Just about every company will go through a rebranding at some point or another. I’m actually going through one myself right now. When you think of branding, you should think of it as the face and voice of your company. It really is the reputation and perception your company has. Over time things will evolve, shift, and change. And that’s okay. This article covers 9 different reasons to consider a rebranding. I’d be very curious how many of these reasons will resonate with your current company situation. If none of these, then it’s easy to say you don’t need to worry about rebranding.
1. Connecting with your new target audience
One of the major reasons to consider a rebranding is when you’re changing your target audience. The reason for this is that branding relies heavily upon being able to connect and resonate with the people you want to target aka work with. Sometimes things
For example, you’re a life coach helping women with depression, and you want to start working with first-time moms with postpartum depression now. Or, the opposite could happen where you have been working with postpartum, first-time moms but want to expand to moms with depression. Either change in target audience is okay; however, your branding must adapt to your change to better resonate with your new ideal clients.
The reason I am currently rebranding is that I am niching down to a more specific target audience. The language I currently use and how I communicate with the new audience will have to change. Additionally, the look and feel that would resonate with these people will be updated too!
2. Current audience needs have changed
There is one last thing to consider when it comes up connecting with your target audience. The needs and values of your current target audience may shift over time as well. You may still want to work with the same kind of people you have been, however, over time, their values or views evolved too. What once resonated with them isn’t as much anymore. This is the last of three reasons to consider a rebranding when it comes up connecting with your ideal clients and target audience.
Sometimes your company will be forced to change its brand because the needs of your customers have evolved. Tech innovation is a key driver of changing market habits, which can force a business to either adapt or get left behind.
Matt Hunckler, CEO of Verge
3. A new product or service is added
As you will shortly notice, most reasons to consider a rebranding are about a change or a shift within a company. The third reason is too! As your business is growing and expanding maybe you are planning on adding an additional product or service to your repertoire. What might happen, for example, is you might be putting out similar products or services. Under a single umbrella, they won’t seem connected, and they won’t be attracting the right audiences by the masses. Instead, consider rebranding each individual service or product.
A great example of this is Marie Forleo’s products. She has MarieTV, the B-School, and the Copy Cure. Although MarieTV and B-School have the same branding whereas the Copy Cure is its own unique thing going on. The Copy Cure has unique branding, unique promises and offers and unique target market. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that!
If you are launching a new product or a service, all power to you! However, don’t force it into your current brand if the service or product doesn’t fit into the current brand exceptionally well.
4. You can finally invest in rebranding
There are so many companies out there that bootstrap their branding when they first start out. I often encourage young companies not to invest in branding until you have a substantial audience. Focus your time, energy and money on getting those sales and building a following first. Either way, the time has come to invest in a proper rebranding and let go of the bootstrapped look, and I encourage it!
Rebranding has so many different benefits, especially so with your first professional branding experience! You will feel so much more confident and secure in your branding – both visual and verbal – and in your brand strategy. You will be taking your business to the next level, and that’s some exciting shit!
5. Your company has outgrown itself
I think the title of this point is a little vague. So let me elaborate a bit on it as it will talk about multiple but similar reasons to consider a rebranding. The first of which is that over time companies outgrow themselves. One example of that would be Airbnb. They started out as a company sharing cheap alternatives for travel lodgings such as a spare bedroom or a couch. However, the company became so popular it no longer caters to just that mission. It has a large variety of listings from cheap bunkbeds to high-end villas and small castles and everything in between.
This whole point is to say that the company’s core mission, vision and even values will change too. It’s not just the target audience, or the desire to go after a new market.
6. Moving past a negative image
Additionally, another thing that might happen that your current brand becomes associated with something negative. Whether the company did it themselves – like BP with the oil spill or Volkswagen’s emission fraud – or it was done to them – like Burberry’s association with gang ware in the early 2000’s – a rebranding is an excellent start to fixing these negative associations.
Among the many reasons to consider a rebranding, this one is important because it will force the company to rethink its core values, mission, and vision which can have a profound effect on the company, its employees, and customers.
7. Inconsistent execution of branding
This next reason to son cider a rebranding is that there really isn’t a proper brand in place. That’s because somehow there is inconsistent execution across various channels and departments. The voice is different from the marketing team to customer support. The visual differ considerably on the Twitter accounts and the Facebook ads. The landing pages appear to be selling from competing companies. That’s no bueno either!
Consider a rebranding if your brand is inconsistent in communication and execution. This way, moving forward every team will be on the same page. A proper designer will deliver you multiple templates and style guides for your teammate to follow. For example, remade social media template for your Instagram stories, Pinterest images, along with a writing style guide that will make it easier for you to hire freelance bloggers.
Branding is how people feel about your company. It’s meant to trigger the right emotions and conclusions about what your company is like. That means creating a consistent online and offline experience for the customer no matter what, where or when. If all you have on your letterhead is your company logo and all you have in your email signature is the company name, it’s not enough.
Christina Baldassarre, Zebra Advertisement
8. It’s just been a while
In all honesty, maybe there isn’t a specific reason or cause for you to consider a rebranding. After all, there are so many reasons to consider a rebranding. But, it’s just might be time. Often, the branding gets stale and just outdated. Maybe you just don’t like your current branding, perhaps something about it isn’t 100% right to you. There doesn’t have to be a major shift happening. Maybe you just don’t think it represents the company well anymore because, after all, it’s just been a while.
9. Only a small dusting off will do
In all honesty, a rebranding doesn’t have to be a major makeover; a quick little dust off suffices quite often. Many times people think rebranding is this big and bold makeover. And it can be; but by no means does it have to be. If you’re not feeling confident about the look and feel of your brand and if you think it is time for an update or a dusting off, then here is last of many reasons to consider a rebranding.
A light dusting off will do just fine if you know for example your current typography is a bit dated and doesn’t matter the look and feel you’re after anymore. To give you another example, a dusting off could only focus on improving your tone and voice so that your brand can sound cohesive and consistent across all channels.
Again, it doesn’t have the be a significant reason; for example, a new company initiative or a marker change. God forbid it’s a negative image disaster you have to address. Sometimes, it’s really as simple as a small update to the current branding you’re rocking right now.
The takeaway
If any of the above reasons to consider a rebranding resonated with you, then I think you know it’s pretty clear the time has come. As usual, you don’t have to hire me but do your research beforehand on the type of value you want to get out of your rebranding!
And, for those of you who are interested, here is my pitch: I am a web and brand designer and strategist. I do exactly what this article talks about. With my design and psychology background, I am is dedicated to helping women build long-lasting, prosperous brands. I work primarily with service-based online entrepreneurs such as coaches, bloggers, therapists, photographers, what have you.
My mission is to help women like yourself achieve your business dreams so that you can live your greater purpose. That’s why I build amazing brands and amazing websites because I know they will get your business to the next level and your next business goal. If you’re interested:
