Insights / Branding
As a brand owner, have you ever wondered if you need a rebrand to spice things up? Do you know when is a good time to rebrand?
If these questions have been swirling around in your mind for some time, this article would get to clear them up and give you answers to your questions.
What is there in a brand?
You may have thought that branding is only logo and name, but you see, it is actually a misconception. Branding is more than that. It also includes the colour palette & typography, taglines, slogans, brand story, brand voice and positioning. Basically, a brand is the identity of your business. It encapsulates everything your business is, does and produces.
Thus, when rebranding, it doesn’t just mean redesigning the logo or changing the name. Instead, you should also think about your other brand assets like brand colour, typography and website interface. All of them have to be consistent to better portray and represent your unique identity to your audience.
What’s a rebrand?
A rebrand is the reshaping, rethinking, redefining and reinventing of your brand. The goal is to evolve and improve your brand image and position in your stakeholders' and consumers’ minds, and to change the way they perceive your company and products.
The bigger and more establish a business or brand is, the more risks there are. Therefore, corporates or big brands could consider a partial rebrand instead of a full rebrand. A partial rebrand is like a quick touch-up, think of it as refining your brand positioning to cater for new markets or offerings. Not only will your brand be more precise to your new audience, but it can also serve as a refreshing look to your existing customers.
Implementing and changing any kind of strategy comes with risks, of course, so does rebranding. Hence, don’t rebrand just because your sales are dropping or your brand is not getting the attention you expect. These are not the right reasons to rebrand.
So, how do you tell if it’s time for you to rebrand? How do you know if they're the right reasons?
Consider rebranding when your current brand:
1. Doesn’t reflect and represent your values & unique selling points
Your brand is the representation of your business and products. So, if your brand does not reflect and represent your mission, vision, values and capabilities, you may want to consider rebranding. Ideally, your logo and tagline should also illustrate your unique selling points. They should depict what’s so special about your brand, and what your customers could get from it.
For example, in 2019, Dunkin Donuts rebranded into just Dunkin, officially dropping the word “Donuts”. Their objective behind this rebrand is their shift in their business focus, which is to prioritize their coffee beverages and speedy service. Albeit they are still selling donuts, it’s no longer their signature product.
2. Is confusing for the audience
Is your brand overly complicated? Are your customers confused about your offerings? Then perhaps it is time for you to rebrand.
Brand confusion can occur in a few ways, one of it is when your marketing and advertising team has focused more on promotion and getting sales and overlooked the branding guides and consistency. This phenomenon could be known as the “curse of clickers” where ads agencies use commercialized and capitalized strategies to attract the attention of the mass. What’s critical is actually the distinct and unique brand messages and personalities that allow consumers to differentiate your brand from the others.
If this is the case, perhaps it’s time for you to redefine your brand voice in order to stand out among your competitors.
3. Is not targeted to your desired audience
Knowing your target audience is an important step to do before creating your brand. Essentially, your brand logo, colour, tagline, websites and social media should be geared toward your desired audience.
Another instance to know that it’s time to rebrand is when you’ve decided to go after another type of audience. Perhaps you’ve expanded or you wanted to explore a niche, then a rebrand is inevitable.
4. Is outdated
Trends come and go, and this doesn’t only entails products and advertisements, but branding as well. Clients and customers like to associate themselves with trendy and popular brands. That’s why if your brand is outdated, you will risk losing your customers as they don’t like to be seen using an out-of-style brand.
For example, do you know that the first Apple logo is actually an image of Issac Newton sitting under the tree where the apple falls on him? That was the Apple logo in 1976 that represented revolutionary thoughts and ideas. However, one year later, Steve Jobs felt that it was too outdated and old fashioned, so they changed the logo to the bitten apple we are now familiar with.
5. Looks like others in the same industry
Can you differentiate your brand from the others in the same industry? If you can’t, it’s probably in time for you to rebrand. Business owners and leaders in the same industry often have similar thought processes and ideas. Hence, sometimes it is unavoidable that their brand logo or colours are similar.
For instance, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin use the same colour palette of white and blue. So, when Instagram first came out with a brown tone design, it presented a strong brand visual that differentiates itself from the others. Even after its rebrand into vibrant colour palettes of reds, oranges and violet, it still demonstrates its unique brand visual. Not to mention, TikTok’s debut in black, pink and aqua that sweeps everyone off their feet.
6. It has been outgrown
Rebranding doesn’t need to have a big change. Many famous brands rebrand because they have eventually outgrown their initial brand. When you have to rebrand to accommodate your brand’s growth, it is better to do a partial rebrand than a full-size change. This is because you don’t want your loyal customers to feel distant and unfamiliar with it. You also don’t want to risk your brand not getting recognised by the public.
As an example, Starbucks has done some simple rebranding in 2011. Their brand logo has become so iconic and recognizable that the mention of the name is no longer needed. Thus, the new brand logo only includes the green and white mermaid, the Siren.
In a nutshell, rebranding is a big move for a brand and there are many considerations to take note of. Hence, if you are not sure whether you should rebrand, you could always consult a branding agency for their professional help.
