Rebrand or Refresh?

I meet a lot of people who aren’t 100% thrilled with their brand. To my way of thinking, we all should feel a sense of excitement and pride when presenting our face to the world. After all, in many businesses, your visual presence is the front door of your business.

In some cases, a full rebrand may be in order. Perhaps you bootstrapped your business and didn’t have the resources for a full brand development. Now your successful business has earned the investment in that process. In other cases, your brand is pretty well intact, but some aspects of your business have evolved. A smart refresh might be just the right move to reach the right clients.

How do you decide if you need a rebrand or a refresh? Here are a few telltale signs:

Embarrassment. Are you excited to send people to your website or hand them a business card? Or do you cringe just a little, hoping the brand they see will somehow make a positive impression? I see this scenario frequently. A business owner immediately starts making excuses for their brand, which immediately disrupts the flow of conversation and the understanding of the business itself. So distracting and unproductive! If you don’t feel solid about your visual presentation, chances are the feeling won’t go away until you address how to best showcase your brand identity.

You have a new audience. Demographics and tastes shift all the time. You may be attracting a new segment of the population, and yet your brand doesn’t speak to that cohort. Time to mix it up.

You have a new product or business model. Here again, your existing brand might not convey your evolving message. This scenario also gives you the opportunity for a splashy release or grand opening. Take advantage of your new horizon.

Your brand looks like everyone else. It’s important to differentiate ourselves from the chatter and noise that’s flooding everyone’s consciousness. Does your brand offer a competitive advantage? Is your message confusing? Take a step back and really consider what’s unique about what you do, and craft a brand that speaks to your brilliance.

As a branding expert and graphic designer, the branding process is clarifying, motivating and fun. I promise, the process will re-energize you!