When Does Your Brand Need a Refresh?
(And How to do it Right)
Changing a brand identity isn’t something to take lightly. It can be costly, especially given a company’s size and branding opportunities, and warrants real thought, care and precision. Many enterprises have tried and failed to make a change. But a well-executed refresh can breathe new life into your company, especially when there is a strategic reason behind it. In our experience, here are five situations that often call for a brand refresh:
1. Leadership Shakeup
New leadership often signals a new direction. A rebrand can instill confidence in an organization as it helps establish a clear identity and goal for the existing team.
2. Market Disruption
Disruption is inevitable in business — whether from black swan events, economic headwinds, regulatory pressures, new competitors, changing customer habits, or internal miscues. A brand refresh can help you reposition yourself in the market, regain lost attention and even spur a comeback. But remember, a refresh should highlight your brand’s existing strengths, not just imitate the competition.
3. Shifting Target Audience
When your brand expands into a new market segment or geographic region, you might need to adapt to resonate with this new audience. A brand refresh can help you communicate your value proposition in a way that’s relevant and engaging to them.
4. Evolving Products, Services and Opportunities
Take advantage of when you encounter interesting opportunities or introduce new product offerings. A brand refresh timed with an evolution in your products, services and brand opportunities allows you to showcase your expanded capabilities and attract new customers who may not have been familiar with your core offerings. In our past work with Sentient, it had an opportunity to work with many high end sponsors to increase awareness of the brand. We focused on reimagining the brand’s logo to be more bold, flexible and likely to stand out in a myriad of competitors. Jump on big and small moments to inform your refresh.
5. Modernization
The look and feel of a brand is a major part of a brand’s likability. Outdated visuals, messaging and communication can detract from it. We recently helped the Cambridge Office for Tourism develop a modern identity that better reflected the vibrancy of Cambridge, Massachusetts. This facelift helped rejuvenate the brand without a complete identity overhaul.
The Refresh Playbook
Once you’ve decided to rebrand, it’s important to avoid common mistakes. Tropicana, for instance, revamped its packaging design, but failed to understand consumers’ deep emotional bond with its classic branding. Gap revised its logo despite no clear driver (as listed above), and the move left its consumers confused and unhappy. Both quickly reverted to their old branding to stave off further backlash.
Don’t follow in their footsteps. Here’s how to succeed:
1. Stay True to Who You Are
Don’t alienate existing customers by changing your brand so drastically they don’t recognize it. Maintain core characteristics and values that represent your brand’s essence. Remember who you are.
2. See It Through
Don’t just conduct a rebranding exercise and shelve it. Or worse, make major changes without proper planning. A successful refresh requires executive buy in, commitment and a clear strategy for implementation.
3. Maintain Connection
If you’re going to change the status quo, get everyone on board. Train your team on the new brand positioning and address employee concerns. Executing a refresh seamlessly involves a company-wide shift in mentality.
The Takeaway
Any company can refresh its brand to stay relevant and competitive. It’s about reviving your image, messaging and offerings to resonate with today’s market. But remember, a refresh should be strategic, not impulsive. Done right, it can propel your brand to new heights.
Originally published in Media Post.
