look forward to bringing you even more research on how to further structure your branding strategy to improve exposure and sales results. Look out for our future posts on brand strategy, design tips and marketing milestones.
Keep Calm & Print (Market) On.
Article Author: Rick Flach, CDO @ WeCreate
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