What is a rebrand?
The goal of a rebrand is to realign the outward perception of the business and its products/services so it authentically reflects its culture, market positioning, aspirations and those of its target customers.
A company’s brand should have an emotional connection with those they wish to attract, both internally and externally. A rebrand could manifest in several ways.
It could entail making minor adjustments to its existing logo device, messaging or styling or in the case of a change in direction, a complete makeover of the brand and all its touchpoints.
Prior to considering a rebrand it’s critical to consider ‘Why?’, ‘What?’ and ‘Who?’ Why are you looking to rebrand, what has brought about the need, who are you looking to attract and what is the desired outcome. Do you require evolution or revolution?
The points below take you through why you would want to rebrand.
You’re business has changed
Rebranding is often necessary when a business or market has evolved but the branding is slipping behind these changes.
Even though your brand name and positioning statement was perfect five or 10 years ago, is it still perfectly placed today?
Even though your branding was excellent at conception, does it still reflect who you are and what you are doing today and into the future?
You’re competitors have changed
Perhaps you don’t think you need to make any changes.
You may feel your branding still does a job, it’s not offensive and you’re quite attached to it.
It’s like an old top you’ve had for years, it’s comfortable! But when you stop and think about it, look around and review your competitors you start to notice it’s not looking as sharp as it once did and they are beginning to out manoeuvre you both visually and with their messaging.
This doesn’t necessarily imply you have blindly ignored the market or that you should follow trends, but you should consider ‘Why?’, ‘What?’ and ‘Who?’ so you ensure you stay fresh and relevant.
Your plans have changed
Nothing stands still in business and as a result you can’t expect a brand that was perfect three, five or ten years ago to still be on the money today.
Even Marriott, Uber, Pringles and The Guardian have updated their brands in recent times. Facebook completely changes their branding, all have made these changes so they remain relevant and to future proof their brands until the next review.
Plans and strategies for businesses evolve, and with them, the underlying procedures that guide your operations. You should adapt your branding to reflect these changes so your audience is aware your business is evolving with their needs.
More established brands may require a more sensitive touch so your current customers still relate to your brand whilst you are also able to attract new customers who may not have an understanding of the brand’s heritage.
You want to attract new business
It’s possible that your company has built its reputation on catering to a specific type of customer, but this customer base is in decline.
This being the case you may need to take a more radical approach, a complete rebranding may be necessary to make this change appealing to a new audience.
Lucozade is a perfect example. When Lucozade hit the market it was a drink for those who weren’t feeling well, often only seen by the side of a hospital bed getting warm.
Lucozade is now an energy drink and you could argue it always was, but now it’s targeting a whole new, younger audience and thriving thanks to its rebranding and repositioning.
Your brand and your target audience are tightly related. Make sure the clients you wish to attract are reflected in the brand image, colours, fonts and messaging you present.
But branding doesn’t stop there, branding reaches every touch point so you need to consider all these touchpoints if you want to build a strong and successful brand.
It’s no good looking current, efficient, on trend and a great product if the delivery and customer service is shocking. If this is the case your brand message will be “Looks great, but unreliable and a let down”.
Jayex logo rebrand
Click to play
If you want to build a brand that is sustainable, trusted, and attracts the right target customers it’s critical you understand the ‘Why?’, ‘What?’ and ‘Who?’ Once you understand these fundamentals you can start building the brand toolkit to a successful brand.
Brand development is something we are passionate about and have been working with businesses to create great brands for over 35 years.
We have a tried and tested process to achieving successful outcomes which starts with the Why? What? Who? Only once these are understood can we start the creative process.
So if you are considering how you can enhance or create a great brand we would love to work with you to achieve your goals.
If you would like to know more about how we can help you with all aspects of your branding and marketing, then please get in touch.
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