As famous Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “Progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” Evolution is not only inevitable; it’s vital for growth. And in the business sphere, this is certainly the case, particularly when it comes to your company’s brand. But a true rebrand is much more than just changing your logo or redesigning your website. It takes a holistic approach.
1. Embrace a bigger picture mentality
To embrace change, you have to be ready for it. But you also need to shift your thinking, be open to a range of possibilities and look beyond what just looks good or sounds good.
Being clear about your end goals is obviously important, but you also need to be able to highlight what the problem is that you’re trying to solve. What are your company’s strengths? What makes your business unique in the marketplace? And how can you best communicate these selling points to your customers?
2. Obtain practical feedback
The best way to get an accurate snapshot of your business is to ask your key stakeholders the key questions. Employees, industry experts and business partners can give you valuable insights about your company’s services, products and brand identity. What is your company’s mission statement? Does your business offer good value? Are your products and services still relevant to the marketplace? And does your company clearly communicate its brand positioning?
3. Understand your customer and your competition
Undertaking market research (both qualitative and quantitative) is also valuable. What does your competition do well that your business doesn’t? What key learnings can you gauge from their value propositions that might be easily implemented? Who exactly is your customer? What do they currently love (or not love) most about your brand, your products and your services? And can you ensure your rebrand will not only obtain new customers but retain your current ones?
4. Initiate the process
Once you’ve determined your company’s long-time goals, fine-tuned its basic philosophies and worked out some strategies for implementing change, you need to formulate an action plan. What’s your timeline for implementing change? What key people need to be involved and do you have all the necessary resources on hand to get started?
Consider hiring a brand marketing strategist to help – they can give you an expert, unbiased opinion straight up, which could save you time and money later on.
5. Action stations
So your rebrand is just about complete and you’re ready to introduce it to the big, wide world. Hold up a minute though. During pre-launch, it’s worth asking yourself a few key questions. Does it accurately reflect what the business is about? Does it effectively communicate what the business stands for? And, most importantly, will it still be relevant over time?
Implementing processes like style guides and FAQs will help maintain longevity and ensure that your brand stays consistent and powerful over time.
6. Surprise! (or not)
Whether your rebrand is a revolution or an evolution, you need to be mindful of your launching strategies by communicating clearly and effectively to both customers and employees. Most customers won’t really care about a new name or logo; they will just want to know how the rebrand is going to positively change their own experiences.
Continue to foster their trust by clearly articulating that the things they love about your company will remain the same, but they’ll be even bigger and better!
A shining example
One of the more well-known rebranding exercises that Australians will be familiar with is that of Altec. Founded in 1974 as Aluminium Technologies, the company successfully rebranded to Altec. With a focus on value for money and stress-free installation, they have continued to grow steadily thanks to their clearly defined branding and value propositions. And their continued excellence in both design and construction has secured their place as a formidable leader in the industry to this day.
With careful planning and smart execution, your organisation can also enjoy the rewards that come from a successful rebranding.