Rebrand or Brand Refresh? When is it time for a new direction?
Written by Jon Cooper
Since developing your brand, how much thought have you put into it? If your brand hasn't changed, updated or adapted with your business, it may no longer be appealing to your audience. It could be time for a new look.
Your brand needs to work for your business, not hinder it.
Changing or updating your branding doesn’t have to take a tremendous amount of time and effort, however, it does have to be executed right. This starts with making sure there is a solid brand strategy in place, and that the brand execution is completed to its fullest. Branding, or refreshing your brand, when done correctly can be very impactful and can help reposition your business to attract new clientele, expand your audience, or revitalise your business and increase your revenue.
Rebranding and brand refreshment appear to be identical on the surface, but when you look closer, the contrasts are like night and day. While "rebranding" entails knocking down everything you've established and starting over from scratch, "brand refresh" is like giving your business a new coat of paint, a fresh appearance, and a sparkling new logo… One is far more dramatic than the other. So, is a rebranding or brand refresh necessary for your company?
Here are some questions to help you determine whether you should re-examine your company's brand. These questions will help you review whether your brand is effective for your company.
Does your brand …
Embody your business’ vision and heritage?
Concisely articulate your USPs?
Reflect your approach & character?
Express your products/services?
Stand out from the crowd?
Brand Refresh
Simply put, a brand refresh might include:
Tweaking your current design or logo.
Updating your brand messaging.
Changing your colour palette.
Refreshing your marketing materials.
Developing your brand typography.
Ultimately, a brand refresh not only tells your audience that you’re modern and relevant, it also shows that you’re connected to your industry. Nobody wants to do business with an organisation that appears to be behind the times, it’s a competitive landscape afterall.
Your brand refresh will be your attempt to reflect a more current, updated image of your company, reassuring your audience that you are still an expert in your field. The process of updating your brand will often examine your use of colour, font, styles, and even tone of voice. The effects may be astounding, despite the fact that it's not as extensive as a rebrand.
A good example of a recent Brand Refresh, was when Starbucks celebrated its 40th anniversary with a new facelift. This fresh, uncluttered, “less is more” approach saw the removal of all references to “coffee” altogether from their brand marque, ultimately to suggest they offer more than just coffee. The team also simplified the ‘Siren’, updated their headline green colourway and altered their typeface. This project ultimately future-proofs Starbucks’ visual appeal. Did it have an effect? Yes. You’ll see that, shortly after the rebrand, Starbucks’ stock prices almost tripled, marking one of the biggest growth periods in the company’s history.
Rebrand
A rebrand, on the other hand, could mean:
Creating a new brand personality and tone of voice.
Changing your business name.
Establishing yourself within a new market.
Revamping your entire visual identity and brand image.
Simply put, a rebrand is a complete change of face for your company if a brand refresh is the makeover. It involves a change in your brand’s fundamental characteristics as well as the colour and styling. A full rebrand entirely changes your identity, whereas a refresh just updates it.
There are several factors why a brand might want to change their identity. For example, you might want to reposition your business and vision to show your target audience that you’ve had a change in focus. Alternatively, you might want to appeal to a new market, broaden the scope of your business, or set yourself apart from your competitors.
Most of the time, businesses consider rebranding when:
The competition is growing, so a brand needs to evolve too.
Your audience is changing.
The business is now offering new services and products.
Old marketing methods aren’t as successful anymore.
Your current brand is out-of-date.
The industry expectations have shifted.
Recently, Hermes had a complete brand overhaul, announcing it would be changing its name to Evri, complete with a new logo and brand identity. The new brand name and logo will be rolled out across all of its locations, vehicles, and ParcelShops.
According to chief executive officer Martijn de Lange, the rebrand is more than just a name change. "This is more than just a name change – it is a statement of intent of our commitment to leading the way in creating responsible delivery experiences for 'Evri one', 'Evri where".
This change has been met with mixed reviews, however, no one can argue it is a positive move to leave the company’s past behind, including allegations of poor customer service and parcel mishandling, with aspirations to be better.
Ultimately, consistency is key.
While branding includes all of your company's visual components, such as your logo, typefaces, color scheme, and photography, it goes well beyond that. Strong brands stand out from the competition and are easily identifiable because they have a distinct, unified persona across all touchpoints.
Make sure your whole brand experience looks, feels, and sounds cohesive, to give your audience the assurance that whatever you do will live up to their expectations. Here are just a few instances of touchpoints to take into account:
Your brand tone on social media.
The copy used on your website.
The in-person interactions you have with customers.
Any product and their packaging.
Customer service, by phone, chat, email and social media.
Any branded marketing materials — from business cards to billboards.
The style of your brand photography.
Events or public appearances.
The list is infinite and entirely dependent upon your company.
Nothing is more discouraging than falling in love with a product or company on social media only to be met by unwelcoming staff, poor user experience or by an unprofessional tone of voice. If people consistently have a bad brand experience, you’ve probably lost them for good, and you're undoubtedly losing sales.
Are you considering a rebrand or brand refresh? Let’s chat.