Branding is storytelling. This story plays a crucial role in how your company is perceived and engages with its customers, clients and staff.
From outdated content and messaging that has lost its timeliness, to repositioning and connecting with new audiences, there are a number of reasons why organisations consider rebranding:
- Your product offering has changed. This requires updated brand messaging and visuals to support this movement.
- Your target audience has shifted, which means a change in approach is needed to appeal to new customers.
- Your current brand is outdated and needs to be refreshed.
- You need to move on from a crisis and regain trust and credibility.
- Your organisation has redefined its mission and/or values.
- You are in a merger or acquisition and need to communicate this new connection.
It’s easy to get stuck when rebranding but delaying can make competition more fierce as your competitors continue to connect with their customers and build trust and loyalty.
Customer preferences change quickly, and you don’t want to be left behind, which is why rebranding can help you to adapt and stay current.
Reasons to rebrand
Create connection
A thoughtful brand has the power to generate emotional connections through inspiring campaigns or informative content. Think about Apple and their ‘Accessibility | The Greatest’ campaign. The ad demonstrates how Apple’s tech makes the world more accessible for disabled people and shows they are committed to an inclusive world for all. This kind of storytelling and brand work is key to building trust, recognition, and loyalty. No wonder their customers keep returning to them again and again.
Elevate your price point
Strong brands also increase the perceived value of a product or service. Look at Spotify. They started with a free service and ads, which has allowed them to tailor their premium service with an enhanced UX, UI and visual brand. Now, their curated playlists from experts and celebrities engage users further and their annual wrapped campaign has elevated the brand to a household name and pushed them to the top of their industry. Proving that well-curated, engaging and personalised content encourages customers to pay a premium.
Inspire your team
Internally, a brand that resonates inspires team loyalty. A well-thought out, purpose-driven brand builds confidence in your mission, making it easier to get your team moving in the same direction. Sharing your vision with your employees also boosts morale. Not to mention, having a creative and innovative brand aids recruitment and talent retention.
Getting started with your rebrand
Think about your why
A rebrand requires a strategic approach. You need to consider the potential benefits and risks. Before starting the process, you need to think about why you’re rebranding. Finding your why will inform how you answer other important questions including: What do you want to achieve? Who are you speaking to? What do you want to say to them? Where will you speak to them? How will you speak to them?
Do a brand audit
Ahead of any brand work, it’s important to audit branded assets and document all the areas your brand touches. This clarifies the size and potential expense of the rebrand, which can mount up quickly. When you’ve finished your audit, you can start to consider whether or not you’ll need to install new signage at all locations, adapt your website, or reprint your stationery, collateral, and even uniforms! This can be daunting, but it’s important to remember a successful rebrand will pay off in spades if approached with thought and consideration.
Dive in and discover a new direction
If you’re ready to rebrand, it’s time to facilitate a brand proposition session. This essential deep dive pin-points whitespace and new audiences for your brand to target. It allows you to benchmark against your competitors and think about how you can stand out. Brand proposition sessions are also a great way to bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the table. They allow your team to make a deeper connection to your brand and support your vision.
Brand Proposition: Competitor Analysis, a great way to find your whitespace
Don’t forget your stakeholders
Stakeholders shouldn’t be forgotten or left out of your rebrand. Their insight helps to guide the process. Identify your key stakeholders and invite them to share their views before holding your brand proposition workshop (or invite them along to take part). Your stakeholders are crucial to the roll out process, as they create buy-in to your rebrand. They also aid implementation from the top down, an essential commitment on the long journey to launching a new brand.
Rebranding is a chance to innovate
Rebranding is a great opportunity to bring innovation to your company. From updating your assets and visual identity, to reassessing day-to-day operations, you should use this time to evaluate where your company is at and plan for the future.
A rebrand allows you to seek out new solutions and improve your company. This can include something like shifting from desktop orientated PDF brand guidelines to an online hosted equivalent working across all devices and downloadable assets. Or it could inspire you to create new processes and frameworks to make your company more inclusive.
Reap the benefits
The rebranding process is a chance for growth and change, and, if approached wisely, the rewards are endless. The process is an opportunity to share your story or create change. A successful rebrand opens your company up to new customers and clients by helping you to stand out against the crowd and become an industry leader.
Rationale works with organisations to define, articulate and amplify their brands. From engaging discovery workshops, to narrative and visual identity development, we create content that brings a brand to life. Get in touch to find out how we can support you at hello@wearerationale.com
