In the world of marketing and design, excellent branding is king. No matter what industry you’re in, you want to connect with an audience, achieve your goals, and ultimately boost your bottom line. To accomplish these things (and so much more!), you must show up with a cohesive, effective brand.
It’s a common misconception that branding is a “one-and-done” task. In reality, your initial brand will likely need to be revisited over time, no matter how incredible it was when you started! Before you dive into the reasons you may need a company rebrand — or what a rebrand is and consists of — consider what makes a good brand in the first place.
When you think of the word “branding,” what comes to mind? For many, it’s a business name, fonts, logos, and color selections. But in reality, a great brand runs much deeper than visuals. The importance of good branding can’t be overemphasized – and the true heart of branding is almost undefinable because it’s more than a checklist of characteristics or deliverables. If you really want to measure a brand’s success, ask its target audience what they think of it.
If you want to create a great brand for your business, consider the elements you’ll need to shape someone’s perception of your company or organization. These include:
The combination of design, voice, and values should evoke the right emotion in your target audience and the right outcomes for your business. Research has shown that emotions are the guiding force behind nearly every purchase decision. Consider this strategy when you brand – or rebrand: "By all means create a list of deliverables. But it’s a good idea to do that in the context of intended outcomes. These may include greater engagement, new structures, a stronger link between management and the workforce, new ways of working, and career progression for the project team.”
Even if your brand worked perfectly for your initial business launch, it might not be serving you well today. If any of these statements ring true to you, it’s time for a rebrand. But don’t be scared — rebranding can actually be one of the most motivating, exciting, and fun things you do for your business in 2024!
Every business evolves over time. This has become even more true since 2020, when countless businesses pivoted to create new ways to thrive in a pandemic. While those circumstances were incredibly challenging, they may have prompted you to change the way you do business for good — and now, it’s time for your branding to catch up. Ultimately, many businesses shift their offerings over time for a variety of reasons. If your company has changed significantly since you launched your first brand, rebranding might be necessary to better suit your current identity.
At Redstory, we want to create brands that our clients love. But even more importantly, we strive to create brands that our clients' clients love. Remember, the true measure of your brand’s success is the way your target audience perceives it, not the way you do. In order to get your branding right, you need to define your target audience and learn what connects with them. With that information in hand, you’ll be able to create a new brand that truly works for you.
Your company is “one of one.” Of course, there’s competition to be found in any industry — but you have services, products, and a mission that should set you apart from all others. Even more importantly, your brand should reflect that unique advantage. How are you different from your competitors? What did you create first? What do you do better than anyone else in your industry? Get clarity on those selling points, and let them inform your rebrand.
If your business has stood the test of time, first of all, congratulations! However, there’s a good chance your brand might need a reboot even if your business does not. In a digital world, it’s important to have a brand that works seamlessly in online spaces.
If your current branding is no longer functional for your marketing needs, consider expanding your branding to cover more ground. For example, perhaps you want to explore the idea of having a primary logo and a secondary logo that offer more capabilities when marketing your brand on social media for brand collaborations. Social media marketing is a cornerstone of most business strategies today, providing significant value and often bringing in the best returns.
You know your company better than anyone — but without a clear visual identity, it’s hard for your dream clients to recognize your brand, much less return to it again and again. Although visual identity isn’t everything in branding, it’s a very important piece of the puzzle. Your branding should always use consistent (and professionally created) color palettes, typefaces, and logos in order to reach maximum recognizability and trustworthiness. When people see your brand over and over, they’ll be more likely to trust it — that’s the magic of marketing.
Despite our best efforts, sometimes our businesses take a hit. If you’ve recently been involved in a lawsuit, data breach, or other unfortunate event, you may want to refresh your branding to give your company a fresh start. A name that worked well for you at one point may be associated with something negative in the news now — and even if it has nothing to do with your business, a pivot in branding could keep you far away from negative press. Whatever the reason, we’d be happy to help you reimagine your brand for the better.
The best reason of all for a rebrand: growing pains. As businesses grow and change, branding often needs to evolve along with the changes. Maybe you opened a local shop with local branding — but now, you’re opening more locations in other cities. Maybe you stumbled upon a great product or service that led your entire company in a new direction. Maybe you acquired another company, and you’re looking to find a brand that encompasses your new merger. Rebranding gives you a way to highlight your expanding identity and helps your new ideal clients find you — and buy what you’re selling.
Redstory is an experiential and event marketing agency that exists to connect brands to people and people to change. Using our skills and solutions in creative, marketing, event management, and production, we help brands all over the country to communicate their message in meaningful, effective ways to grow their business and create an impact. Our in-house creative and design team brings energy and cohesiveness to your brand through compelling visual concepts.
A rebrand has the power to redefine and revitalize a company's image, positioning, and overall perception in the market. It is a strategic move that can breathe new life into a brand, helping it stay relevant and competitive. We’ve helped a wide variety of clients, from wealth advisory firms to clinical research companies, rebrand logos, websites, and assets to maximize their impact and connect them to the people they most want to serve. And the next company on our work calendar could be you.