When you think of good branding, your mind most likely shoots to Nike, Apple, and/or Starbucks. These brands understand the power of a logo and they’ve become iconic for it. Realistically, small businesses like ours will not have the same worldly impact with our branding, but our image affects our current and prospective customers. If you’re currently facing the obstacle of rebranding, or you have in the past, you know it’s an undertaking. There are numerous reasons to rebrand, but it’s important to fully comprehend why you’re doing it. Are you wanting to reach a new audience, better relay your company message, or just looking to spruce up an old logo? Whatever the reason, make sure it’s accurately reflecting your business and goals.

[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”Katharine Paljug” link=”https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8764-business-rebranding-tips.html” color=”#75bfea” class=”” size=”18″]

“Don’t commit to a   rebrand without clear, strategic, customer-centered  reasons. And once you do, make sure customers know exactly what those reasons are if you want to maintain their loyalty.”

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As you begin your rebranding process, you must have a strategy. Odds are, you’ll start the process and realize it’s more work than you initially planned for. “The decision to rebrand was a fairly easy one to take,” said David Black, head of marketing and customer support for Retire Ready Solutions. “The difficulties arose in the details and the implementation. Like peeling back layers of an onion, you don’t realize all that goes into a rebrand until you get into it” (Paljug, 2017). If this task is more daunting than exciting, hire someone who will help you understand your brand and create a look to reflect it. Often, you’re too enveloped by your own brand that it’s difficult to translate your idea to consumers. Having a third party see your brand, will also create new questions for your brand and company.

Next, keep your customers in mind. You don’t want to lose valuable customers while in the midst of transitioning to new branding and values. Plan for transparency in your transition so customers stay update to date and have the ability to understand and support your company. You don’t want the rebrand to affect your customers ability to interact with your company, but it’s important to keep them involved. For example, keep your old website fully functional until the launch of a new one, but send out weekly updates on how it’s all going and when you expect to finish. And don’t worry about delays and setbacks. As long as your brand communicates well with your customers, they’ll understand why there are delays. Also, ask them questions about the rebranding. Set up a poll and ask them which new logo, color scheme, motto they like better. When they feel part of your process, they’ll invest more into it and you.

Finally, stay true to your brand. This goes hand-in-hand with transparency, but if you’re not true/intentional with how you’re marketing and designing your business, your customers will lose trust. In the era of social media, people often put up facades in hopes to appeal to a larger base. However, what’s popular on social media does not always work for your message. One trend that does work for most brand is minimalism. Stay away from cluttered logos, too many colors, colors that clash, multiple typefaces, and clashing typefaces. Less is always more when it comes to good branding.

Read these articles for more insight on the rebranding process:

• https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8764-business-rebranding-tips.html
• https://www.canva.com/learn/rebranding-becoming-a-better-version-of-your-brand/
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/08/04/the-dos-and-donts-of-rebranding-give-your-company-a-facelift-while-maintaining-brand-identity/#1b3c5fe31407