These are the 5 Questions You Need to Ask Before You Rebranding
Small businesses usually stabilize within two to three years. This is when the company becomes more popular and profitable. To be a strong voice in the market, a company must build a brand image. It’s also one that people will become more familiar with and feel connected to. As time goes by, however, it becomes increasingly important for businesses to rebranding. They must do so at the right moment and with the right approach. It is their reputation that is at stake.
What does it mean for a brand to rebrand?
Rebranding refers to a strategy that changes a company’s name, logo, and other aspects of its brand identity. It is designed to enhance a brand’s image, reputation, or performance. It is important to understand the differences between rebranding and rebranding. Let us explain below the differences and how they are used.
Partial rebrand
This option is for companies who plan to make minor changes to their public image. This could be a new logo or any other small tweaks that are intended to refresh an identity. Partially rebrands do not affect the majority of brand values or meat.
Total rebrand
This type of project will require a major overhaul in terms both of operations and looks. Major identity changes include aesthetic and purposeful changes. In the case of mergers, or even new leaders, complete rebrands are common.
Why should you rebrand?
There are many reasons behind rebranding strategies. Here are some of the most popular.
- Aged identity
- A new leadership
- Expansion of the audience
- Acquisition of businesses
- Adapting to current values and trends
Timing is key to a successful brand overhaul, no matter how simple it may seem.
This strategy is designed to increase engagement and reengagement. This decision can be made for a few reasons. It is important to know when your brand needs a refresh. However, it is a complicated process that requires you to carefully evaluate.
Before rebranding, ask these questions
This article will help you to prepare for your rebranding.
1. What did our customers need and what did they want?
No matter what aspect you want to change, ensure it is designed for people who will support and purchase your brand.
It is a smart idea to begin evaluating the changes in the buyer persona as it changes with market changes. When pitching new businesses to investors, it’s not a good idea to study the buyer persona. To ensure that every campaign is successful and ultimately sells, personas must be regularly rechecked.
Always think about your audience and consider how they have changed since your company was founded. Interviews or surveys could be conducted with your existing customers. This will give you an idea of the tone and message that is most important. You can effectively engage and inform your audience by knowing how to package it in a way that resonates with them.
2. What problem does this initiative address?
Have you lost clients? Are you doing better than your competitors? Are you in a stable position? It doesn’t matter what issue you face right now. Identifying them will help make your strategy more effective. These are the things that motivate you to refresh your brand.
This is mainly true for brands that plan to undertake a complete rebranding campaign.
3. Which market changes are worth our attention?
Are you seeing your industry move towards AI and digital platforms? Are you looking to expand your market into other countries? It is important to be aware of the market in which you are operating.
MasterCard was one of the best company rebranding cases. In 2018, they changed their logo from a circular to a flat design. MasterCard decided to go digital and omitted the lines between the circles. The result was a modern and seamless design that captured the essence of the payments company.
4. Is this going to hold up?
In any business’s life cycle, disengagement is an inevitable stage. It can slow down the process by having a solid strategy. You can learn a few tricks to help you build a brand that will last.
You must avoid succumbing to trends. These are often temporary and only good for a limited time. Businesses must adapt to changing economic conditions and consumer needs. You can also make your business more sustainable by emphasizing customer loyalty and accessibility.
To increase your chances of building a lasting brand, it is important to keep track of key performance indicators. You should get rid of any methods you don’t know how to measure
Small businesses must ensure that they spend their money wisely to continue growing. You can create a data-backed strategy that is a thousand times more effective than guesswork by taking a look at your effectiveness.
5. Does my design look similar to my competitors?
It is important to check similarities between your company and direct competitors before you submit a proposal for rebranding. This helps to reduce confusion among consumers if they mistakenly identify you with another company.
You can avoid lawsuits for copyright violations and plagiarism by ensuring originality. Sears is an example of a department store that has redesigned its logo for 2019. Sears’ 2019 logo looked very similar to Airbnb’s. The vacation rental company was also criticized for using a logo that looked a lot like Automation Anywhere’s 2014 logo. This is a dangerous situation that could have been avoided if more research was done.
If you have a unique branding strategy, you can avoid expensive court hearings and increase your voice.
Last tips
These questions will help you to create a brand for your business. Here are some tips to help you get started.
- Start strong — You should strikingly introduce your rebranding initiative. To make people aware of your brand’s changes, it’s a smart idea to launch a campaign. You can also use this to assure your customers that you are still the same company.
- Be consistent — Your brand consistency must be maintained. Even though your tone and language have changed, you can still look familiar. This can help you retain customers and drive revenue growth of 33%.
Disclaimer. The opinions and views expressed in this article are the authors Shalom Lamm.