Rebranding - It's more than just a new logo.

Rebranding - It is more than just a new logo.

Michael Kurilec, Managing Director, Expolinc Americas

January 28, 2023

Recently I have come across many companies that are rebranding.?In reality, what they are just doing is creating a new logo and changing corporate colors.?Does this really change a company’s brand image?

No - there is more to brand identity than just your logo.

Definition of a brand.

Branding is not your.... logo, slogan, product or service, jingle, marketing collateral, or mission statement.

Quite a few years ago I learned the definition of what is a brand, which I think is still relevant. “Truth is, your brand is no single thing.?A brand is the total of all experiences a customer has with your organization.?By definition; a consumer’s brand experience is the total of their contacts with the brand, with the most recent contacts being heavily weighted.”

Brand awareness is important for several reasons.?Your brand can be your most important asset or your biggest liability.?It defines your organization to the public including personality, value and character.?Do not forget that perception is reality when it comes to branding.

Branding gives you an identity.? Actions speak louder than words when developing your brand.?If your brand identity and values do not come across clearly, customers will probably be confused, disappointed and turned off.

Your brand is a key driver in attaining your vision - gives you a direction.?In the long run a strong brand equals money!

How should you start to rebrand yourself??

Three steps to get your started.

1)????What does the public think?

Your brand image is all in people’s minds – find out what that image is.?Remember perception is reality. Even if they are wrong – they are right.?Use surveys and focus groups to get this information.?Be sure to get the data from a diverse sample and see what your team knows.?What do the competitors think?

2)????Define your vision for your brand.

What is the desired image you want??Will attaining this image help you attain your goals and execute your mission statement??Does your vision benefit your customers? Identify your strengths and roadblocks for attaining this vision.

3)????What is the gap?

The difference between your vision and what the consumers think will define your action plan for rebuilding your brand identity.?If the gap is too large, your customers won’t make the leap – keep your steps small.

A simple exercise to kick-off your rebranding can be started with a few questions:

??????????????Who are you?

??????????????What do you do?

??????????????What is your offer?

Dig deep when asking these questions.?You are more than a company that makes and sells widgets.?What is the influence your company has in the marketplace and the positive impact you have with engaged customers?

After answering the above questions, list three adjectives that describe your company from the outside perspective.?Then, list three adjectives you wish others would apply to your company

This exercise will kick start the direction and conversations you will need to take in defining your brand.

Keys to successful brand building.

Be honest with yourself.?This is very important and you will find this tough to do.?Failure to distinguish between your vision with what the world truly thinks about your brand will lead you down a wrong path.

Convert vision and words into actions. ?You cannot just state that you believe in providing quality products and great customer service – you must do it!

Have a strong commitment to communicating a core message to all targets over the long haul.?You cannot change this annually for your brand to have staying power.?The core message must be the same for customers, suppliers, employees - all stakeholders.

You need internal buy-in.?If your staff does not believe in it – it will not happen.

Think of the customers first.?They are the ones that will ultimately define your brand though your actions.

Make your image unique to your organization.?Do not be a “me too.”

It is about attitudes, actions and communications.?Everything must be focused and consistent to develop a powerful brand that is believable and has staying power.

Building a strong brand is not difficult nor expensive.?You need to be consistent and focused.?Simplicity is still the rule – a relative message is a productive message.?Always be confident and be sure all customer interactions are positive, even if they are calling to complain.?Most important of all, everyone in your organization must live it and believe it - in all that they do.

If the above exercise leads to a new logo, great.?Just remember, that alone will not define your brand – it must come from deeper within.

Next up (mid-February): How trade shows can be instrumental in building your brand.

?[MK1]