There is huge potential in the rebranding of a brand – but also some risks. Find out here how you can successfully relaunch your brand, where the dangers lurk and what you need to keep in mind for the rebranding.
Rebranding: the definition
Rebranding is the relaunch of a brand and aims to revive the presence of a company or a brand – with the ultimate goal to make a positive change in awareness amongst the public. Rebranding can be limited to the company logo or an advertising slogan, or cover a completely redesigned corporate identity, including a new corporate design, revised communications and a more modern or improved product or service.
The main thing is that with the rebranding, and the adjustment of the brand’s image as a result, the target group can be more effectively reached. The purpose always being to reinforce the brand’s identity and to show that the core brand has changed for the better.
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When does rebranding make sense?
At some point, the time will come for nearly all companies to consider rebranding. After all, society changes – and so, too, do demands on companies or their products or services. Google, Microsoft and Amazon – all of these global corporations have undergone rebranding, particularly their logos have often changed several times over the decades.
Even traditional companies go for a contemporary look when they fear of being seen as out of date. Fashion goes with the times, and so does the way in which people perceive the image of a brand. What was “in” in the 1980s or 1990s is often ridiculed today. And when a corporate design gives the impression that a brand has become stuck in a certain era, potential customers often have the same impression of the product itself.
What’s more, there are additional reasons why rebranding can make sense. For example, when …
- … the overall appearance of a company towards the public received little attention when the company was founded due to other things being more important.
- … the corporate design is not consistent.
- … new and, above all, international markets will be stepping into focus.
- … a competitor has won a significant share of the market.
- … an undesirable brand image has become established.
- … two companies merge.
The risks associated with rebranding
Rebranding efforts always come along with risk. You never know ahead of time if the changes will result in the desired effect. For instance, there is the danger that slight adjustments in the design are hardly noticed and thus the goal – despite huge efforts made – fails to be achieved. In contrast, changes that are too extreme can lead to loyal customers abandoning the brand if the transformation does not appeal to them. In some cases, this can also result in a temporary loss in visibility in Google search results.
How to get started: keep these things in mind for your rebranding efforts
Rebranding is a huge project that costs time and money while tying up resources. From the idea to conceptualisation, from the right strategy to implementation, including extensive PR and advertising efforts – the path is long. Here are ten tips to help ensure your efforts are not in vain:
1. A targeted strategy is essential for rebranding, whereby the visualisation of the key message should always be the focus.
2. A market analysis provides an overview of how your own brand is perceived, as well as that of competitors.
3. An analysis of the target group is a must, with the aim to find out what it expects from the brand and how it could react to changes.
4. A complete overhaul of the corporate design is only recommended if, for instance, the entire company strategy changes across the board. Otherwise, you should rather focus on single, outdated segments of the corporate identity in order to not endanger the longevity of the brand.
5. External support from graphics agencies can be very helpful, as they keep a keen, objective eye on the measures planned.
6. Alternatively, there are numerous tools to support your rebranding efforts – the most well-known being empower, Placeit and Templafy.
7. Employees as well as stakeholders should be prepared for the new company image in the shape of corporate behaviour and be informed about the reasons for the rebranding. This allows both groups to communicate the new image in a harmonious way to the public. What’s more, a company vision must be developed and the most important new company values defined.
8. The brand relaunch should be communicated well in advance to existing customers in order to stay ahead of any uncertainties.
9. The brand relaunch of an established company is worthy of a press release for many publishers. Such news announcements and other PR measures will grab increased attention and boost awareness.
10. Thanks to the use of a before-and-after analysis, you can monitor the success of your rebranding campaign.
Discover successful rebranding efforts within the business customer segment in the article “3 successful B2B brand relaunches”.
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