Ahh, the notorious re-Brand. It is one of those things that most brands know they need to tackle at some point during their tenure, but inevitably procrastinate doing. They hold out hope that magically their sales numbers will tick upwards or the competition nipping at their heels stumbles. But when anxiety (or the bottom line) finally dictates that a re-Brand needs to happen, there are several core things to consider.
There are many reasons for a re-Brand:
- Your current brand is no longer current, effective or working for your audience
- Your target market has changed
- Your business has changed and evolved fundamentally
- Your business is preparing for growth including a merger or acquisition
A re-Brand indicates that a lot of changes need to happen. re-Branding is an undertaking that you should be prepared for, because it is more than just changing a logo or re-vamping a website aesthetic, it is about re-inventing the visual, verbal, and experiential image of your company and its touch points. Almost always, it is necessary to re-vise your brand philosophy, story and messaging to ensure it is relevant and that it continues to resonate with your desired demographic in the coming years.
It goes without saying that deciding to re-Brand is not for the faint of heart. It takes extensive research to determine what needs to be done and how. You need to take a deep dive and evaluate what is working and what is not before you can adapt and adjust or all of your re-Branding efforts will fall short. It is also imperative to re-define (or re-fine) your target persona(s) and check to see if you are speaking their language.
This all requires high-level strategy, considerable research, careful planning, and team-wide collaboration. There must be a thoughtful and deliberate effort in place to ensure that any brand pivot will be well received by existing customers, potential ones, and internally within your staff.
Since re-Branding is a big deal, the re-tool® team takes the time with our clients to map out the whole darn re-Brand and show it from a 5 foot, 50 foot and 50, 000 foot view then calculate and explain in finite detail (we are a believer that knowledge is power) the advised step-wise approach before we put any wheels into motion.
Our re-Brand process is finely tuned, often pointed and more than likely revelatory. It is our objective to help the brands we work with capture and confirm WHY they are unique in their space and WHAT would be missed if they didn’t exist.
Perception is reality and in this highly competitive era it doesn’t matter what your widget is, getting noticed for all the right reasons is instrumental in molding the perception that will serve your brand well. There is value in the process because the end result is what you are putting out there to the world.
So, if you are considering a re-Brand and find yourself in need of expert guidance, let us know. It is what we do. Check out some of our re-Brand work here.
