A rebrand is a moment when a company or organisation takes a fresh look at their public face and personality: how they look, how they talk, their logo, colours, typeface, imagery, and communication touchpoints, such as their website. It’s a big moment for any organisation. So why do companies rebrand? Let’s look at some of the main reasons you might be considering it.
To professionalise your brand
Many brands we talk to at this stage are like houses that have been built without planning permission. They started off one shape and then tacked an extension on the side, a shed on the roof, and dug an unstable basement. In brand terms that means the brand has evolved without any coordination. Someone has designed a logo for a product or service, someone else has written the blog content, someone again has briefed an agency to add website content. It’s just how it happened. But it’s not joined up, coherent or efficient.
To mark a change in your brand’s journey
Companies considering a rebrand are often at an inflexion point. Perhaps they’ve got a new owner, or just a new marketing director. Maybe they’re launching a new product or service. Maybe it’s an anniversary, or there’s a need to counteract some adverse publicity. In all these situations the question is how big a change? Should it be an evolution or an evolution? A tweak or a complete refresh?
To stand out from other brands
This is perhaps the best reason of all, and the reason brands exist in the first place. Successful brands are those that are clearly differentiated and memorable. Through the way they talk, the way they look, and the way they act. One of the things we’re constantly saying to clients and potential clients is ‘Don’t sell the category, sell yourself’. It means that once a customer or client has decided they need the product or service you offer, they have to make a choice between you and your nearest competitors. Sure, much of that decision is rational but much of it isn’t. Creating an emotional connection liberates you from getting ‘down in the weeds’ of product minutiae. It’s about having a distinct personality, being yourself and expressing it clearly.
Why would you even need a rebrand?
There are lots of reasons for the timing of a decision to rebrand but whenever it happens, there are strong commercial imperatives
- To be remembered
- To be seen
- To stand out from the herd
- To cut through and sell
