Effective Strategies for Launching Your Rebrand
When most people consider efforts around rebranding, they think of a new logo or color palette. Rarely do they consider how a rebrand can positively or negatively affect business strategy and longevity. Any rebrand effort should be strategically planned and implemented with tremendous internal and external buy-in.
Most rebrands launched without consideration of buy-in ultimately negatively impact how people connect with the business. When executed well, a rebrand is a beneficial tool in shaping how people view your business. When executed poorly, it can have unexpected negative effects.
Reasons to Conduct a Rebrand
If you want to rebrand simply because you're tired of your original visual identity, consider a more subtle refresh and enhancement of your identity.
If you want to rebrand because of a bad reputation, outdated image, or expanded growth, start with these questions:
Who are our current customers? What are their needs and wants? Have they changed over time?
Do we have research to back up these assumptions?
Have our core values changed?
Is our company story no longer relevant?
What are your goals for rebranding?
What's driving the rebrand? Why now?
These questions may seem simple on their face, but bringing in voices from throughout your company can begin to complicate them in a welcome way. Dive into the nuances and disagreements. Use the Five Whys questioning method to unpack claims and assumptions.
Your brand is your company's most valuable asset, not just graphics on a screen or colors your designer selected. Rebranding can prove to be an invaluable investment, but only when done for the right reasons with an unassailable strategy and support from a professional agency.
When you conduct a thoughtful rebrand, the benefits are endless.
You can:
Connect with an all-new audience.
Drive deeper affinity with your existing customers.
Be set further apart from competitors.
Solve pre-existing business problems.
Boost your bottom line.
So, how do you successfully launch a rebrand?
Once you've done the gritty work of answering the tough questions and evaluating your new brand solutions, it's time to put them to work so you can reap the benefits.
Generate Buzz
While you could go the traditional PR route with a big splash, we're bigger believers in your customers. Give them an inside peek into your new brand. Share exclusive first looks with them through your newsletter. Write a blog post outlining how this move supports them or was inspired by them. Creating a buzz with your existing base is the best way to fend off any adverse reaction.
Deploy Consistently
The worst mistake you can make would be a piecemeal launch strategy that leaves customers, competitors, and colleagues needing clarification about what you've done.
Start by updating your print and out-of-home materials, as they generally have the longest production lead time. Ensure your internal materials are consistent, from letterhead to business cards to display windows and internal documents like employee handbooks and internal wikis. Enhancing and encouraging employee buy-in is your highest priority at this stage.
Then, update your logo on sales receipts, invoices, store bags, packaging, etc. Replace any vinyl or physical signage at your brick-and-mortar locations.
Your website is the next place you should update with your new messaging and identity. Start with your most visited pages and then move down the list.
Once your site is updated, update all your social media platforms with your new visual identity and get a handful of posts ready to launch that announce your rebrand or reflect your new brand strategy.
Then, you'll want to swap out all your digital advertising visuals with the ones that reflect your new visuals. This step ensures that any new customers you bring in are introduced to the new identity from their first interaction, enhancing brand recognition and trust.
Engage Authentically
When questions are posed to you about why you rebranded or when someone celebrates the new brand, don't be silent. Engage authentically, frequently, and consistently with them on every platform. This moment is the best time to build deeper brand affinity with your audiences. It will be a tremendous amount of work if you've built up a customer base that feels comfortable reaching out to you, but the rewards are immeasurable.
Before starting a rebranding project, the costs should be weighed against the potential benefits.
Costs can include hiring a professional agency, time lost from updating materials, potential customer loss, new print materials, and more. The benefits, however, can be the difference between laboring in sameness and unlocking an entirely new level in your business.
If you're not sure if now is the time for rebranding, reach out for a complimentary consultation and we'll help you determine that — no strings attached, no sales pitch.
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