Getting a little fix-me-up is not frowned upon anymore. Reinventing yourself is part of the human experience. It is also becoming part of the business world.
When companies decide to rebrand, it means that they change the way they present themselves. It can go from a simple change in the tagline to a complete change in the color palette, elements, and marketing strategy.
Since we are talking about how your brand is perceived, it should be handled gently. Reimagining an entire concept can be changeling when there is no substantial reason for the change.
When the visual and verbal identities mismatch, customers lose loyalty to the brand. Having a clear concept of who you are as a business and what you have to offer; leads to brand equity with your target clients.
How do you know when to rebrand?
Let’s get one thing straight: Rebranding is for everyone. Big companies that already count on devoted customers have been through the process of rebranding just to keep up with the changes around the world. Small businesses leverage this reimagining by presenting themself not only in a different way but also to different audiences.
The name game
Sometimes businesses pick their name not thinking in the long run. A famous example is BackRub, better known today as Google. The name of your brand is the first thing people register. Think of it as a conversation opener (how it is pronounced, spelled, the backstory behind it, etc.), but it is also the base for your branding, marketing, and sales.
Changing your brand name is a bold gamble, but can be necessary to win big. If your company name doesn't reflect the brand's story, why not remedy that?
Underwhelming aesthetic
Marketing and design departments get the least priority in companies. It is no surprise that many companies have barely decent stationery and dull websites. If you rather not show people the pride and joy that should be your business, you most likely, need to rebrand.
We change the outside to reflect what's on the inside. Let the look and feel enhance the values of the brand.
Stand out
The downside of modern days is we tend to be led by trends. You can almost pinpoint the date a business began by its logo design. Although sometimes this is purposely designed to imitate another brand, most of the time it will not help your brand.
You want to stand out in your market niche and it can be achievable by rebranding to a unique visual identity.
Simplify
On the other hand, maybe you went over the top with the disorienting details of your brand. You try to convey your personality, values, and products all in one big mess. Sometimes it is better to simplify your core concept. What is the main thing you want people to recognize your brand for?
Simplifying your brand is leverage in this social media era. With so much coming our way every minute, simplicity may get the attention of the ideal target.
Change of heart
If you remember starting your brand, you must remember answering all types of existential questions like what were the vision, mission, goals, and values of your business.
What benefits are you bringing to society, and why should people choose you over others? When rebranding, the same questions stand, but now you have a base to stand on instead of just answering blindly.
Have you changed your business strategy? Maybe you now can move to another niche? Now is the best time for rebranding.
Joining forces
If you are merging with another brand, chances are that you will join values and benefits, so it should only be logical to rebrand, or in this case, make a brand new brand. Revising the essence, keep only what defines your brand, making it unique from the rest.
Take the best of both worlds and make sure to create an identity that goes along with every party involved.
Keep the past in the past
Times are changing. Some things are not perceived like it once was. Brands need to keep up if they want to keep their customers.
Revise your touchpoints, your language, and your elements. Keep in mind all the changes in the world and curate the significance that comes from your original branding.
The reasons behind rebranding are many. The important thing is that you know your goals, build your team, and invest in a good branding and marketing strategy. If you preserve the DNA of the brand, the visual changes won't cost you your clientele. On the contrary, you should be able to attract even more customers.
With all the new changes our society is facing, rebranding never seemed more appropriate. Like the Cole Porter song says: anything goes.