There comes a time when a company will need a rebrand and in today’s world, much of this happens online. For many companies, especially startups, their online brand is pretty much their entire brand and in such cases, handling a rebrand needs to be done as carefully as possible. Today, we will be looking at everything that you need to keep in mind if you wish to handle your rebrand the right way and not lose customers.
Moreover, if you do it just right, you can rest assured that new customers will come flocking.
Know Your Reasons
Before any rebrand, it is absolutely crucial that the people who decide it is necessary know why they have made this decision. There are many companies out there that do their own little rebrands because they think it’s time for it. They do it for the fun of it, which is the never a good reason for a rebrand.
There are many reasons why companies rebrand. Perhaps it has decided to go another way with its products or service. Perhaps it has grown from a 3-person startup into a 300-person company. Perhaps it is changing the address and moving to another country where the current logo and color palette may seem insensitive.
Of course, there is always the chance a company does it because the consumers are not responding to it. However, if this is the case, you need to be sure that they are not responding to the brand as such. In order to be sure, you need numbers and not just a hunch. For example, you can have someone do paid surveys for you and tell you exactly what your consumers and potential consumers think about your brand. If it is really due to your brand, then rebrand.
The important thing is that you do not change your brand dramatically just because you feel like it. You will be losing valuable customers.
Approach Professionals
We live in a world where everyone thinks they know everything. Nowhere is this more noticeable than in the world of web-based companies and “experts” who think that just because they played with a website creator of some kind, they know how to pull off a thorough rebrand.
There is a reason why there are branding companies out there. Building a brand and especially rebranding an already existing company is intricate work and something people perfect for years and decades.
For example, a logo is not just a pretty picture and the name of the company. Just take a look at this great example from Fivenson Studios. It is a great logo and the insights that are provided in this article show exactly how much work a single logo is. Let alone an entire rebrand.
Because of this, you will always want professionals to handle your rebrand. The chances are you need a rebrand because the people who did your original brand were not exactly the masters of their trade. It does not even matter. A rebrand needs to be done fantastically sensitively so as not to alienate existing fans of the brand while opening it up for others.
Keep Social Media In Mind
Today, when companies rebrand, there is another outlet they have to keep in mind and that is the social media. In 2011, the Qwikster/Netflix rebrand was handled very poorly on social media, most prominently due to the fact that the new name was already taken by a high-school pothead on Twitter. It was hardly the biggest problem of this disastrous rebrand, but it happened nonetheless.
Social media profiles need to follow the rebrand step-by-step and they should be at the forefront of the rebrand when customers are in question. In fact, social media profiles can be a great way to gauge what people think of your new ideas. If you think that people enjoy your rebranding efforts on social media, it is probably a sign you are going in the right direction.
Of course, the professionals that you have hired to do your rebrand will take care of the visual aspects of rebranding you on social as well and this should never be ignored.
A great example of good rebranding and utilizing the social media to move it along was Airbnb’s 2014 rebrand that started off less than spectacularly, with people knocking on their new logo. However, with a great social media campaign that followed, people forgot all about their qualms about the logo. Airbnb’s social media storytelling saved the day.
In short, if you want a rebrand that will make sense for you, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons, hire professionals to handle the biggest part of it and do not forget to rebrand on social media.
Dan Radak is a marketing professional with ten years of experience. He is currently working with a number of companies in the field of digital marketing, closely collaborating with a couple of e-commerce companies. He is also a coauthor on several technology websites and regular contributor to Technivorz.
Fivenson Studios is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, our graphic design team specializes in logo and webpage design, as well as marketing campaigns for social and print media. From flyers and brochures to targeted landing pages, we aim to bring your company into the spotlight and reach a greater range of potential customers.
Let’s Get Social | https://fivensonstudios.com | (734) 224-9696 | [email protected]