Are you considering rebranding your business? If so, you’re not alone. In today’s competitive business environment, it’s important to keep your brand fresh and relevant. A successful rebranding can help you stand out from the competition and boost your bottom line. But rebranding is a big undertaking, and there are many things to consider before you start. So, where do you start? Check out this handy checklist to make sure you cover all the bases.
What is Rebranding?
Before diving into the checklist, let’s first take a step back and define rebranding. Rebranding is the process of changing the way the public perceives your business. This can include changes to your name, logo, tagline, color scheme, website, and more. Essentially, it’s a way to give your business a fresh start. When a new brand identity is successfully established, it can lead to increased sales, more customers, and overall business growth. The visual identity of your business is one of the most important aspects to consider when rebranding. Your logo, in particular, is often the first thing potential customers will see, so it’s important to accurately represent your brand.
What are the Reasons You Might Rebrand Your Business?
There are a lot of reasons you might rebrand your business. Let’s read them one by one.
The business has undergone a major change
When a business changes ownership, relocates or expands its services, it might need a new brand identity to better reflect its new mission. When a brand refresh is done well, it can show customers that the business is still the same great company they know and love, just with a new look. Even if a business hasn’t undergone any major changes, it might need a refresh after a certain amount of time to stay relevant. As a company structure, products, and target audience change over time, so should the brand identity.
The current brand identity is outdated
An outdated brand identity can make a business look old-fashioned, behind the times, and even unprofessional. If your logo or website design looks like it’s from another decade, it might be time for an update. As your target audience changes, their taste in design changes too. What was popular 10 or 20 years ago might not be today, so it’s important to keep up with the times. In the past few years, there has been a resurgence in vintage and retro design, so if your brand identity is truly outdated, you might be able to capitalize on that trend.
The current brand identity is confusing
A confusing brand identity can make it difficult for customers to understand what a business does or what it stands for. If your logo is too busy or your website is hard to navigate, it might be time for a simplification. A clear and concise brand identity will help customers understand your business and its offer. Suppose you offer multiple services. In that case, creating separate branding for each service might be helpful to avoid confusion. A rebrand can help simplify and clarify your message even if you don’t offer multiple services. Like you, your customers are busy people, and they will appreciate a brand that is easy to understand.
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Distance yourself from a negative image
If your brand has been associated with something negative in the past, it can be difficult to shake that association. Sometimes, you may need to completely rebrand your business to distance yourself from a negative image. Other times, you can simply tweak your branding strategy to ensure that people associate your brand with positive things. When a company rebrand its name and logo, it’s usually because the company wants to leave a bad image behind. Rebranding can be an excellent way to start fresh and distance yourself from any negativity associated with your brand. For example, in 2017, the largest online retailer in the world, Amazon, rebranded its logo. The new logo is much simpler than the old one and doesn’t include the company’s name.
You’ve merged with or acquired another company
If you’ve recently acquired or merged with another company, you’ll need to consider how to effectively rebrand your new business. This can be a complex and daunting task, but it’s important to take the time to do it right. As your brand identity will be the first thing customers see, you must get it right. A visual rebrand is usually the best place to start. This will involve creating a new logo, updating your website and other marketing materials, and ensuring that all touchpoints reflect your new branding. A brand positioning statement can also help articulate your new brand. When you own company A and then buy company B, you might rebrand as “A+B” or keep one of the company’s names and simply add a tagline that says “now with added B.” The key stakeholders will need to decide what the new brand name and identity will be and how to announce and roll out the changes.
You’re launching a new product or service
If you’re launching a new product or service, it’s important to ensure that your brand identity reflects this. A new product or service is a great opportunity to update your visuals and message. Take a look at your product packaging, website, and marketing materials. Are they on-brand? Do they reflect your new offering? As a new visual identity will take some time to roll out, consider using a launch campaign to create some initial excitement and awareness. Even if your current brand identity is strong, it’s still important to evaluate how well it works with your new offering.
The Rebranding Checklist: What You Need To Do To Successfully Rebrand Your Business
Now that you’ve decided to take your business in a new direction, it’s time to start thinking about how you will execute your rebrand. This is no small task – after all, your brand is the face of your business, and a successful rebrand can mean the difference between continued success and failure.
Define your goals
When rebranding, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what you’re trying to achieve. What are your goals? Are you looking to expand into new markets? Target a new demographic? Refresh your image? It’s important to be specific, as this will help you create a brand that aligns with your goals. Your rebranding efforts will be much more successful if they’re focused and targeted. Suppose you’re looking to appeal to a younger demographic. In that case, you’ll want to make sure your new branding is fresh and modern – something that will resonate with your target audience.
