Time to Rebrand?

Earlier this week, I discussed with you the importance of your brand being more than “just a logo”. 

Today will be a spin-off continuation on how to know when it is the right time to rebrand your business. 

So, buckle up, it’s going to be a fun ride!

So, imagine yourself a handful of years into your business. You are happy with the way things are going and your growing. Perhaps you’re in the midst of transforming your offerings, your market is expanding and you’re maybe even diversifying your audience. Which has you wondering if your brand is really portraying its image in full capacity.

Rebranding is an important step for every business to consider along it’s journey. If you’re uncertain to whether it’s time for you to get on the bandwagon or not, here are a few situations to help clarify your questions …

Change of business name (your name no longer fits your story or is possibly even misleading to your target audience), brand rejuvenation (you want to clearly communicate your vision and get more known in the world and/or your website isn’t responsive with all devices), brand identity upgrade (your look and feel is behind the times, you feel your business card is plain and maybe even embarrassing and there is no visual consistency), company merge (you want a new name for your business and to send a strong message to the world that you’re new – or growing – in the industry) or perhaps a change in demographic (reach out to a new target audience or your audience changes over time).

Now of course there could be a million and one reasons to consider rebranding, just like the ones I mentioned above. But there are other considerations to ponder upon as well such as time keeps ticking (just like hair and cloths – design trends change quickly), change in style (reputation with your viewers), change in focus (A is no longer relevant in your vision/story but B-C-D make everything come alive), lifeless brand (tired, outdated, cold feeling and needs a facelift), geographical name (might be holding you back or in one place) or perhaps you have a name that it not catchy or too hard to pronounce/remember.

Your brand is the heart and soul of your business. It is the core of what you represent. It is your story with all the values, characteristics and personality traits building you a solid foundation to become or stay a success. So, don’t let it go stagnant … you wouldn’t do this to yourself as a person, so why your brand?

Keep it simple by identifying your goals (re-write your story if you need to or even add a new chapter), work with a professional as this will keep the stress level down, give you plenty of time to take care of everyday business needs and plus they are trained for this then proactively announce your roll-out, even with a “soft” launch (to release to a restricted audience before the full launch) at first if you want to test out your new look and feel. You don’t want to blindside your customers as this may make them confused. Make your period of rapid revolution count as the most appropriate answer to whether to rebrand or not is not whether “you are scared”, or “there is not time” … it is what is best for you and your audience.

If after reading this you are still uncertain, have questions or want to bounce some ideas past me I welcome your email. Please feel free to share your story with me as I’d love to put your mind at ease.