Know it’s time to update your brand, but feeling a bit attached to the current one?
Or concerned about disconnecting from your customers?
Us “branding people” love to harp on about fresh brands, evolving bands and dusting off legacy brands, but this gung-ho enthusiasm to go nuts with a whole new look, can also make business owners nervous about what they might lose in the process.
So how do you go about giving your company’s brand the lift it needs: to stay current, appear innovative and upbeat, without losing the equity and trust that your customers might have with the current brand?
To help you enter into this process full of excitement and not trepidation about what you’ll lose…here’s a few pointers to get you started.
Don’t assume – get out there and ask.
Are your customers actually attached to your brand? What are their honest views about it? How do they describe it and how do they feel about being aligned to it?
Yes you’ll actually need to get out there and ask them. Face to face casual coffee with a good list of probing questions is a great way to deep dive on brand equity.
And make sure you grab a couple of meetups with customers you missed out on too – or prospects in your pipe – they’ll help round out the thinking here especially if your business is seeking to attract new markets or launch new products.
Blending old and new.
Look at your brand and what holds legacy and trust – any symbols or sub marks? Colours fonts and taglines? Your brand name – could it be shortened or extended to tell a new story as an extension of where you’ve been and here you’re going?
You don’t need to throw the baby out with the bath water when you update your brand. But you need to assess what parts to retain – and why and ensure there’s a cohesive story of change, adaptation, diversification or modernisation.
Brief me baby.
A designer is only as good as the brief they get
You want to let a good designer have some creative license when redoing your brand. But what you must give them are all the nuggets of info that will inform what they create.
- Think about background and context, your “why” behind this project.
- Add to that customers views and connotations, non-negotiables (anything you need to retain for that equity and trust connection),
- Talk about your vision for where the business is goingto go and;
- Include any competitor info – so you can ensure you own a ‘gap’ as much as possible.
Updating your brand smacks of success.
New things, shiny things, improved things….updating your brand signals the ability to invest in the company’s future. It also shows respect and commitment to your customers and continuous improvement.
It’s also a BIG opportunity to tell a story. To reset brand strategy foundations aligned to your brand look. And who doesn’t love to show off a new coat? This is a great time to communicate your “why” behind the brand upgrade, in terms of more value, new team members, customer commitment or exciting new ideas.
Is it time to give your brand that new party outfit it’s been crying out for?
Or perhaps just a smart new pair of shoes….
Need help? Just shout.
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