Research your competition
Once you know your goals, it’s time to start researching your competition. See how they’re positioning themselves in the market and look for any gaps you can exploit with rebranding. This research will also give you some ideas about what works and what doesn’t – which will be helpful as you start to develop your new brand. Your rebranding strategy should also consider any legal considerations – for example, and you may need to make sure that your new name doesn’t infringe on any existing trademarks.
Understand your target market
Your target market is the key to your rebranding strategy. You need to know who you’re targeting with your new brand to create a strategy that resonates with them. Take some time to research your target market and understand their needs and wants. This will help you determine what kind of messaging and visuals will appeal to them. Like in many cases, your target market may have changed since you started your business, so it’s important to update your research. Your marketing channels may also have changed, so you’ll need to determine where your target market is spending their time and how you can reach them.
Develop a brand strategy
Today’s consumers are bombarded with marketing messages from all sides, so it’s important to have a clear and concise brand strategy. What is your brand’s mission? What values does it stand for? How do you want your target market to perceive your brand? Answering these questions will help you develop a strong foundation for rebranding efforts. From there, you can start to develop your messaging and visual identity.
Create a new logo and visual identity
If you want to rebrand your business, one of the first things you need to do is create a new logo and visual identity. This will help you communicate your new brand message and positioning to your target audience. You can work with a professional designer to create a new logo or use a DIY logo maker like Canva. As a company’s lifeblood, the logo is one of the key pillars in a rebranding strategy—get it right, and everything else will follow. Ensure your new logo is simple, memorable, and aligned with your brand’s positioning. If you’re unsure where to start, check out our guide to creating a logo.
Update your website
Your website is one of the most important touchpoints for your brand, so it’s important to ensure it’s up to date with your new look and feel. This means more than just changing your logo – look at the overall design, messaging, and user experience to ensure it is aligned with your new brand identity. You may even want to consider a complete redesign. Start by making a list of all the changes you need to make, then create a timeline and budget for implementing them.
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Refresh your social media accounts
Social media is a powerful marketing tool and should be a key part of your rebranding strategy. Make sure your profiles reflect your new branding, including your logo, colors, and messaging. You may even want to change your username to match your new brand identity. You should also update your cover and profile pictures and create new visuals that reflect your new branding. If you have a large social media following, you may want to consider running a social media campaign to announce your rebranding.
Train your employees on the new brand
Many businesses make the mistake of thinking that once they have updated their branding, everyone will automatically fall in line and start using the new materials. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Just because you have a new logo doesn’t mean your employees will know the guidelines or how to use it correctly.
You must ensure you have a plan to train your employees on the new brand. This can be done through various methods such as an internal launch event, webinars, or even just sending out detailed emails. The most important thing is communicating the changes and ensuring everyone is on the same page.
If you have franchise locations, it’s also important to ensure they are updated on the changes and have the new branding materials they need.
Evaluate the results of your rebrand
After putting all the pieces in place, it’s important to take a step back and see how your rebrand has been received. This can be done through various methods such as online surveys, focus groups, or even informally talking to customers and employees.
Pay attention to the positive and negative feedback you receive and use it to make adjustments as needed. It’s also important to keep an eye on your overall sales and brand awareness metrics to see if there has been any change since the rebrand.
Have a plan for ongoing brand maintenance
Once you’ve completed a rebrand, it’s important to have a plan in place for ongoing brand maintenance. This includes periodically reviewing your brand guidelines, updating your website and marketing materials, and keeping an eye on how your brand is being used internally.
By having a plan for ongoing brand maintenance, you can keep your rebranding efforts top of mind and ensure that your brand remains consistent over time. No matter how big or small your business is, a successful rebrand can be a game changer. By following the steps in this checklist, you’ll be on your way to a successful rebrand that will help take your business to the next level.
Final Words on Our Rebranding Checklist
Rebranding can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. By following the steps in this checklist, you can ensure that your rebrand is successful and that your business can reach its full potential. With the rebranding, not only a company’s life but also its livelihood is at stake. So, make sure to take your time, do your research, and consult with experts when necessary. Good luck!
Note that sometimes, a simple rebrand won’t work and you might need to go deeper and actually conduct a full product repositioning. If you take the time to plan and execute your rebrand correctly, you’ll be able to see a positive impact on your business in no time. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your rebrand today!
Growth Hackers is an award-winning digital growth agency helping businesses from all over the world grow. There is no fluff with Growth Hackers. We help entrepreneurs and business owners rebrand their business successfully, increase their productivity, generate qualified leads, optimize their conversion rate, gather and analyze data analytics, acquire and retain users and increase sales. We go further than brand awareness and exposure. We make sure that the strategies we implement move the needle so your business grow, strive and succeed. If you too want your business to reach new heights, contact Growth Hackers today so we can discuss about your brand and create a custom growth plan for you. You’re just one click away to skyrocket your business.
