Do you need to rebrand.

Time waits for no one, it doesn’t stand still and neither does the world around us, change is inevitable, if you want your brand to stay relevant you need to embrace change.

There are many reasons you may want to rebrand, I’m going to cover a few in this article and discuss briefly what rebranding is and how your branding agency or design studio can help you make the change.

Brand evolution vs rebranding vs branding.

There are many terms that design studios use but these 3 are some of the most common ones you will see. 

Branding.
This term can have a broad meaning to a lot of people. It’s often misused to refer to logos, when in fact a logo is just a cog in a large machine. Branding will be applied in the design world to new businesses and startups looking for an identity that will give them a voice in which to speak to the world. This will be things like a logo design, tone of voice, visual language (photography styles, etc), colour palette, fonts, communication materials, interior design, signage, the list goes on. All of this will then be packaged into a beautiful set of brand guidelines which acts as a rule book to ensure consistency in its usage.

Brand evolution. 
This is exactly as the name suggests, small changes implemented over a long period of time that slowly, and most of the time without attracting too much attention, change the face of your brand to keep things fresh. Compare the way you dressed when you were younger to the way you now dress, your style may feel the same to you, but if you look closely you will see lots of refinements you made over time (or you may look radically different and thus have rebranded yourself).

To a brand identity these changes can be things like your social media visual style, tone of voice, secondary colour palette (not changing your logo/brand colour), subtle campaign style changes and other smaller elements that support your brands overall identity. 

Rebranding.
I’ve heard this explained as a “lick of paint” for your brand, I hate this explanation with a passion, it makes me think of an old shed that is falling apart but has new paint holding it together, it’s all on the surface when what we really need to do is rebuild the structure with new materials. A rebrand is when an established brand wants to make a clear signal for change and does this through significant changes in how it looks, thinks and acts. Visually this can be anything from small tweaks to the logo and a new font to a completely new identity. Under the surface this can be a completely new direction for the business, the services it offers, its code of conduct, ethics, sustainability, tone of voice, and so forth.

4 Reasons to Rebrand.

Time changes everything. 
Technology is a great signifier of change, it evolves at an increasing rate along with the ways in which we engage with it, the services we demand, the problems that arise and the solutions that will follow. With so many options available to us we can be quite fickle as consumers, you need to stay relevant to stay engaged with your current audience, connect with new audiences and to make sure your brand doesn’t become outdated and get left behind.

Grow and diversify.
This could be through a merger, a new vision and direction, new products and services or a move to address world issues like equality and sustainability. A rebrand shows the world that your brand is changing for the better and you’re inviting them along for the ride.

Shake off the past.
Everyone makes mistakes, it’s in our DNA. Our integrity determines how we learn from them and the actions we take to seek to rectify them. A rebrand can signify this kind of growth, it shows the world that you are being accountable for the past, acknowledging your mistakes and seeking to rectify them by making positive changes for the future.

Makeover time!
A rebrand can refresh and update a brands tired and outdated image and propel it forward. This is a chance to reflect on your brands core values and positioning, perhaps it’s time to stir things up a bit and revive some energy to relight that fire. This is a chance to set your brand apart from the competitors, feel more current, re-connect with your current audience and engage with a newer one.

Conclusion.
Over time the needs and preferences of consumers change and the markets will surely follow (or is that the other way around?). It’s important that brands keep up with this pace of change and stay relevant to your people, it is equally important that brands stay tuned in to the cultural and societal changes and respond to them appropriately and positively. This could involve making a series of small changes along the way or realising that you need a complete rebrand to mark a drastic change in direction. Figuring out which route you need to take can be a daunting task, but all you need to do is commit to the decision that you want to change and then engage with the right graphic designer to get the job done. 

When I’m approached by clients seeking help with a rebrand the first thing I will suggest is that we work together on deconstructing your brand piece by piece, an audit of sorts if you like. An outsiders opinion can be very enlightening when combined with your experience and vision for the brand. Then we work together on creating your pathway to the future, the rest is history. RH