Rebranding? It May Be a Trap!
Rebrands are fun, exciting and can be a fantastic way to breathe a little new life into an organization. They are an opportunity for marketers and agencies alike to flex our creative and strategic muscles. And they can build real excitement both internally and in the marketplace. But, they can also wreak havoc. So, before you jump on the rebranding rollercoaster, here are a few questions you should ask yourself to see if you’re ready for the ride.
1) What’s your motive?
Dig deep here. What’s the true underlying reason for the rebrand? Why is the change right for the business? Are you trying to connect with a new demographic, or has your market evolved in a way that your current brand no longer resonates with it? Or, perhaps you're trying to shake off negative connotations or highlight new offerings. Those could all be good reasons for a rebrand. But, if you’re rebranding for the wrong reasons— like simply wanting a fresh look—you could cost your company a lot of time, money and internal disruption. So, whatever your motive, make sure it aligns with your long-term strategy.
2) Will your rebrand solve your business issues?
Sometimes, rebranding is a superficial solution to fixing a deeper problem. Remember, a new look and tagline will not fix a bad product, improve customer service or solve organizational challenges at your company. Period. So make sure your rebrand is solving a problem, not covering one up.
3) Are your current customers ready for a rebrand?
It’s easy to focus on new leads, new logos and expanding your market share. But don’t forget about your current customers. Oftentimes, they feel deeply invested in your brand—especially in the B2B tech space (more on that in a future blog). They have your mugs on their desk, your t-shirts in their drawers and your existing brand on the top of their minds. So, changing all that can be disruptive to your fanbase. It can alienate the people who have already invested in your brand. So, make sure they’re onboard and ready to go on the ride with you.
So, is it time for a rebrand? It might very well be (we just did one for a client who had outgrown their old brand) That’s for you to decide, but we’d like to offer an alternative that’s cheaper, less disruptive and could be more impactful. Because, sometimes you don’t have to break things to rebuild them. We call it a Brand Instigation.
What’s a Brand Instigation?
In short, it’s a shot in the arm for your brand. It’s a tweak, a zhuzh or a new expression of your brand that is built on the foundation of your existing brand assets but reimagines them in a way that can feel like a new brand without actually making the old brand obsolete. It accomplishes a lot of the things a rebrand does without all the investment or the risks.
Want to learn more? Reach out.