Do you feel like your brand needs a makeover? What a great idea to refresh the image and attract new clients.
Not to temper your enthusiasm, but you need to remember that rebranding is more than just changing your logo. Learning from the all-time favourite makeover movies, it’s not enough to create a brand update; a genuine change must come from within.
If you’re thinking about revolutionising your brand, our little guide will definitely come in handy. Follow our steps to thoroughly prepare for the rebranding and ensure the success of your brand-new image!
How do you spot successful rebranding strategies?
When you want to reach a different target group (Old Spice)
Defining your target group may be quite a challenge, let alone completely changing it.
For many years, your brand was targeting a specific audience. Even though having regular customers may seem like a dream come true, sometimes it’s just not enough.
Targeting new audience may be a great idea to create opportunities for further improvements and increase in profits. However, easier said than done. How to successfully attract new clients?
Learn from one of the most successful rebranding strategies in the last few years - Old Spice’s great makeover!
For more than 70 years, Old Spice has been recognised as one of the most popular grooming brands. However, it was mainly overlooked by the younger generation of men.
With new commercials, packaging, site design, and complete upheaval of their marketing, Old Spice conducted a full rebrand. The introduction of “The Old Spice Guy” and funny, nonsensical commercials was a great success that gained the attention of their desired audience.
They worked hard to build a strong television and social media presence and it paid off; only one year following the rebrand, their sales increased by more than 100%.
When your brand has acquired the wrong image (Burberry)
It’s extremely easy to lose your clients’ trust. Once the wrong image sticks to your company, it may be very difficult to get back on track.
Even the smallest mistake or a single misclick can ruin your consistent brand image. Sometimes it may not be even your fault.
Take a look at the example of Burberry, when one paparazzi shot threatened the reputation of a huge luxury brand. Overexposed and overused, Burberry’s famous pattern became a symbol of tackiness and bad taste. Burberry check also became ubiquitous with fake goods; it had lost its exclusivity.
It took a comprehensive, but thankfully successful rebranding strategy to restore the luxurious status of the brand. One of the first steps was to reintroduce the brand to the catwalks of Fashion Week. The next one; hiring fashion icons known for their elegant style. Add visual redesign of logo, and here you have a perfect fashionista-style rebrand.
When your brand needs to catch up with the market (Apple)
Even if your company has been on the market for many years and succeeded at attracting a loyal clientele, it may be a good idea to spice things up a little bit.
To stay relevant and catch up with the market, you should consider refreshing your image from time to time. I’m not talking about a revolution; just a small change to keep your customers on the edge of their sits.
It may be a good idea to follow the example of one of the most successful brands in history, Apple.
Apple has gone a long way from introducing their first logo, featuring Isaac Newton sitting under the legendary apple tree. Not only did they raise to be one of the most valuable companies in the world but also undergone some crucial visual changes.
Being an all-time favourite for so many years, Apple always knew how to keep up with the times. They adapted their visual strategy to the current trends; as their products evolved, so did their logo.
When your brand has a mission and vision change (CVS)
The times are changing, as so do social moods. If you feel like your company represents values that are no longer socially appreciated, or you want to make a statement as a brand, it may be necessary to conduct a full rebranding of your vision.
A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will. Don’t be afraid to change your brand’s vision if you feel like it no longer reflects your philosophy.
Seems like a drastic step? Sometimes it pays off to make a leap of faith, just as CVS Health did.
In February 2014, CVS Health decided that all tobacco sales would cease in their store. That was the beginning of a rebranding strategy to emphasize the company’s desire to provide healthcare services beyond the traditional retail pharmacy.
As CVS Health officials said, "We've changed our company name (…) to reflect our purpose of helping people on their path to better health”.
Before You Initiate a Brand Update
Have you set your mind on rebranding? That’s great. Let me guide you through the preparatory stage.
Reanalyse your company's mission and values
Let’s start with the core qualities of your company. Does it still reflect your values, or do you need to adjust your mission to a completely new mindset? Do you feel like your company needs to reestablish itself to truly correspond with your philosophy?
Your brand’s mission and values are what ultimately influence your products or services, that’s why you should never underestimate this step.
Analyse your clients
It’s crucial to know your company’s mission but also to understand whom it attracts. Have you managed to collect a devoted community? Great for you! Now it’s time to analyse their behaviours and needs. The same applies to the new, potential target clients. Try to understand their requirements and adjust your strategy to them.
It may be a good idea to create a focus group of existing and potential clients.
Research the market to evaluate your competition
There’s nothing more motivating than a tad of healthy competition. Before making your big step, check out what works, and what doesn’t, for your competitors. Of course, I’m not talking about straight-up copying; observe them, learn from their mistakes, and make a statement of your own.
Brainstorm ideas on how to renew your brand while staying relevant
Once you conducted your research, it’s time for real fun! Discuss all the possible development directions and strategies. Decide what should remain the same, and what needs to be changed. It’s you and your team who know your company best and your insights are truly invaluable!
Find the right agency
Rebranding is quite a challenge. Even if you know your company inside and out, it may be a good idea to consult specialists in this field. Of course, feel free to share your ideas and suggest improvements. Your insights combined with professional evaluation can work wonders.
Time for the Makeover
Revamp your branding
Now it’s time for action! As I told you, rebranding requires a lot of work on many different levels. Execute the plan that you’ve outlined with your team or agency. Leave no detail behind: start with rewriting your mission statement and proceed to redesign all the elements of branding, as well as marketing materials. And don’t forget about updating your app or web design!
Update your brand guidelines
After your rebrand is complete, it's crucial to update your brand guidelines. Launch it internally for your employees, to make everyone aware of how to use the new branding and what it means to the company.
Update your customers on the new branding
Days before you’re publishing your rebranded company, you should update your current customers and clients. Post it on your website, social media profiles, or simply send an email with a countdown timer for rebranding. The better marketing strategy, the higher chances of success!
Relaunch your new brand
Now that you have prepared everything, it’s time to publish your rebranded assets!
New Image, New Possibilities
Every company is unique, and so is yours. Embrace your exceptionality and reflect it in your branding!
Create the image of your company that you and your employees can be proud of. And not only that! By emphasising your values and mission through visual communication design you may attract new clients and satisfy the loyal ones.
Trust me, a good rebranding may be a game-changer for your company.
