In metaphorical terms, a rebrand is an effort to reevaluate and reenergize the core of your business. It’s the opportunity to take a step back, look at the way you’re doing things and figure out how you can upgrade and improve.
There are various reasons for a rebrand: to evolve, to challenge constraints, to avert crisis, etc. However, whatever the reason for rebrand, it’s important to remember that ultimately it should be a strategic process, backed by research and insights, with the goal of achieving your business goals by addressing the reasons for your rebrand.
In this article, we will explore possible reasons for a rebrand, how it benefits your business, and how to identify if your business needs a rebrand. Additionally, we will guide you through a stepwise instruction manual of the rebranding process and cite some examples of successful rebrands.
What is a Rebrand?
According to the Economic Times, rebranding is a marketing strategy that businesses use to reIt may involve keeping certain elements of the brand intact, while updating others—maybe keeping the same mission statement, but freshening up the logo and tagline—or maybe completely revamping your visuals, values and story—allowing you to stand out from the crowd in a major way.vamp and reinvent their identity and corporate image. It can involve changes in product, logo design, packaging, or even the company mission. A rebrand is a strategic process that requires careful consideration of the current brand and its goals, as well as research and insights into connecting with the target audience.
Types of rebranding
Rebranding provides multiple benefits for companies looking to stay competitive in their industry. Depending on the approach and, of course, the reasons, rebranding can of two types: Proactive and Reactive. As their name suggests, the type of rebrand depends on the initiative taken by the business in question: whether in an effort to achieve something or in response to something.
Reason:
Proactive rebranding
Source: az.design
When the goal is to rebrand with intention and confidence, proactive rebranding brands voluntarily choose to redefine their purpose, modernize their look, or seek a new market through comprehensive research and a strategic plan
Picture Here
Reactive rebranding
Source: economist
Often as a result of a crisis (such as negative press), changes in the industry landscape, or shifts in customer needs, reactive rebranding allows companies to react quickly, redirect messaging, and/or boost brand credibility and trust.
Process:
Brand refresh:
From modernizing the visual identity to aligning the company’s mission, values, vision, and message, brand refreshes are carried out with prior planning and research, often requiring evaluating customer feedback, surveying competitors, changing your approach to operations, and getting internal buy-ins.
Partial rebrand:
Through a partial rebrand, you are able to refresh some elements of the brand without having to go through the whole process. This can be as small and simple as updating your logo or website design and changing your messaging or something more in-depth like revamping your mission statement, values, or brand story.
Total rebrand:
Arising from a foundational need to redefine the company’s image and make it more relevant to its target audience, a total rebrand is a comprehensive overhaul of your entire brand.
For some companies, it may become necessary as they transition from one industry or product line to another, while for others it may simply be time for a refresh that will help keep them competitive in their current field.
When do you rebrand?
There is such a thing as the right or wrong reason for a rebrand. If your sales are low or you are not seeing the results you expect, a rebrand might not be the only solution.
Market repositioning:
A market reposition is a viable solution when your brand needs or chooses to approach a new audience. The state of the market now requires that most professional services have a compelling reason to attract their target audience and strong differentiators that identifies them from the crowd of their competitors. A market reposition to target a fresh consumer profile might be the solution to get the attention of your audience, and you might have to rebrand to enable you to do that.
Company mergers:
Company mergers or acquisitions often necessitate a rebranding. This is because the newly formed entity will need to market the new corporate identity and create a unified brand experience that appeals to their target audience. It makes sense to go for a rebrand in this case, as it will help you create an identity that your customers can easily recognize and connect with.
Change in location:
Customs, culture, lifestyle, and language can all influence consumer perceptions. An effective rebranding will help you create a new look and feel that reflects the change of environment, while still conveying the values of your business. It’s also important for international businesses who are entering a local market because it allows them to create a sense of familiarity and trust with their new customers.
Change in ownership or leadership
A change in ownership or leadership is often followed by a rebrand to emphasize the transition and change. This is a great opportunity to rethink your brand identity and create something that stands out in the market, allowing you to differentiate yourself from competitors. It also helps to get customers on board with the change, showcasing your commitment to growth and progress.
New Philosophy
Your brand values normally permeate through all decisions and activities taken with regards to the brand. However, the moment this ceases to be true then, and your mission, vision, and values are directing your business in a different direction, then your brand needs to be rethought.
Relevancy
Sometimes, all you need is a little makeover to boost the image of your brand and its products or services. A few strategic tweaks such as changing up the visuals, updating copy and content, refreshing color palettes, and modernizing logos can be enough to give your brand a cool and current vibe and catch the eye and attention of the audience you are targeting.
