Rebranding your company from time to time is essential if you want your business to stay relevant. In fact, most companies have either recently gone through a rebrand or are thinking about their next one. But keep in mind that rebranding requires almost as much thought and effort as the initial development of your brand. To ensure rebranding goes smoothly and effectively, make sure you properly prepare for the project.
1 Evaluate what is currently working
It can be difficult to know what needs to be changed unless you know what is working and what is not. Before deciding to undergo a complete rebrand, look at things such as your website’s functionality and how people respond to your logo. Many times starting over from scratch is not necessary, as all that’s required is to expand upon what you already have.
2 Consider all aspects of your brand
Many people forget all of the places where their brand exists. Depending upon the extent of your rebrand, you might need to make changes to your company’s letterhead, product packaging, or even the way in which your employees dress. Looking at the overall picture ahead of time will help you determine how far to take your rebrand and scope the project accordingly. It’s very easy for the scale of a rebrand to only become apparent once a company is in the process of changing logos and realizes just how many places need to be updated.
3 Research your competition
Chances are you desire a rebrand in order to stay competitive. For this reason, it is just as important to research your competitior’s brands as it is to evaluate your own. Try to determine what it is about your competition that makes their brands successful, and then look for ways to implement those features into your own rebrand. When doing so, however, it is important to tailor the features accordingly to your brand, as making them a carbon copy of another company is likely to turn people off.
4 Come up with a plan
Now that the groundwork has been laid, it is time to come up with a plan for rebranding. Create a timeline for rebranding, setting various goals to meet along the way. Use a tracking system such as an Excel spreadsheet or Evernote to keep up with all the tasks you need to accomplish and ensure that everything goes according to schedule. Doing so will help you better manage resources and assign responsibilities.
