Why and how to change your branding

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Changing your branding isn't as easy as changing your pair of pants. But you don't need to be a magician or a guru to succeed in your re-branding.

All you need to do, is be well prepared, be surrounded by good people and ask yourself these questions:

• What is the current state of my company's branding?
• Does my branding reflect the evolution of my company?
• Does it answer to the values and what my customers have come to expect from us?
• Is it a hurdle for my company's evolution?
• What do I want my customers to remember?
• How can I do it?

You can't make a successful re-branding without thinking about it. If your re-branding wasn't necessary, it will only be costly for the company, or even worst, might even create doubt for some of your current customers.

Even if globally, it's your updated logo that people will see the most, it isn't the only part of your re-branding operation. You have to think about everywhere you're present. Displays, office supplies, packaging, website, newsletter, Facebook (and other social networks), and basically, anywhere you're a sponsor or a partner.

It's also the perfect time to show everyone how your company has evolved and where it's position on the market. Synchronising your re-branding with an updated version of your products is even better. Together, these changes will give even more credibility to one-another.

Refreshing your image is often a good idea and should bring more business in the short term. An article mentionned that one company has seen its business increase by over 16% within the 4 months following his re-branding.

We recommend you make your re-branding all at the same time, not one item at a time. Got a new name? New logo? New website? All these things need to come out at the same time to create a tsunami of information that media companies strive on. Marketers love anything that's new, so take advantage of this opportunity to make as much noise as possible!

We normally recommend to analyze if a re-branding is required every 5 years. Since any "new" aspect of it will have long faded off, the best way to create a new buzz around your brand is to update it, or if needed, change it completely.

Let's take a look at Pepsi-Cola. You can update their logo but keep certain aspects of the original. This way, the customer can recognize your product, sees you're evolving and stays attached to your product.

As you can see, by asking yourself good questions, you can put all the chances on your side to make sure your re-branding is successfull. Just don't forget that if you need some help, don't hesitate to contact specialists (like Numérique.ca) to help you out!