Transform Your Business by
Rebranding It
What is rebranding?
How can rebranding help my business?
How do I know if I need to rebrand?
Imagine Murillo owns an auto repair shop called Murillo’s Mechanics. If you need an engine fixed, or a new transmission, Murillo is the man for the job.
But Murillo wants to expand, so he hires a few new technicians and starts to offer auto body services like painting and collision repair for the first time. Which means Murillo’s has more than just mechanics now.
To make the public aware of these additions, Murillo knows he needs to update his image. Let’s help him figure out what changes he should make to help ensure his customers and his audience understand everything his business offers.
Your brand is the face of your business. It’s what differentiates you from your competitors. But sometimes your brand isn’t working for you anymore.
Murillo’s brand changed when he added auto body services, so he updated his name, sign, and website. These are examples of rebranding, which is the act of changing your brand’s identity to portray a new image to your audience.
Rebranding can take many forms. It could mean changing your name, logo and imagery, marketing strategy and messaging, products, or any combination of these.
There are a lot of reasons why you might want to rebrand. Sales could be down due to your current brand reputation, or like Murillo, you might be introducing a new product or service that changes what your business is all about.
If done well, rebranding can help your business reach new audiences, market your products more effectively, revamp perception of an old product, or change your brand perception generally.
If you’re considering rebranding, your first step should be to research your existing brand and figure out what needs to change.
Not all challenges are brand-related. Your issues might stem from a non-branding concern like sales tactics, product quality, or marketing strategy. The last thing you want is to rebrand when your brand isn’t the problem.
Conduct surveys and set up focus groups and interviews to get feedback from your target audience about your business and your brand. Get people to tell you what works for them and what doesn’t.
If you find that your brand perception is the issue (or one of the issues), then it’s time to think specifically about how you can rebrand. Using your audience’s feedback as a guide, try to pinpoint the branding challenges you’re facing.
Is your messaging not resonating with your audience? Are you trying to reach a new audience? Is your logo or style out of date or unpopular? Are you introducing a new product or service that changes your identity?
It can help to make a big list of all the elements that make up your brand. Then you can go item by item and decide which ones need to change and how.
LISTEN UP
Rebranding doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul. When you do your research, ask your audience what positive elements they still associate with your brand and make sure to stick with what’s working. For example, this could mean changing your logo but keeping your color scheme.
After you’ve done the research and figured out which parts of your brand need to change, set goals for what you want your new brand identity to accomplish.
For example, Murillo wants his new brand to convey that he offers a full range of auto services in one convenient shop. There are some simple exercises you can do to get you thinking about what exactly you want your brand to be.
To start rebranding, try writing out these four items:
Vision Statement
Write out motivations and aspirations for your business.
Mission Statement
Why does your brand exist?
Brand Character
Is there a word or phrase that embodies your brand?
Brand Personality
What attitude do you want to convey to the world?
LISTEN UP
If you want to rebrand and you have the budget, you may want to work with a branding agency that can help you strategize, create assets (like a new logo), and come up with a new brand identity.
Whether you work with an agency or not, you need a strategy and timeline for how your rebranding is going to play out.
Be clear about what you need to change, why, and when it needs to happen. Think about assets that need to be created or changed.
For example, Murillo wants a new sign, new uniforms for his staff, new business cards, and an updated website. He needs to decide what he wants all of these things to look like, who he’s going to pay to do it, and when it needs to happen.
After you’ve outlined the details of your rebranding, make sure everyone in your business is on the same page about the changes (why they’re happening and when) and knows what their individual role will be in crafting your new brand.
Once you’ve got new brand assets, you should test them out before you go public.
Like you did in the beginning of the rebranding process, use surveys, focus groups, and A/B testing to see how people in your target audience react to your new look and message.
Murillo could survey customers and ask if Murillo’s Total Auto Care implies a full range of services. If customers don’t think that’s clear enough, he might rethink it and change his name to Murillo’s Auto Body and Repair instead.
If your rebranding isn’t testing well, go back to the drawing board and think of new approaches. Then, when you’re satisfied, think about the public relations and marketing that needs to happen to introduce your new brand to the public.
Like you did for creating your rebranding assets, write out a strategy and timeline for how you’re going to re-introduce yourself to the world and make sure your employees know what their roles will be.
DO THIS NOW
Rebranding can give your business new life, but not every brand needs a big change. Let’s get started by answering a few questions to see if rebranding might be right for you.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Rebranding is when you change your brand's identity to portray and new image to your audience.
This can help you reach new audiences, market products better, or revamped perception of your products or your brand.
Get feedback about how your brand is working by conducting surveys, focus groups, and/or interviews with people in your target audience.
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