Unlike what most people assume, rebranding your business does not have to require huge amounts of time and energy and it is definitely not just something only giant corporations can do.
Companies are constantly evolving and upgrading their brand based on changes within their own platform and trends that they see among competitors. They do this primarily to stay relevant and to avoid fading into obscurity in the midst of newer and brighter faces.
Whatever the reasons behind a company rebranding may be, the fact remains that it gives it an opportunity for a fresh start and a new way to do business. And it really does turn things around for your organization for the better.
Now, because of a range of online tools, rebranding doesn’t have to be a costly affair. Whatever your reasons may be behind wanting to give a new face to your company, it is extremely crucial that you take advantage of the tools at your disposal and undergo your rebrand in a smart cost-effective way.
There are some things you need to keep in mind before getting started though. Firstly, know that a company rebrand is more than just a name and logo shift. For instance, Pepsi’s logo rebrand was a huge flop simply because it was unable to justify the change. It didn’t follow it up with any other aesthetic changes, or campaigns to address the new logo. People were just confused by it, and it ended up costing the company a whopping $1.2 million. Don't forget to follow Marketing Birds to avoid missing out on similar shares.
But this doesn’t mean your company is going to suffer the same fate. If you’re smart about it and if you employ the right techniques, we guarantee that your rebrand will be a big hit. And it won’t cost you a lot either.
To help you, we’ve put together a rebranding guide for you. It talks about two important things - when you need to start your rebrand as a business, and what strategies you should employ to make it happen.
What Is The Right Time To Undergo A Rebrand?
There is no set time in a company’s trajectory to start rebranding. It all depends on what feels right, what the competitors are up to, and if there’s a customer demand for a change. That being said, there are some crucial points at which you may want to consider a rebrand.
When you put out a new product
When you introduce something new and revolutionary to your brand, it may be time to have your logo and other aspects of your company catch up. This is especially true if you’re tapping into a new and unfamiliar market. Here, you need to re-establish yourself as a leader and the best way to do that is by adapting to the new market’s environment.
For instance, when McDonald’s started selling multiple types of coffee, pastries, and other desserts, under the banner of “McCafe”, they changed the infamous bright red and yellow colours on their logo, and replaced them with brown and other earthy tones that seemed more appropriate for coffee. They did this to appeal to a more mature clientele that would otherwise be put off by the child-friendly aesthetic that McDonald’s has always portrayed.
When You Want To Change Your Image
Companies often undergo huge rebrands when they want to show their customers that they now stand for more than just the things they stood for in the past. Often, a simple statement may not do the trick. People might still associate certain things with certain brands and have similar assumptions. This is because they have been conditioned to make that assumption often by the company itself.
This is why it is up to the company to do everything they can to change a pre-existing perception if that is their goal. Interestingly enough, when the company rebrands itself, it also sheds itself of the assumption that they carried before, and people start to see them in a new light.
This is something Dunkin’ Donuts did when they rebranded themselves to just “Dunkin’”. With this rebrand, they were letting people know that they were not just a donut shop, but were also selling coffees and other assorted items as well. Removing the “Donuts” from their name was essential to this process because the automatic underlying assumption that people always had (the fact that they sell donuts) came from the name itself.
Now that you know exactly when to start rebranding, it’s time to learn more about the strategies you need to employ for a successful rebrand campaign.
Find Partners
Finding loyal customers requires a ton of effort, time and money, and there’s no guarantee that the strategies you use would even work. This is true when you bring out a new product or when you dive into a new industry. However, people will be far more likely to do business with you if they find out about you through a brand they already trust.
This practice is called co-branding and it allows you to build greater customer loyalty while bringing in a ton of extra revenue. Co-branding also increases the chances of you finding your audience, something that would be difficult if you were to just advertise to the wider public.
Other companies will have staunch, loyal customers as well who will filter into your company through valuable partnerships.
When Starbucks collaborated with Spotify, no one expected this unlikely partnership to take off. Starbucks employees were given free Spotify Premium accounts that they could use to curate playlists and play them in their coffee shop.
This allowed both companies access to each other’s customers. The assumption behind the partnership was that people who like coffee also like music, and so, both companies’ customers were introduced to new products. Win-win situation for everyone!
Use Engaging Visuals For Your New Brand
Visuals do not just involve the logo. They involve everything - logo, name, packaging, designs, you name it.
You need to make sure that the goal is to get your audience to connect with your new image. If that backfires and you instead end up alienating your customer base, you will lose out on some substantial business. And you don’t want that.
The best way to streamline the visual aesthetic of your brand is to make a brand style guide. This should be a booklet that shows what everything is going to look like after your rebrand. This way you can make sure that you remain consistent with your changes and that your overall aesthetic is in line with the vision you had in mind.
Here are just a few things to consider to get you started:
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1 Create a new logo
The logo is probably the first thing your customer will see, even before they see the name. It is what makes people recognize your business from afar, and it is an association they will carry forever. This is why coming up with the perfect logo is so important.
The good news is, you don’t have to spend lots of money on creating the perfect logo. PosterMyWall has an incredible logo maker that you can customize according to your needs. Say goodbye to expensive graphic designers, and say hello to the logo of your dreams. Having a logo creator will also save you a lot of time and effort that would have gone into it otherwise.
Microsoft Office is a great example of a successful logo change campaign. When the company changed the color of the logos for their Office programs, and turned them into more sleek, minimalist designs, they were able to add a layer of class and sophistication that previously did not exist. And all it took was one change.
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2 Change your website design
A rebrand requires you to shift the way customers perceive you. This is done most effectively by changing what customers see. When you rebrand, one of the first things you need to consider is a website overhaul. Scrap the visuals, the content, and everything in between, and start fresh. Present a new and modern outlook that gets your customers excited.
Add new web pages, for instance, a blog that talks in more detail about your rebrand and the story behind it. Let people in on the process. The more they know you, the more they will like you. Apart from this, make sure that the website’s aesthetic is in line with your new brand. Leave no visual trace of what your company used to be on your website. The goal should be to look forward, and not backward.
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3 Get new business cards made
A new rebrand will come with a launch party and other significant networking opportunities. Make people familiar with your new image by changing every little thing about your company. And yes, that includes business cards. After all, it is the first thing possible partners and collaborators will see. So you must send the right message.
Your business card should go with your company’s new look. Make the logo front and center. The font you use for your name should be in line with the font used for everything else.
Decide What Makes Your Brand Special
When you come up with a new image for your brand, you also have to see how it stands apart from other similar brands in your industry. What’s so special about you? Why should customers come to you instead of your competitor? These are just some of the questions you should be answering.
Let’s say you’re a restaurant that has just revamped their image. You need to provide a good reason for why people should come to you instead of going to the eatery next door. Sure, you provide the same level of services. But that makes you equal, not better.
Now let’s say you have a signature dish that no one else can replicate. Viola! You have an upper hand on your competitors. Not only do you provide everything they provide, you also have something extra special on your menu that could bring more customers in.
And You’re Ready!
There you have it - a complete guide to rebranding your business. Now that you know when to start rebranding and how to go about it, it’s time to get to work. It’s all easy, quick, and cost-effective. All you need is a vision and some creativity!
