Launching a brand with impact

Rebrands and brand updates have become a common occurrence in today’s fast-paced business landscape. Rationale Creative Director, Paul Saag, outlines how to launch a brand with impact by engaging your internal team.

Brand updates are essential for keeping up with evolving market trends and staying relevant to customers. However, a successful brand transformation isn’t just about changing logos and colours; it’s about cultivating a deep purpose for internal and external audiences. Educating your team on the new brand is crucial to ensure consistent messaging, better customer engagement and a seamless transition. Read on for strategies you can develop to involve your team for a successful rebrand.

Leadership buy-in

Before embarking on any brand transformation journey, secure buy-in from your stakeholders. When leaders are enthusiastic about the change, it makes it much easier for the team to get onboard. Communicate the reasons behind the rebrand, the benefits it will bring, and the long-term vision. This will help create a sense of purpose and urgency for the team to embrace the new brand.

Encourage ownership and input

Involve your team throughout the branding process. Encourage them to provide feedback, suggestions, and ideas. This involvement fosters a sense of ownership and makes them feel valued, ultimately increasing their commitment to understanding and adopting the new brand.

Develop clear brand guidelines

Create comprehensive brand guidelines that cover every aspect of the new brand. Clear guidelines ensure that every team member understands how to correctly represent the brand in their communications and interactions.

List of elements you could feature in brand guidelines:

• Logo
• Colour palette
• Typography
• Iconography
• Photography style
• Illustration style
• Sonic branding
• Design system
• Tone of voice guidelines
• Brand in motion guidelines

Brand breakfasts

Host workshops and training sessions to introduce the new brand to your team. These sessions can cover the rationale behind the rebrand, the strategy behind the new identity, and how it aligns with the company’s values and goals. Create sessions that are interactive by encouraging questions and discussions to ensure everyone grasps the nuances of the new brand. You may need to run a number of brand immersion sessions with different teams or individuals, and tailor them to be relevant to their needs and uses.

Showcase real-life examples

Share real-life examples of the new brand in action. This could include mock or real documents, advertisements, social media posts, and other marketing materials. By seeing the brand applied in various contexts, team members will better understand how to use it consistently across different channels. This is a great opportunity to stress test the brand and make any tweaks it requires.

Provide resources and assets

Equip your team with the necessary resources and materials to help them consistently apply the new brand. This includes access to the updated brand guidelines, templates for presentations, emails, and any other collateral. Easy access to these resources will save time and ensure uniformity in brand expression and representation.

Online brand management platforms:
Frontify
Corebook
Bynder

Continuous learning and adaptation

A brand’s evolution doesn’t stop after the initial transition. Encourage ongoing learning and adaptation. Keep the team updated on any tweaks or refinements to the brand guidelines. Hosting brand guidelines and assets on an online platform allows updates to be shared instantly, making sure no one is using old versions. 

Conclusion

Successfully embedding a new brand with your team requires careful planning, communication and a collaborative approach. By involving your team in the rebranding process and providing them with the tools and knowledge they need, you’ll foster a sense of unity and enthusiasm around the new brand. Remember, a well-informed and engaged team is crucial for the long-term success of any brand transformation.