There comes a point in the life of every brand where its once new and innovative look just isn’t hitting that high note anymore. The prospect of a rebrand can certainly be a daunting task, but it’s important to remember that, like many other areas of your business, once something is no longer useful to you or in your best interest, it’s time to update and move forward.
So, where do you start? Let’s take a look at some of my best tips for tackling a rebrand.
Identifying the Signs
First things first, are you seeing signs that perhaps it’s time for a change? Here are a few good examples:
- Does your logo look dated? When you first started your business, using a discount logo, or even having a friend design one for you, is understandable. However, if it no longer reflects the quality product you are putting out, you’re underselling yourself.
- Are you embarrassed to hand out your business cards or website address? This pretty much speaks for itself. If you don’t want people on your website because you hate the way it looks, it’s time to change it!
- Are you failing to differentiate yourself from your competition? If you feel like you are getting lost in a sea of other professionals all offering the same thing, then it is definitely time for a rebrand.
- Have you simply outgrown your brand? This is a nice position to be in. Often when companies grow, they enter new a marketplace that renders their current brand ineffective.
- Are you struggling to raise your prices? Branding ultimately boils down to customer perception and, if your customers aren’t perceiving your brand in the right way, then a price increase is almost impossible.
What Comes Next?
Once you’ve decided to take the plunge and go through the process of a rebrand, there are several important steps you need to take to make sure it is done right.
First, collect and curate your inspiration to give yourself an idea of where you’re headed. Your brand should speak to you and reflect where your business is in the here and now.
The design of items, like a new or modified logo and website, will likely be at the top of your list, but don’t forget about your other promotional needs. Everything from brochures, business cards, social media, and company swag should also be considered to ensure that everything is cohesive.
Remember that anyone you bring on to help design all of these items should be someone that you trust to understand your vision and your needs. Put the call out to business friends and colleagues to get recommendations, or go online and look at some of the brands you admire and inquire who designed it. Good designers are often booked well in advance, so once you’ve found the right fit, don’t delay.
Lastly, but very importantly, create a time line and try your best to stick to it. A rebrand takes lots of planning and deadlines, so you need to be able to commit the time to it. Be sure you have a realistic calendar that details what needs to be done and when, and have a firm launch date.
Launching Your Brand
Once you have completed your rebrand, you will no doubt want to show it off--as you should! However, before you go and shout from the rooftops, it’s important to have a plan in place for rolling it out.
A multimedia approach is best to get the word out to the most number of people, because not everyone is going to have read the blog post you wrote announcing it. Be sure the channels you are using are consistent and that they are all telling your rebrand story in a cohesive way.
Rebranding can be an amazing opportunity to elevate your business in a big way. Be sure that you are taking it on for the right reasons, you’ve hired the right people, and are executing in the right way for your clients, and you’ll no doubt love the result.
Kylie Carlson is the CEO of the International Academy of Wedding and Event Planning. With six locations globally, the academy boasts an internationally recognized accreditation program that brings professional training to wedding planners, designers and stylists.
