A brand is more than just a logo: It’s how your audience defines your company. And a great brand communicates the value you can bring to your customers, as well as your personality.
If your current brand isn’t representing your company the way you’d like it to, it might be time for a makeover. But do you need a brand refresh or a full rebrand? And how do those processes work? Use our guide below to find out!
STEP 1: Do I Need a Refresh or Full Rebrand?
Updating your brand can be fun, but before you dive into the design process and creative meetings, you need to decide just how much of a rebrand your company needs. It’s all dependent on why you’re looking to make a change.
You Might Need a Brand Refresh If...
Your brand just needs some minor updates. During a refresh, your brand stays true to its original identity, but has minor adjustments that help the brand feel relevant and competitive in the market.
A brand refresh might consist of simply tweaking current assets such as color palettes, typography or the layout of your logo. This refresh does not take the company away from its original look and feel, but simply adjusts to the times.
You Might Need a Full Rebrand If...
A full rebrand may be necessary when there is a larger shift in the organization.
Has the company changed dramatically since the original identity was created? Has there been a name change? Maybe new products or services are now offered? Did a merger take place?
If any of this has happened, a full rebrand can demonstrate that your business is set on a new path. This full rebrand will show your new direction, vision, mission and values, all while forming a completely new brand identity.
STEP 2: Creating Your New Brand Identity
Before any creative meetings take place to discuss colors, typefaces, visuals, and so on, your company’s brand needs to sit on a solid foundation. You should have your brand compass locked in so you know why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Every element of your logo should represent the company to its core. The colors chosen represent the emotion you want your target customer to feel; the typeface used should represent the personality of your company; and the overall visuals represent the values and morals of the company.
So, you want to make sure you have all of these fundamental questions about your audience and your brand answered before a design team gets started.
To help you define your purpose and give you a foundation for your brand, you might find it useful to use a brand compass.
A brand compass includes the five core insights behind the decisions a company makes. It represents where your brand is going and why.
- Purpose: The reason your company exists, other than making a profit. A purpose is the
“Why” behind each decision you make. - Vision Statement: The end result of where you want your company to be. According to Ignyte Brands, “Think of your vision as an inspirational story your brand’s leader would tell to rally the troops.”
- Mission Statement: This is your brand’s roadmap. It can help you achieve your vision by outlining what you’re going to do, how you’re going to do it, whom you’re doing it for, and the values you’ll follow to get there.
- Brand Values: The principles your company’s culture is founded on. They outline the moral and ethical perspectives you follow in each aspect of your business.
- Strategic Objectives: Your brand’s business goals should be “tangible milestones you plan to achieve. Strategic objectives should be ambitious, and function as a beacon for the stages of growth on your road to success.”
Once your brand compass is defined, the design process can begin.
STEP 3: Your Rebranding Checklist
This stage is where the implementation of your new brand identity begins. It’s a common mistake to only update a company’s logo on primary brand channels such as the website and social media channels. Rebranding is a complex process, so we created a checklist of branded pieces that you should consider updating when implementing your new brand identity, from print to digital.
Some items to consider include:
- Letterhead
- Signage
- Company email templates
- Collateral like brochures and flyers
- Vehicle wraps
Click here to download the full checklist of the items you need to update during a rebrand.
BONUS STEP: Communicate the Change
A rebrand isn’t an easy switch, and it doesn’t happen overnight. One of the most important steps to making sure your new brand identity is received well is to clearly communicate these changes before, during, and after the new brand is rolled out.
Be open with about why a new brand identity was needed, what the changes were and why, and what the business stands for (refer back to the brand compass). Make sure your team members and employees have been informed and are fully aware of the changes before communicating with an external audience.
A good way to communicate this with your external audience is through blog posts or even a press release. You can then share these resources through newsletters and on your social media to keep people informed of the changes. Don’t be afraid to share information consistently about your new brand, especially on social channels, so that people can build brand recognition and understanding.
Another great idea is to add some hype around the grand reveal by hinting at this “big reveal” through social media and newsletters. Let your clients and customers anticipate that something new is coming, get them excited as well.
Lastly, don’t forget to assure clients and customers about your relationship with them moving forward. Sometimes when a large change happens, clients and customers may feel concerned about how their relationship with you may change, moving forward. It’s important to let them know the elements they love about your business still remain.
Learn More About Brand Development
A great brand should engage your customers, rally your employees and show your passion for what you do.
Learn more about the custom brand development process we follow to ensure your brand represents the best of your company and shows off what makes your company uniquely you.
