Rebranding your company or organization is an intricate process, but it doesn’t have to be painful. In this three-part series, we examine the journey of rebranding first through the creative process, then the launch and implementation. Our final blog will highlight a client who recently went through a complete name change and how B&B helped.
Are you ready?
Rebranding is a commitment. It is an investment of time, money and effort. Use careful consideration and realistic timelines as you navigate the process. There should not be an expectation that anything will happen overnight. Rebranding your company will ultimately erase your former brand identity, so be prepared to let go of the past.
Make a plan
Determine your timeline and budget for rebranding. Identify what will need to be rebranded and determine a priority order. Companies find it helpful to create a task force to identify all areas in which the brand may affect tangible (signage, letterhead, security badges, business cards, etc.) and non-tangible (websites, social media, partner websites, etc.) assets.
Think about it
Your new brand should be reflective of your company’s mission and vision statement. Think about who your audience is and whether a rebrand is necessary. Several brands recently flubbed their rebrands because they didn’t consider the one person they needed to impress – their customers. Other factors to consider are diversity and inclusivity. Is your brand speaking to all people? Is it openly excluding anyone, or could it be taken in the wrong context?
Work with professionals
Your brand is one of the most critical assets of your company. Do not leave it in the hands of an amateur, no matter how inexpensive your cousin’s dentist’s nephew might be. Professionalism goes a long way, and you will ultimately get what you pay for. If your company does not have an in-house marketing and design staff, ask your print service provider if they can recommend someone.
Get creative
Most companies choose to rebrand because they feel their old logo is outdated and needs a refresh. Begin with critiquing your existing brand to recognize what you do not like about it, then do not repeat the same mistake twice. Next, make a list of attributes that you are looking for instead. Be as descriptive and transparent as possible with your creative team – don’t leave them guessing. They may be talented, but they aren’t mind readers.
Test it out
Once you’ve narrowed down your new brand options to two or three choices, test them out with your staff beyond the C-Suite. Work with a small focus group of your customers to get their feedback. Offer a gift card in exchange for their time and opinion to gauge their perspective. If none of the brand options is a hit, that’s a clear sign that you may need to rethink things. Don’t despair. Ask questions and get to the bottom of why these didn’t work.
Rebranding doesn’t have to be difficult. In part two of this series, we go beyond the work of landing the new look into the implementation and launch phase of your new brand. B&B Print Source has been helping our clients through rebrands for many years — we can be your trusted advisor through this process. Contact us today and we’ll help you get started!