When’s the right time to rebrand?

The world is a constantly evolving place, and your business needs to keep up with the pace to survive. This means change. While the shifts may not be on a tectonic scale, there comes a time for every business where a new direction is needed to push them towards a successful future.

An effective rebrand, whether that be a brand refresh, an update in your strategy or a complete overhaul, can give your business the first nudge it needs in a new direction. But how do you know when it’s the right time for a rebrand? We highlight the key problems that can show you it’s time to change things up…

You’ve been through some big changes

This may be a change of leadership or strategy, or you’ve gone through mergers or acquisition, and now, your business doesn’t have the same vision and values as before.

From day one, the main question that should drive your business is ‘why?’ If you can say proudly?why?your business exists, people will know why they should buy into your product or service. Is the motivation behind your business clear? Once you know the answer yourself, look at your name and your branding. Do they communicate your ‘why’ and, if your focus has recently changed, does your branding signal this new direction loud and clear?

With the number of people choosing which businesses to support based on the principles they were built on or the causes they support it’s easy to see why clarifying, communicating and celebrating your business’ why is as important as the products or services you provide.

We refreshed Slurp's brand strategy and branding to create a bold new direction that reflected their aspirations and market position. The brand refresh led to Slurp receiving investment allowing for further growth.

Laws of attraction

When you first developed your initial branding it was bold and new, but now you find yourself making excuses for why it all looks a bit out of date. If your branding does start to collect dust, you risk your audience believing you’re falling behind in innovation too. An update on the visual look of your business can set you right and ensure your brand is saying the right things about your business for years to come.

Your branding can make you stand out from your competitors, make you more memorable and increase brand awareness, all helping to increase your business' value.

The Worshipful Company of Saddlers is a non-profit livery company, established more than 800 years ago and dedicated to saddlery, equestrianism and education. We redefined their strategy, branding and website, to give them a contemporary brand while still making the most of their prestigious heritage.

With multiple versions of their coat of arms previously in use and no wordmark we set to work creating a contemporary coat of arms and wordmark based on their building signage.

One scoop or two?

A picture may speak 1000 words, but what if your branding isn’t speaking to the right people? Brands must always stay ahead of the game. Stay still for too long and your once fresh branding will start to look a little vanilla in comparison to the new businesses on the block. Perhaps your target audience over time has changed and your brand needs to adapt to accommodate their needs. Maybe you’ve added a new service or launched a new product and your proposition is no longer relevant. The bottom line is, you feel your branding no longer reflects your business’ values and it’s not aligned with your vision and aspirations.

While writing a heartfelt manifesto might be great for your next TED talk, your beliefs need to be clearly communicated through your whole brand consistently, across everything you put out into the world. This will then look, feel and sound more authentic to your audience.

Swan at Shakespeare’s world-famous Globe Theatre, is an iconic venue on London’s South Bank. We refreshed their strategy, branding and website, through customer research, stakeholder interviews and workshops we created an imaginative and theatrical brand that was inspired by their unique location, brand values and aspirations as a business.?

Infinity and beyond

You’ve expanded your reach to new markets, whether that’s on an international or a global scale. Hooray! But, as a result, your business’ name and visual look may no longer be appropriate, losing you the impact and crucial engagement you once had in your market.

We refreshed Raphia's branding and transformed their online shopping experience. Raphia brings a contemporary twist to a luxurious collection of Moroccan inspired artisanal products.

Next steps

So, if any of the above applies to you, whether your business has completely changed or is just in need of being revitalised, get in touch for a chat about how we can help launch your brand in a new direction.