Negative publicity or public scandal
Public scandals, controversies surrounding products, or even data leaks can also be addressed with a rebrand. If your company’s reputation has been damaged in the eyes of customers, acting swiftly and decisively by cleaning up your image and starting with an urgent relaunch and reintroduction of your brand might help showcase your determination and active effort to change, which might win back the trust of your audience.
Perks of Rebranding
Improved brand recognition and perception:
Rebranding helps you create a brand new identity and in essence affords another chance for you to connect or reconnect with your target audience. An alternate approach to gain your audience’s attention might in effect create a different and fresh perception of your brand or product.
You can incorporate and respond to more customer feedback and incorporate this into the creation of your new brand identity, which in turn can help improve customer loyalty and satisfaction.
Improved SERP Ranking:
Revamping your branding also gives you a chance to inject new life into your web presence and website. More content, better on-page SEO, updated design features can all result in an improved SERP ranking, which will broaden the reach of your brand.
A greater audience, visibility, and presence on social media platforms could also be a direct result of your rebranding efforts, helping to give you the edge over competitors.
New Audience:
The process of rebranding can also help to attract new audiences that you may never have been able to reach before. A new identity will give your current and potential customers the chance to see your business in an entirely different light, giving it the opportunity to appeal to a fresh set of eyes.
More often than not you ‘ll find that a rebranding can open up new possibilities for your company, and by tapping into the potential of new markets – you could be looking at increased awareness and revenue.
Commanding new price bracket:
Rebranding isn’t always just about getting a facelift, it can be used to signify that your business is offering something extra. Adopting the right approach to rebranding could see you move up into a higher price bracket, giving you more opportunities to increase profits and gain even more customers in the process.
Rebranding can be a great way to ensure your business is seen as modern and forward-thinking – giving customers more reasons to do business with you, and sometimes pay more for the privilege. With the right rebrand, you could be looking at a whole new level of success. So don’t be afraid to take your business to the next level – it could be worth its weight in gold!
How to rebrand?
Reason
A rebrand starts with the reason. It determines the extent, type, and process of rebranding. Evaluating the following elements is a vital step in beginning the rebranding process.
Identifying problems:
Based on the purpose of your rebrand, you need to start from the bottom up and identify what is working and what is not with the brand you already have. Auditing every aspect of your brand, from positioning and messaging all the way to your brand guidelines has to be put under the scanner and analyzed. The following elements of your brand need to evaluated:
- Name and slogan.
- Logo, color palette, and typography.
- Positioning, voice, marketing campaigns, partnerships, and social media presence.
- Content creation, web and app design, and in-store decor.
Rethinking:
- Mission: This defines the purpose of your company. Especially for a total rebrand, this is the first element that you have to rethink as it is determined by your audience, products or services, and even your location.
- Vision: Your company’s vision determines your brand direction. Unlike your mission, which is mostly called into question in case of a total rebrand, your vision needs to be re-evaluated even in case of a partial rebrand as it dictates the direction your brand needs to take henceforth and hovers over all brand decisions as well.
- Values: Your values encompass your reason. The reason for your vision and why you are on the mission that you are. Values are subject to societal trends and shifts in thoughts and decision-making.
- Requirements: Rebranding should begin with a clear definition of what the new brand will require. This should include, amongst other things, the study of market trends, customer feedback and competitor analysis. A
- Expectations: Based on the requirements, there are certain expectations that the rebranding should meet. These include those set by the individual, owners, board and shareholders, and even the customers. Expectations from the benchmark for evaluating the success of the rebranding and help to determine whether it was worth the effort.
Audience
Research and identify market and audience:
Before you start the rebranding process, it’s important to understand who your target audience is and how they interact with your brand. Conduct extensive research on the market, competitors and customer feedback so that you can determine what needs to be changed in order to meet their expectations.
At every step of the way, evaluate how the rebranding is resonating with your audience. Are they responding positively? Is it making an impact on the market or customer base? If not, make adjustments accordingly to ensure that your rebrand will be successful. Focus groups, market surveys and A/B testing can be valuable tools in the rebranding process.
Analyzing competition
Looking at what others are doing can also provide great insights on the elements they are using that you may want to consider incorporating into your rebranding process. You can learn from your competitors on what not to do as well. Keeping up with the competition is always important for staying ahead of the game, and that’s especially true when you’re rebranding a business.
That being said, differentiating yourself from the competitors is just as important. Make sure that your rebranding showcases the unique qualities and features of your company, so customers can easily recognize why you’re the best choice for them. For this, you need to study and understand the competition. Their approach, products, and overall strategy should give you an idea of what works and what doesn’t.
