Is it time to rebrand your business?

I am a brand identity designer but just because I love my job I promise you: I would not recommend a rebrand of your business unless it needs it.

​Times change, consumer interests change, culture changes, businesses change, and sometimes a brand needs to change too. 

I will list a few reasons to consider a rebrand below, but before I dive in I’d like to remind you that the key to effective branding is that you must be what your brand says you are. Just rebranding your business without redefining what your business is about, is not going to work.

Ok here goes. 6 reasons to rebrand your business. 

Your Brand Identity looks old, and not in a classic way.
If the look and feel of your brand is stale and you’re embarrassed to have people checking out your website, well, a rebrand is what you need. Take note of the difference between an old logo and an outdated logo, though. Is it classic, or just old-fashioned? If you have a well-established brand, you need to do a proper audience research before recreating a brand new identity. It might be just a subtle adjustment to your old brand that is needed, to make it work harder in 2021.

Your brand identity looks rather similar to your competitors.
This is surprisingly common because there are tons of subliminal “rules” as to what we think something should look like. Yes, your brand identity must represent your business and be easily identified with your industry. However, if it has become a “me too” version of your competitor a rebrand might be the only way to claim your space and steal the spotlight. Bring on differentiation. Bring on originality. Find that spark of novelty that makes you special. 

Your business is looking to attract a new group of people.
People want to align themselves with brands whose values they share. Your brand should always speak to the people you are trying to reach, and if your branding is not primed to help you connect with the target audience you are after, then a rebrand may be what’s needed. If you plan to grow internationally, it’s incredibly important to choose a brand name that’s adaptable and appealing to cultures worldwide. Your rebrand should enhance your brand identity in a way that appeals to both your existing customers and to the new market you are hoping to attract. 

Your customers have started to look elsewhere. 
Nothing lasts forever, and as time moves on and more competitors move into your market, it’s not unusual to find that customer engagement starts to wane. If your business has lost touch with what is important to your target audience, well then rebranding can transform the fate of your ailing and failing business and make it relevant, wanted and understood again. Believe in your business. Embrace the vision of your brand. The more committed you are to the company’s view of the world, the more people will believe in your brand.

Your business has evolved and your branding is not as relevant as it once was.
As a business grows it usually develops or acquire various products and services. A new business might start off as one thing, but over the course of time it could have transformed into something else. This organic brand growth can often result in an overly complicated, complex and confused brand clutter. If your products or services fit naturally with one another you should consider creating sub-brands so that all your products and services are under the same umbrella. However, if the products or services don’t fit into the existing brand, you might have to start from scratch.

Your business has merged or acquired.
The way your business is perceived by those it serves should always align with the way it operates behind the scenes. If your business was acquired or is joining with another business, then two independent brands come together. One of these brands might be stronger than the other, and all involved might agree to “ditch” the weakest brand. However, if the two brands are equals it makes sense to do a rebrand to combine the two.

There are other reasons why businesses chose to rebrand. New management who wants to make their mark, the need to cover up for bad press, or perhaps you’re simply bored of your own logo because you see it every day. Well, unless this new manager has changed the whole business model there’s no need to rebrand. And your target audience, well they are smarter than you think and would see through a cosmetic cover up. And finally, your customers do not see your brand logo all that often. At all. 
​
The key to a successful rebrand is in identifying a core story that expresses the brand’s connection to its audience. Why are you important in the eyes of your target customers? How do you tell that story? If you have done this well, chances are that your brand will last you for a long time.