In today’s edition of ‘Tips from the Experts’, we asked three business professionals to share their top 5 tips on how to effectively rebrand a business. Rebranding is not a new concept. But why do companies take on this often mammoth task? And what’s in it for them? Businesses may decide to rebrand their business for a number of reasons; from rebranding due to an acquisition or the introduction of a new product or service, to reinventing the company’s identity and messaging in response to significant changes within the business or to better stand out in the market. Whatever the reason, it’s important to manage the rebranding process effectively and communicate your new identity to your stakeholders and customers in a clear and consistent way. Here’s what a few industry experts have to say about the process of rebranding.
Ian Cowley, Managing Director at cartridgesave.co.uk
1. Try New Things.
It’s hard to find a marketplace that isn’t crowded anymore, so you have to try to stand out from the competition and be remembered by customers. Our intention was to create a ‘face’ for the company so that people would remember us – and ‘Dave the Badger’ was born. He was a friendly cartoon character who added humour and personality to our brand in what could be considered a purely functional marketplace of printer cartridges.
2. Embrace Failure and Learn from it.
Dave didn’t last, but it was a vital learning curve. He wasn’t important to our customers and in pouring our energies into creating him, we lost sight of what the customers wanted: excellent service, fast delivery and, of course, the best possible prices.
3.Operate by your Core Values.
Our brand still has personality, but now it shines from the inside out. Our in-house culture is structured around a series of core values that can be summed up in one line: make it easy for the customer. These values permeate all we do, so that means the entire team is united and decision making is easy.
4. Know the Goal of your Branding.
It’s important to consider the end goal when using a support tool – such as PR – to boost your brand. Your branding should extend service reach and drive sales. A lot of companies invest in securing profile coverage of the guys at the top, but this doesn’t do a lot for your brand if your customers are the general public.
5. Don’t Force It.
You don’t need to conjure up a personality for your brand, even if it’s in an unsexy retail market. It might be important if your brand is aspirational and it needs to fit into a particular lifestyle you want to promote. If your company provides what customers need, rather than want, then prices and service are more important than personality.
Chris Lishman, Marketing Executive at CIA Fire & Security Ltd.
1. Understand the Reason for the Rebrand
Whether you are rebranding due to an acquisition or whether it’s just time for a change, you need to be clear about why you are rebranding and what you aim to get out of it. A rebrand without purpose or direction can do more harm than good.
2. Planning
Planning is key. A rebrand is a massive task to undertake, even for the smallest of companies, and without meticulous planning it can very quickly go wrong. Ensure you prioritise the workload and provide timescales to be adhered to.
3. Embrace Change
One of the hardest parts of a rebrand is the changes being made, especially if you are an established company. A rebrand brings about many changes; it’s not just the logo and brand colours that change (although this is usually the biggest change). Allow the creative team some freedom. Provide them with a detailed brief based on your vision, but allow them the freedom to do what they do best; you may be surprised by the results they produce when given artistic license.
4. Create Brand Ambassadors within Your Organisation
A rebrand has a tendency to focus on the external stakeholders of a company (and rightfully so, they are one of the main reasons your company exists). But you also have to think about those inside your company. Your internal stakeholders can be your biggest brand advocates’, especially when generating new business. Make sure they are on board, and that they understand why you are rebranding and the direction the company is going.
5. Communication
Ensure you are communicating with the correct people regularly. Lead the discussion, especially when it comes to your existing customers. Make sure they don’t discover your new look themselves; spread the word through newsletters, social media accounts and blog posts.
Katie Leedham, Designer and Director at creative-roar
1. Ask why.
First off, ask yourself – why are we rebranding? Are you a new start up? Is it to reposition your brand alongside competitors? Or has your business developed, new staff? New services? Confirming this is the first step to ensuring that the rebrand is fantastic!
2. Look from a customer’s perspective.
Look in depth at your target audience. Who are they, what do they like and what are their views? This will help you to decipher who you’re targeting, what message you want to portray and your business values and beliefs. Colours, font styles and strap lines can determine how your brand is perceived by the customer.
3. Consider the brand experience as a whole.
Think about the whole experience of your brand, from the moment you pick up the phone to the minute the freshly printed brochure lands on your potential customer’s desks.
4. Consistency is key!
Inconsistent branding and marketing material can look sloppy and unprofessional, make sure you have a consistent flow from one piece of marketing material to the next. If you’re unsure, ask your designer for a set of brand guidelines to ensure there is a go to guide for how to use your brand.
5. Promote, inform and impress.
Your brand has been lovingly crafted and you now have beautifully designed marketing, freshly printed literature and a new website, but now what? Think outside the box and look for ways to promote your brand, like with a handwritten letter, a launch party and PR articles to inform existing customers and impress potential new ones!
Thanks to all our contributors for their valuable advice. For more expert tips be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.