New year, new business branding

It’s a new year and with it comes the urge to give everything around you a complete overhaul. As a business, your brand means more to you than almost any other asset. It’s what distinguishes you from your competitors and resonates with your audience.

So why would you change this image? Well, sometimes it’s necessary to breathe new life into your business. Maybe the perception of your brand is outdated and no longer speaks to your core values. Or maybe you’ve ended a longstanding partnership. Or maybe you need to do damage control on negative brand perception. Whatever the reason, there are a few things to consider before tackling the mountain of work involved in a rebrand. 

Is there a good reason for a rebrand? 

Changing the way people view your brand is a big undertaking and needs to serve a purpose. Otherwise, you’ll do all the work only to have your audience alienated due to a lack of familiarity with your new brand. 

Consider what it is you’d like to achieve by rebranding your business. Do you wish to attract a different target demographic? Or do you simply wish to stay relevant among a contemporary business pool? Identify your reasons and evaluate if they’re good enough to justify a rebrand. 

What should you be changing?

A rebrand consists of more than just slapping a new logo on your door. When people see that a brand has started in a new direction, they expect there to be more changes than a new corporate identity. Will you be offering a new product or service? Did your vision and mission change? Are you taking a new approach to the way you conduct your business? 

If your rebrand doesn’t have a clear enough purpose, these questions will be difficult to answer. Take the time to consider the new way your business will carry itself. And make sure to include these new unique selling points when considering your rebrand approach. The last thing you want is for your target demographic, new or old, to think that your rebrand is simply a publicity stunt (even if it is).

A good place to start is with your website or mobile app. If you have a website, consider giving it a completely new look and user journey. You might need to approach a web development company for this. Similarly, give your app an update. If you don’t have one, consider whether this might be the time to create one. You don’t need to break the bank – mobile web application development is more affordable and functions as a native app despite being a regular website or page.

What would the financial implications be? 

As would be expected, a full rebranding is a costly endeavour. Especially if it involves changing your logo. Everything from business cards to email signatures and digital assets needs to be redone. And all at once. For a seamless transition into your new brand identity, everything a customer sees in relation to your brand needs to be shifted in a very short amount of time to avoid confusion. 

Make sure to keep track of anything you’ve branded and include it in your rebrand strategy. This way, you’ll be able to estimate the overall costs more accurately. Also, try to establish the positive outcome your rebrand will have. Will you reach new customers? Will you win back old ones? Quantifying the financial outcome will put the expense into perspective. 

How will you get the word out?

Once you’ve decided to rebrand and have set the rollout in motion, it’s crucial to consider how your audience will learn about your new corporate identity. If users aren’t informed that your company has been rebranded, they will likely be confused when encountering your new look, or worse, might never see it. 

A solid marketing strategy is needed in order to inform your audience about your new brand and why they should care about it. What does this mean for what you stand for? Your services or products? Your customer relations? Make it clear that the rebrand will benefit them.