Rethink approach to target audience:
The most successful rebranding efforts are those that focus on the customers. Make sure your new look appeals to them and resonates with their unique needs, wants, and values. Social media campaigns, experimental product packaging designs, focus groups, surveys, and analyzing that data help you ascertain what your audience wants, expects, can relate to, and even what they don’t know they need. With this information, you can create a brand identity that stands out and grabs attention.
Positioning and Message to develop brand strategy:
The clarity in positioning is key to making sure your messaging strategy resonates with your target audience. Using this, you can determine and create a brand voice that speaks to the needs and preferences of your target customers while at the same time projecting the values, personality and benefits associated with your rebrand.
Develop a message that communicates your value to customers, making sure you are consistent across all channels of communication, including social media, print ads, website copy, and more. This will, in time, evolve into an instantly recognizable brand voice that stands out from the crowd and helps you differentiate your business, even from your previous identity.
Rethink Presence
Website:
In today’s world, the website is the heart of a business’s online presence. A great website serves as the hub of all your brand messaging, and should be updated to reflect the latest changes in branding. Make sure that every element on your site is firing on all cylinders, from font choices to striking imagery.
Any rebranding plan has to have its foundations in a well-crafted website. That means easy navigation, beautiful design, and content that resonates with visitors.
Social Media Strategies:
Social media is the perfect place to showcase your brand identity and engage with potential customers. Develop an editorial calendar for each of your social platforms, including relevant content that resonates with your identified audience. Strategically use visuals, videos, copywriting, and other branded elements to create a cohesive and consistent presence.
Marketing collateral:
When relaunching your brand, you want to make sure that all of your marketing materials are up to date and in line with the look and feel of the rebrand. From business cards, flyers, brochures, ads – all materials should be redesigned to reflect the new branding effort. Keep the messaging unified across all platforms and make sure each piece of collateral effectively tells your story. And don’t forget to include a witty element here and there – a bit of humor can go a long way when trying to get your message across!
Establishing brand identity:
Now that you have done all your planning and strategizing, its time to put it all together and define your a unique brand identity. Creating strong visuals such as logos, fonts, colors, and other elements to help reinforce the message you’re trying to convey.
- Brand name: The risks here are great, including loss of brand recognition and organic traffic, so a plan of recovery is mandatory in such a case. The same goes for taglines as well, although they are less riskier to revamp than the brand name.
- Brand logo: Make sure to choose a logo design that resonates with your target market and the values you’re trying to communicate. Sticking to a simple design that offers a fresh look yet incorporates elements from the old design helps with brand recognition.
- Brand colors: Select colors that help convey your story and evoke the right emotions in your target market. Additionally, make sure they are properly integrated into all communication and marketing materials.
Track brand sentiment:
Tracking brand sentiment is a great way to understand how your target audience is responding to your rebrand and its message. Utilizing tools like surveys, interviews, and focus groups can help you gauge the public’s opinion of your brand and make changes if necessary.
With the right tools, tracking and responding to customer feedback is an invaluable part of staying connected with your target audience. Understanding what they think and feel about your rebranding efforts can help you make necessary adjustments and address any potential issues before they become a bigger problem.
Rebranding examples
Pixel Street:
Pixel Street is a great example of successful brand refresh. The need for the rebrand was identified by the company’s management decided that they were not reaching the kind of audience that resonated with their brand values and goals. To do this, we created a modern logo and developed an updated website with a slick design and simplified navigation. This rebranding allowed us to reach new customers, build brand loyalty, and increase their overall sales.
AirBnB:
Source : money.cnn
Airbnb is one of the most well-known examples of successful rebranding. The need for a rebrand was identified when the company realized that their brand had become too generic and lacked a unique identity. To remedy this, they updated their logo to a more modern one, created new colors and fonts to stand out from competitors, and designed promotional campaigns that highlighted the user experience. As a result of this rebranding, Airbnb has become an industry leader and a household name.
Uber:
Source : officechai
Uber also took a successful approach to rebranding. After gaining immense popularity, the company noticed that their logo was being heavily imitated and their colors hadn’t aged well. To fix this, they opted for a modern and iconic look with bold colors and sleek typefaces. Additionally, they launched campaigns showcasing how convenient and easy it is to use their services, further boosting their visibility. As a result of this rebranding, Uber is now synonymous with ride-sharing and has become one of the most recognizable companies in the world.
Conclusion
Rebranding can be a daunting task, especially for small businesses. However, if carefully planned and executed well, rebranding can bring your business to the next level and attract a new audience. From changing up your logo to updating your website’s content or even just being an active member of online forums, there are plenty of ways to ensure that you successfully rebrand your business.
With the right strategy and a little bit of creativity, you’ll be ready to introduce your new brand to the world in no time! Just remember: it all comes down to understanding who you’re targeting, how they think, and what resonates with them. Good luck!
