For many businesses, and SMEs in particular, branding is often an afterthought. Only once the essential operational costs have been covered does attention (and budget) turn to branding and digital marketing. Unfortunately, this can result in weak, unrepresentative, distinctly unmemorable branding for your website and other marketing materials. If you did your branding in a hurry or on a shoestring, is it time for a rebrand?
Here are five signs that it’s time to rethink your brand strategy:
- Your branding doesn’t represent your company any more. Businesses change and grow all the time, but their branding often ends up staying the same. Your brand needs to represent these changes and the company ethos as a whole, or what’s the point of having it? If you’ve outgrown your branding, don’t be afraid to have another look at it.
- Your branding is unremarkable and forgettable. When coming up with a logo, for example, you might choose an image or style that does the job of representing what your company does (i.e. hammers and saws for a building firm). The problem is that every other brand in your sector will be doing the same thing, so you’ll simply blend into the background. Unless you’re doing something a little different, to make people look twice at your branding, then it’s definitely time for a rebrand.
- Your branding is trying to be all things to all customers. You simply cannot appeal to everyone with any part of your digital marketing activities, and nor should you want to. Good marketing is about identifying your target customers and finding ways to engage them. Take this same approach with your branding – have a clear, strong message that will appeal to these target customers. If you try to please everyone, you’ll only end up with a diluted message that doesn’t really say anything to anyone.
- Your company is heading in a new direction. If you are branching out in a new direction, it makes sense that you mark the fresh start with a rebrand. You don’t have to stick with the same old branding – in fact, this will be confusing for both your old and new customers. Seize the opportunity to start over with a really strong, well thought-out brand strategy.
- You’re looking for a marketing opportunity. A rebrand is a great excuse to run a series of high profile ‘re-launch’ campaigns, giving you lots of material to use in marketing campaigns. Customers love to see something new and different, so if you think your branding and marketing has become a little too ‘same old’, then it’s time to change your branding and head in an exciting new direction.
If you’ve undergone a digital rebrand, what gave you the motivation to do it? What approach did you take to revitalising your branding? We’d love to hear your thoughts, along with any tips and advice you may have for other businesses on the verge of a rebrand.
