According to Marty Neumeier, a brand is a person’s gut feeling about an organization, person, or company. This is influenced by their visual aesthetic, the sound of their messaging, and the overall positioning of the brand in the marketplace.
“Branding demands commitment; commitment to continual re-invention; striking chords with people to stir their emotions; and commitment to imagination. It is easy to be cynical about such things, much harder to be successful.”
Sir Richard Branson
Rebranding is a set of activities carried out to adjust customer touchpoints that impact the effectiveness of an overall customer experience. While in some cases it is minute (such as doing an incremental update), and other times you need to do a complete brand makeover (from a new logo design to changing the tone of messaging and various other elements).
How to Know if it is Time to Rebrand
Building a brand and establishing its identity is a task that many entrepreneurs struggle with. Amid that, rebranding an established brand identity needs to be done considering a number of factors.
There is no textbook case that tells you when to rebrand. Companies such as Gap and Starbucks waited decades before they began rebranding. On the other hand, Taco Bell leveraged rebranding within a few years. Also, similar to Netflix, you might need to rebrand your current business because of a merger or change in leadership.
Additionally, as discussed, your brand is based on your customers’ perception of your brand. Thus, if you have had a case of a poor marketing campaign or inconsistent messaging, you might want to explore the option of rebranding.
Types of Rebranding
There are 3 types of rebranding. Each type of rebranding is situational. It goes without saying, each type of rebranding is done based on different reasons to rebrand. On the same front, you will require different degrees of work with each type of rebranding.
Brand Refresh
This is one of the simplistic ways to give a new touch to your brand. It is when you change relatively minor elements of your brand: its logo design, typography style, a new tagline, new product packaging, to name a few.
Partial Rebranding
As the name suggests, this is a type of rebranding where you change quite a number of elements of your brand but also the rest remain the same. It is not limited to changing pre-existing elements, it can also include adding a few new elements to your brand, and keeping the rest of your brand elements as they are.
Complete Rebranding
In the simplest terms, this is when you break every piece of your brand and use it – or even new materials and elements – to create an entirely refreshed and new brand. From a new brand name, strategies, typography, and logo design to a new name and marketing materials – they all have a new shape and form.
Lastly, before rebranding, it is important to keep in mind that it adheres to your brand, customers, and long-term goals.
