By Joel Black on 03/8/2013
Spring is almost here! The birds are migrating, the daffodils are beginning to bloom and the Great Bear is stirring! Those cold and dark days of Winter are almost gone, out with the old in with the new. What better way to approach a full-blown company rebrand than overused Spring analogies.
In many ways a company’s endeavor into a rebrand can be painful and full of drastic ups and downs. Change is painful, but change is good. A brand needs to evolve in the same manner a company’s corporate identity evolves. All great companies change at some point, either through new services or products or a new spin on an existing working process. It is extremely important to make sure the message stays up to date with what is important to the customer. What worked twenty or thirty years ago is not necessarily what works now. Years ago many automobile manufacturers promoted speed and precision handling. Now, many consumers are more concerned with gas mileage and carbon footprint. In order to create a compelling brand identity, a company must sometimes endure change and it must answer the demands of its customers.
In order to accomplish this a company must take a step back and look at what message they are sending to their audience. The task begins with an audit. Take a moment to think about the company brand, what does it say to the audience? There is not doubt the digital age affected the process or products in some way. Every piece that makes a brand needs to be addressed, from the foundational concepts to the promotional light up pens. It may sting a bit but everybody knows there’s nothing like a good Spring cleaning. Time to open up the supply closet and replace the old letterhead that has been sitting discolored in the closet for 6 years. Rid yourself of that tired old logo, reinvent yourself just as the seasons do every year. Also in most cases creating a successful rebrand requires subtlety. Don’t alienate the company by extreme measures. Take many of the elements that worked in the past and add a more modern theme to the foundation. Take pride in the brand and make the change.
Start small or do it all at once, any change is good. Just be sure to set a goal and have a clear idea on how to achieve it.