Does Your Brand Need an Evolution or Revolution?
Does your brand need an evolution or a revolution?
We have clients come to us all the time asking for a rebrand, and it's always a fun and interesting process. The funny thing is a rebrand often takes more time than building a new brand from scratch. With a new brand, we look at potential competitors, research the industry, pull in knowledge from complementary or similar industries, explore audience opportunities and come back with a strategy to fill the space that will best serve the brand.With a rebrand, we do all that, but we have to weave in the current brand and the effects change will have. We start by answering the following questions:
What's my motivation?
Why are we sitting at the table talking about this? Is it just because you feel like the brand is getting tired? That's a fair reason, but it requires a very different approach than "Because sales are flat and we need to appeal to a new audience."The driving force for a rebrand is an essential piece of information and can guide all of the research we do in our DISCOVER phase. There's a big difference between an evolution and a revolution. Both can be done effectively and both require the upfront research to get it right, but an evolution is more nuanced. A revolution is just like it sounds...big!
How much equity do you have in the brand?
I do my best to steer clear of using financial terms, but this one is perfect to describe the amount of value your brand has built up through the years. I've always looked at it more like a structure. The branding elements are the bricks that you're used through the years to build this wall. And if you start pulling bricks out without a plan, especially the foundational pieces, things could come tumbling down quickly.You may think you have more equity in your brand than you actually do. You might have a strong product that people love, but a brand that they don't connect with. In that case the foundation of your brand is strong (your product) and a revolution would serve you well.
What are the key branding elements?
Everyone has a logo. But to me, the logo is merely the front door of that structure we built earlier. It may sit front and center on everything you do so people recognize you, but once you get inside it's the rest of the brand that really gives people the experience that will keep them coming back. Beyond your logo, there are tons of visual, verbal and auditory queues that you've used to build your brand up until now. We may leave the logo as it is, but refresh other elements to open up a whole new audience.The other consideration when looking at the branding elements is the channel where they're being used. Social media may be a new venue for your brand...but if you use the same branding elements that you've used in newspaper circulars for 15 years, is it going to have the impact you're looking for?
What does the strategy say?
All of these questions can be answered in the beginning and then reinforced at the end of the project if the research is done and the strategy is solid. We make sure our DISCOVER phase is the guide to whether we recommend an evolution or a revolution.