Are you considering a rebrand to kick-off 2018 in style? Has your business changed drastically since it was originally established? Does your branding reflect all the services you offer?
There are plenty of reasons why you might consider a rebrand, from celebrating a significant anniversary to going through a merger, but it’s also a chance to take stock and look to the future of your business.
However, before you get bogged down in designs and a strategic plan for a relaunch, take a step back and assess the pros and cons of changing something you’ve spent valuable time and resources building.
You Can’t Please All the People All of the Time
A rebrand can help you connect with new customers, but it can also alienate your existing customers – especially if you don’t communicate your intentions effectively.
Be sure to keep people informed or (better still) get them involved. Conducting a customer survey is a great way of doing so and should help you see your company as your customers do, which can inform or fine-tune your brand values.
And if you’re comfortable sharing some of your branding ahead of the official launch, you could include it in a quarterly newsletter and tell people about the rebrand plans.
The Cost
Rebrand costs are not limited to the designer’s time spent creating your new logo and your brand guidelines: if you’re a business with a fleet of vehicles, building signage or a range of marketing materials, these will all need updating too.
The good news is that once you have your new logo in place, you can phase out the old and introduce the new at your own pace. Plus, any electronic platforms like your website, social media channels and email signature blocks can be updated immediately.
The Logo
Does your logo tell your customers who you are and what you do? No? Then maybe it’s time for a change.
When you set up your business it’s likely that you had to quickly establish a logo, with little time and an even smaller budget, so some years down the line it can become obvious that it’s time for a refresh.
It may seem a big step to completely overhaul your logo, but a rebrand doesn’t always mean a completely different one; often small tweaks can be made so that loyal customers still recognise the brand and potential customers are intrigued enough to buy into your product or service.
Just look at the success of companies like LEGO, Volkswagen, Shell and Apple, which all have a history of evolving their logos to help stay relevant but simultaneously sympathetic to the original design.
Your Brand Values
Establishing or amending your core values can help drive staff performance and encourage new customers, especially if you decide to work in a more ethical or sustainable way.
Core values help define your business among competitors and, according to emerging research, consumers are much more likely to buy a product from a brand with well-defined ethical practices.
And staff who are involved in the consultation process to create the company’s new values often feel a stronger sense of ownership of the business as a result, which can lead to greater loyalty, output and commitment.
Talk to us about your branding or rebranding needs today. Get in touch with the team on 01636 611112 or via newark@nettl.com
