New corporate branding represents many things for a company.
It’s more than just a fresh coat of paint, it’s a fresh start. It’s a separation from the things in the past that didn’t work. It’s a way for a business to move forward and completely reinvent itself. Even if your company isn’t in need of a dire overhaul, a re-branding is a great time to focus on what you want your business to be — both in your own eyes and in the eyes of the consumer.
Re-branding isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
It represents a serious commitment, and it is not guaranteed to succeed. There are several hurdles you’ll have to clear in order to successfully implement your new branding. The following are some challenges and opportunities that we have seen various companies encounter during the course of their own re-branding.
Challenges
No Turning Back.
The only way to re-brand your business is to go all-in. The old days are dead, and that goes for your public image and your own feelings associated with your previous branding. If you really want to get the public to buy into what you’re selling, you can’t undermine that by pining for the way things used to be.
Maintaining Consistency Across All Platforms.
Your new branding isn’t just something you do sometimes. It’s got to be the focus of everything you do going forward, and it’s crucial that this new brand is reinforced at all times. In other words, everything — from the graphics on your e-commerce website to the logos on the name tags of your in-store employees — has to be addressed. There’s nothing too small to address. And in the end, it’s those little touches that eventually win consumers over.
Winning the Battle of Public Opinion.
It’s not hard to think of examples of re-brands that were instantly and overwhelmingly rejected by the public. Think of Netflix’s decision to turn its DVDs-by-mail business into a separate company, or The Gap spending $100 million on a new logo, only to revert to its original look just a week later. Even if your re-brand is borne from the right place, based on the right research and customer input, and it contains compelling elements, it’ll still take time and patience to get the public to perceive your business the way you’d like. Re-branding requires constant reinforcement and a very thick skin — because people will surely make their voices heard on social media one way or another.
The Opportunities with re-branding!
A New Beginning.
If your company isn’t meeting your internal expectations, it doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Sometimes a new public image is all it takes to change your fortunes. This isn’t to say you should change your entire brand on a whim. But if your company’s objectives are different than they were when your CEO drafted his or her initial mission statement — a very common scenario — then a re-brand is your chance to re-imagine the look and feel of your business. With the right touch, you can completely change how your ideal prospect views your company, making it that much easier for you to attract the customer you’re trying to target.
Keeping up with the Times.
Unless you’re a global brand with decades of prestige and world-class customer service associated with your brand, keeping your current look may make you seem outdated and stale in the public eye. Consider Google’s logo, which, prior to its 2015 redesign, remained relatively unchanged from its initial unveiling in the 1990s. And yet, when you look at the logo Google had even five years ago, it looks extremely outdated. Sometimes it’s the simplest changes that make your company look relevant. Google’s logo change is a notable example.
Creating New Partnerships.
The changes in your company’s outward facing appearance will undoubtedly have an impact on the marketplace. But you may not have considered how other organizations will look at your business. A favorable re-brand can open doors for your business that you may have never before thought possible. That’s why it’s so important to get the word out about the new branding of your company. A new look may be all it takes to encourage an admiring business to approach your organization about working together.
Additional Advertising Mediums.
Along with opening doors to affiliations with other businesses, new branding can help to shed light on some additional marketing possibilities within your company. For instance, a business that re-brands to a more youthful look and attitude may find that their marketing messages are best delivered in video form, where their audience is more likely to be receptive to what they have to say. A truly successful re-branding will transform both the inside and outside of a business, helping the entire company to better understand to whom it’s marketing and how to best reach that person.
The challenges of re-branding a business are considerable, but they’re not insurmountable. In fact, there’s far more to be gained by a well-intentioned re-brand than there is to lose. If you’re able to stay the course and fully commit all aspects of the business to embrace the new branding, consumers should soon follow suit. If you’re wondering how to get started with new branding for your business, contact us today.
Author and Friend - John Gumas - A veteran of the advertising and interactive marketing industry, John founded GUMAS in 1984. Today, the award-winning firm is consistently named as one of the top branding and interactive marketing firms by the S.F. Business Times.John is recognized as one of the country’s foremost authorities on Challenger Brand Marketing®. He is the author of the popular book “Marketing Smart” which describes how challenger brands can develop marketing strategies to effectively take on their larger competitors. In addition, John is an adjunct professor of branding, advertising and interactive marketing, a sought after speaker and a regular columnist for several publications and blogs. https://gumas.com/