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Companies (and the world) are constantly evolving and there is an active need to maintain brand presence and familiarity. A rebrand is more than a new logo or refreshed color palette. Rebranding allows you to reinvent your business identity in the eye of your customers. It promotes meaningful change to a new visual identity and aligns your goals with where you are as a business today.

We’ve outlined the six need-to-know topics when considering a rebrand:

Consider the Purpose
Rebranding can be challenging and involves taking strategic risks. What is the reason you are considering a rebrand? Have you adopted a new product or service offering? Has your company undergone a merger requiring an updated identity? How long has your current branding been in place? What are your goals and objectives? Are there outside factors? Asking and answering these questions will set the framework for the steps ahead.

Develop a Strategy
Rebranding doesn’t always need a complete overhaul. For example, is there value in a visual refresh rather than an entire rebranded presence? Is the name staying or going? Have you completed an audit of your current assets? What is working currently? What needs to change? Is there a timeline? How does it align with your current efforts? How will you communicate your rebrand to new and existing audiences? Evaluate where you are and where you want to be (and when) to lead your organization to a successful outcome.

Define Your Ideal Client or Audience
As a part of this process, prioritize existing and future customers. Has there been a shift in the demographic or audience landscape? Are the people you serve or the consumers you sell to the same or different? How does your audience connect to your products or services? Appealing to the right targets will enable you to build stronger relationships long-term.

Vet Your Mission and Values
Authenticity and staying true to your core attributes are crucial. Have your company values and business objectives changed? Are you repositioning your path? What sets you apart? How do you want your audience to perceive your brand? Do your beliefs need to evolve to reflect your brand promise today? Defining these aspects create the foundation of your brand.

Consider the Competition
Building brand loyalty is tricky if your visual presence gets lost in a sea of competitors. Who is your direct competitor? How does their brand look and feel? What works and what doesn’t? Who are indirect competitors, and how are they positioned? What brands, in your industry or outside, are notable and why? Determining differences or similarities will position your brand to stand apart.

Avoid Compromising Brand Reputation
Changing your brand for the wrong reasons can impact credibility. How will you avoid a rebrand failure? Do you have honest and accurate feedback? Are market research or surveys complete? Are you keeping your trust and integrity at the forefront? What does the future look like – 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 years? Communicate the ‘why’ to your customers to avoid confusion and maintain loyalty forever.

With this background, the question remains – are you ready to rebrand? It’s a question asked within every business at some time and is a part of a company’s natural evolution.

Launching a new visual identity is exciting! Covering the bases will give you confidence to pull the trigger when you are ready.

For an overview on defining who you are and how you look, check out our blog post: A Simple Guide to Branding and Visual Identity.

Aedieno is a boutique creative agency. For brand development and maintenance, please contact us.