When your business is growing and you need to update the way you present yourself, rebranding is often the solution. Whether you’re expanding into a new market or looking to re-engage your existing client base, rebranding is a great way to strengthen your brand and boost your bottom line.
But rebranding can be a complex and time-consuming process, so it’s important to have a plan in place before you start. Here are a few steps you can take to make sure your rebranding goes smoothly and meets your expectations.
Define your brand identity
A brand’s identity is a product of many parts, from its name to the way it’s marketed and sold. A well-designed brand identity has the power to make or break a business.
A successful brand identity strategy is a must for any savvy marketer. Whether you’re a fledgling start-up or an established juggernaut, it’s a good idea to evaluate your brand every so often for the sake of efficiency and effectiveness.
What’s more, it can help you nudge your business in the right direction when you’re ready for an expansion or a complete overhaul of your business model. You may have grown out of your original mission statement or you’re looking to set yourself apart from the pack. Regardless of the reason, you should have an updated vision for your brand that aligns with your customers’ needs.
To come up with a winning rebrand, there are several best practices to consider. The most important is ensuring that you have an up to date marketing strategy, which includes a solid plan for the rebranding process. You should also consider your existing customers and what they are telling you. This will allow you to identify a more attainable target audience and develop a strategy that’s right for your company.
Conduct market research
When it comes to brand identity, market research is a vital tool that can help you craft a strategy that’s right for your business. It can also provide you with a wealth of insight about your customer base, competition, and market trends.
Before you can start conducting market research, it’s essential to understand your target audience and buyer personas. The process of gathering this data can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, so it’s important to have a clear plan for how you’re going to do it.
Fortunately, there are a few different ways to conduct market research. First, you can do primary research, which involves collecting data directly from customers or potential customers. This can include surveys and interviews, or you can use an external company that specializes in this type of research.
Second, you can do secondary market research, which involves leveraging existing data from other businesses and organizations. This can include government statistics, industry reports, whitepapers, and other data sources.
Using a combination of primary and secondary research can ensure that you have the most up-to-date information about your market. In addition, it can allow you to find gaps in your understanding of your target market that you may not have seen before.
Develop a rebranding strategy
A rebranding strategy is a comprehensive plan to communicate and implement changes in your brand. This involves redesigning your logo, website and messaging, as well as developing new advertisements and content.
Rebranding can be done in a variety of ways, depending on your business needs. It’s a great way to attract a new demographic or improve your marketing efforts.
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The rebranding process can be complicated, so it’s important to plan carefully. It involves designing a new visual identity, including a new logo, tagline, colors, and business card design.
Your brand’s vision and mission should also be defined before you begin rebranding your business. These two factors will help guide your entire rebranding strategy.
In addition to identifying your company’s vision, mission, and values, it is also necessary to understand your target audience and the market you are entering. This will ensure that your rebranding efforts are tailored to meet the needs of your customers and potential clients.
It is also a good idea to consider your competition when developing your branding and rebranding strategies. This will ensure that you are one step ahead of your competitors and able to take advantage of any opportunities that arise.
Create a new visual identity
A strong visual identity can go a long way in creating an emotional connection with consumers and boosting brand loyalty. A visual identity includes everything from your logo and color choices to the imagery on your website.
It’s important to start with a comprehensive market research to identify your audience’s needs and how they relate to your products or services. This will help you build a cohesive visual identity that reflects your target audience’s personality and pain points.
Getting to know your audience and their personalities will also provide insight into the types of designs they prefer. For example, people like images that depict them in a positive light and are confident in their abilities, such as photographs of them smiling or wearing a smiley face.
As you begin to define your brand’s visual identity, keep in mind that it needs to be consistent across all platforms and marketing collateral. A brand’s visuals are usually the first thing people see about a business, so it’s essential that they make a good impression quickly and effectively.
Once you’ve defined your new visual identity, set it down in a style guide that everyone in your team can access. It should include templates and universal standards for everything from your logo to the colors and fonts you use. This will ensure that your identity remains consistently throughout the life of your business.
Update your website
A website is a great way to tell your audience what your business does. It’s also a good place to display your newest offerings and announce your rebranding. But you don’t want to overwhelm your site visitors with a lot of information, so a clear and concise message is the best way to go about it.
One of the simplest and most effective ways to communicate your rebranding is with a well-designed infographic. A good design makes for a more engaging experience for your readers and will help you stand out from your competitors. You should also consider creating a social media feed that displays your new brand in a consistent and aesthetically pleasing manner.
It’s also important to make sure your site is mobile friendly. This can be done with a simple CSS upgrade. A mobile-friendly website is more likely to get a visitor’s attention and convert them into customers. Lastly, it’s always best to use the latest in security technology to keep your business’s data secure. You may also want to consider a hosting package that includes an SSL certificate. A secure website is a great way to show your customers you care and are committed to protecting their personal and financial information.
Communicate the rebrand to your stakeholders
A rebrand is an important process, and it must be communicated well to all stakeholders. This includes shareholders, customers and employees.
The first step in communicating the rebrand is to understand who your target audience is and what kind of brand they prefer. This helps you create a more effective strategy.
You also need to consider your competitors and what they are doing in the market. This helps you understand which elements of your current brand are missing and which ones could be improved.
Depending on the size of your business, it may be difficult to tell every employee about the rebrand. However, it is important to keep them informed about the changes and how they will affect their job.
Before rebranding, it is important to conduct focus groups so you can get feedback from customers about your new branding. This will help you avoid deterring loyal customers or creating negative brand sentiment.
Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it is time to announce your rebrand. This is a great opportunity to build excitement about your new brand. You can do this through social media posts, email announcements or other marketing activities.
Implement the rebrand
Your business may need to rebrand in order to survive and thrive, especially when economic times are difficult. This is why it’s important to rebrand properly, with clear, strategic and customer-centered reasons behind the change.
Rebranding can come in many forms – from a simple logo redesign to a complete brand overhaul. The first step is to determine what type of rebrand you need to implement.
A full rebrand involves a complete overhaul of your brand’s visual identity, messaging and products or services. It’s often a good idea to consult a design agency if you want a new look.
It’s also worth thinking about how you communicate the rebrand, particularly for a well-established brand with established values and loyal customers. For example, GAP was once a great company that made quality products and delivered amazing customer service – but after rebranding, they were criticized by some customers for abandoning the previous design.
To make sure your rebrand is effective, you need to monitor and measure the results. This includes digital metrics like website traffic, search engine rankings and conversion rates. It’s also a good idea to track brand loyalty, customer satisfaction and return on investment (ROI).
Hope you’ve enjoyed our article on how to rebrand your business step by step. Let me know your suggestions via comments.