Do you think it’s time to rebrand? If so, do you have a branding strategy in place?

Rebranding is not just about updating your logo. It’s about setting a tone for your brand. How do you want your customers to view and feel about your brand? All of this plays an important part in your branding so it must be thought out carefully.

So why do you need a strategy? You’ll need a strategy in order to identify the reason for rebranding, your target audience, your brand’s positioning and marketing assets.

Why and How Rebranding Should Be Done.

There are many reasons as to why you should rebrand other than because you feel like it. There are also important steps to take when you finally do decide to rebrand to ensure you do it successfully.
Here are some reasons you should rebrand even if you hadn’t thought about it.

Expanding Your Product Offering.

Names like Stormwater Sydney, Quality Garden Supplies, and Nixon Tourism give you a good idea of what these companies specialise in or sell. This is helpful for SEO, and it also helps clients understand what a company is all about. However, when companies evolve and new technologies emerge, they may decide to branch out into other areas, rendering their previous branding obsolete.Think about Facebook, or Meta as it is now known, it has changed from being an online network directory to a conglomerate of tech companies with plans to develop a virtual world. So think about the overall message you want your company’s name, logo, and product packaging to communicate before expanding into a new market.

Unprofessional Logo

Logo design trends come and go much like fashion. Updating logos is common among brands of all sizes. Sometimes making things seem fresher and a little simpler to read may go a long way towards making your company look more credible and professional, even if a total overhaul isn’t in your plans.

Website redesign

Updating a website is one of the most common types of rebranding, since most businesses rely heavily on their website to generate leads or sell products. Websites need constant updating, monitoring and analyzing. Whilst you may not want to undertake a rebranding with regards to factors such as changing colours, theme and tone, you should consider if it is time to change the user interface and user experience of your website. You’ll be surprised at how much this simple rebranding process can do for your website and the benefits it can bring!

Customer Feedback

As times change, so does public opinion. Unfortunately some brands may no longer convey appropriate messages. So consider changing your branding if it’s conveying a message you don’t want it to. For example, Pearl Milling Company who changed their name from Aunt Jemima due to ethical concerns.

There are definitely other reasons to rebrand (such as your brands losing relevance, merging companies, changing markets or target audience, etc) that we haven’t touched on, however a key point to remember when considering a rebrand is the why. Is there a purpose to your rebranding and does it justify the rebrand?

If you have decided to rebrand, it’s important that you plan your rebrand correctly to avoid any future rebranding. Here are some tips to successful rebranding.

Use a creative agency (Gerald and Rose 👀)

The very first step is to find the right people for this job. While it may seem tempting to explore your creative side and do it yourself, chances are you will see better results if you use a creative agency to help you bring your vision to life. They have the skills & experience and know what works well and what mistakes you should avoid!

Strategy

Remember if your business is going through a complete rebrand then you will have to think about all your assets that will have to change too. Your website, logo, social media, business cards, email and products are just some to name a few. All these are added costs to having to rebrand.

Additionally, think about how long rebranding will take you, how it may affect your business and what process you will take to ensure your customers are aware of your rebranding.

Execution

Make sure to create mock-ups to find what looks best before beginning the rebuild. Ask strangers (or your family and friends) what their first opinion of the new brand is. Feedback is essential, you don’t want to mistakenly rebrand if it’s not in the right direction.

Communicate to your customers.

Once you have rebranded, remember to communicate with your customers about your rebrand. Sometimes explaining the why will also go a long way.

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In conclusion, if you have been thinking about rebranding your business, have a good reason to and take appropriate steps to ensure you don’t have to rebrand again in the future.

If you have been looking to rebrand your business but don’t know where to start, Gerald and Rose has a team of experienced digital marketers and creative designers who can assist you in taking the right steps towards a successful rebrand.

Alternatively, if you are in need of a website, social media or digital advertising services, we also have specialists who can help you take your business to the next level.