Rebranding? Avoid these three (big) no-nos.
Building, maintaining and sharing a strong brand is an essential part of successful marketing and a successful business. As the world changes, a business’ offering, target market, or outlook might also change and, in order to ensure relevance, a rebrand might be necessary.
A change in leadership, new customers, a shifting consumer landscape, a merger with another entity... whatever drives the need for a rebrand, this is an exercise to be undertaken with care and consideration if it is to work in honouring the history of a business while propelling it into the future.
There are many ways to tackle a rebrand and we believe it’s best to do so with the help of an expert team who can guide stakeholders in a strategic process that both evaluates and suggests powerful, necessary changes for every part of the brand process. There are also some key marketing mistakes that should be avoided when undertaking a rebrand – here’s a ‘big three’ list worth noting.
Time for a rebrand and need an expert helping hand?
Three rebranding don’ts
1. Don’t focus solely on your logo
Your logo is part of your brand – one of the most important visual elements – but it’s not your brand in its entirety. Giving your logo a facelift is a good move aesthetically but in order for it to be part of a true rebranding exercise, it needs to be part of a bigger process that is aimed at shifting perceptions and advancing your business goals across your organisation.
2. Don’t limit your rebrand to the internal marketing team
To be truly impactful, a rebrand needs to involve every part of your business, starting with buy-in from the top levels of management. The most successful rebrands are led by CEOs and executives who believe in the move and filter that belief down to their employees. While the Marketing department will be in charge of managing the rebranding process, active input from other strategic parts of the business are required to ensure that true transformation happens. The same goes for keeping it all in-house. Sometimes external, expert help is required to make a rebrand work as it should. Keeping things inward-focused can result in a myopic culture where the rebrand only makes sense to those involved in its development. Insights from outside sources like valued customers and expert marketing consultants can go a long way to making a rebrand a successful reality.
3. Don’t forget to broadcast your news
A rebrand will have little impact (and maybe even some negative fallout) if it’s not properly communicated, talked about, and shared with all stakeholders, from employees to customers. A rebrand cannot be launched once-off or shared in just one way. It needs to be clearly and consistently communicated in ways that allow it to be understood and shared (and therefore accepted) by others. Get the message to where it needs to be through a choice of strategic channels, including internal communication campaigns, social media campaigns, client awareness exercises, and engagement initiatives. Be loud and proud but also strategic and focused.
Want to rebrand but not sure where to start? Or know what you want but need a strategic marketing partner to help you get the best results? Talk to us! As digital marketing experts with specialities from design to communications, we can help ensure your rebrand is aligned to your business strategy and that it has the desired impact internally and in the marketplace. Remember - branding, rebranding, and brand communication are all critical aspects of business success and we can help you in every important way, from a properly aligned logo to a marketing campaign designed to share what you want with the audience that matters most.