When you’re asking big questions about your company, it’s also time to ask questions about your existing brand identity. So, when is the right time to rebrand your business? To know the answer to that, first think about your company from a different perspective: your clients’. A rebrand focuses on the wants and needs of your audience, not your company.
Working Out When It’s Time to Rebrand Your Business
Rebranding is something that has to happen every so often. Your company’s branding is the visual representation of who you are and what you offer. People are visual. We make assumptions based on what we can see before we learn details. Does your current branding offer your clients and potential clients at-a-glance recognition of what your company embodies? How do you decide whether your business has changed enough to warrant a rebrand? Before you plunge headlong into a re-branding effort, conduct a small amount of online research.
Company Message and Strategy
If your company’s overall message or strategy has changed, it’s time to rebrand. This may be a shift in focus as you alter a marketing campaign, or it could be something more substantial where you decide to change your company name.
The Audience
Your branding tells clients not only who you are, but who you are now. Some businesses discover that they need to move with the times and target a different audience. So if your company has expanded to include new products or services, has a new emphasis, or is looking to reach new audiences, rebranding could be your way of keeping them informed while keeping your company’s impression fresh. Think about the options your clients have. Are you competitive within your marketplace? Or are your competitors leaving a more accurate and lasting impression?
If Your Look is Out-of-date
Speaking of fresh: style designs are like fashions, ever changing with the times. You want to keep the recognizable element of your brand for the clients you’ve obtained while also attracting the ones you want to reach. Thinking as a potential client, are you attracted and intrigued by what you already see? Or are there some tweaks your company could make to be more impressionable? If your branding isn’t as unique and fresh as your company is, it’s time for a rebrand.
Brand Refresh or Brand Redesign
There are many versions of rebranding. Partial brand refresh and full branding redesign are two different things. If you’re thinking of rebranding, you’ll need to decide if you need a brand refresh or redesign. A brand refresh is relatively common, while a full rebrand redesign is something that a business may only do once or twice.
Partial brand refresh maintains a visual connection to your business’s identity. A refresh may consist of a logo refresh, updating your message or the company’s focus. On the other hand, a full brand redesign can often seem like you’re starting a new business. You may decide to change the company’s name or the services you provide. A brand redesign is a total transformation of your existing brand. A brand redesign may make more sense for your company. Read more about the different between a brand refresh or redesign here.
Conclusion
Rebranding your business is a very large undertaking and should be approached with much thought and preparation from all angles. If you’ve carefully thought and planned out your rebrand, the overall process and experience will be much smoother.
Contact LP Creative Co. if you’re in need of a rebranding.