First do no harm!
A rebranding process is an opportunity to rethink and realign your organization’s core marketing and communications. It brings assumptions and challenges into the forefront and opens the door to planning ahead. Yet, a rebranding is not always beneficial and may create more problems than it solves. Here are some guidelines that you can use for thinking about your organization’s brand.
the case for a rebranding
things just don’t feel right
The trendy colors that looked great five years ago are looking like yesterday’s news. The brochures no longer fit with the new service or product offerings or with the website. Things don’t match up or have the polish that they should. An overall feeling of dysfunction is a really good reason to rebrand, and a solid rebranding process will discover what things aren’t working and build systemic solutions that will resolve these problems.
poor sales performance, recognition, or website conversion rates
Your marketing has a job to do. If it’s not doing it, then it’s time for a change. A rebranding will help you uncover what things are not working and build solutions that help you foster better relationships with new and existing customers.
change of philosophy, leadership, or product and service offerings
If your organization has seen major internal or external changes, a rebranding can signal to your audience and stakeholders that a change has taken place. A successful rebranding is a great way to communicate a shift of direction, an improvement, an evolution — as opposed to a complete departure.
management / revisions are more difficult than they should be
Print and web publishing continue to change and many changes help people work more efficiently and collaboratively. A brand built five years ago may rely on old technology that creates more problems than it solves. Updated tools will help you work smarter and faster.
the case against rebranding
you’re ready for a change
Part of managing a brand is resisting the desire to continually make adjustments or improvements for fun or amusement. Branding is not an overnight thing. Give it a chance to stick and permeate your marketplace.
internal issues
If people within your organization are confused or are in disagreement about core features of your marketing message, a rebranding process will probably inherit this confusion. Rebranding happens once the internal issues are put aside.
cost
A branding process will include a variety of costs that touch on logo redesign, writing, website revision or redesign, and reprinting. A good branding process will identify these costs early in the process. If you can’t afford it, best to hold off until you can.
a good branding emerges from a good partnership
A good rebranding process emerges from a positive partnership, a dialog where multiple perspectives collaborate on a shared goal of improving your organization. When you are ready to think about a rebranding process for your organization, contact us to learn about how our process can help you. We will talk with you about your goals, share successful projects with you, and provide you with clarity about investment and timelines without cost to you.
Questions and Answers
How do you know when it’s time to invest in professional branding?
A few things can point to the need to invest in professional branding.
- Your business has grown or changed direction since you last touched your brand identity, and it no longer reflects what you actually do.
- You’re leaning on word of mouth because your website and materials don’t build trust fast enough for someone to say yes on their own.
- You’re competing on price because nothing else sets you apart.
- Or you’re proud of the work but hesitant to send someone to your site.
None of the above means something is broken. They mean your brand hasn’t caught up to your business yet. The right brand identity closes that gap, giving people a reason to trust and choose you before they’ve read a word about what you offer.
I already have a logo — do I still need a full brand identity?
Plenty of organizations have a logo and nothing else defined — no consistent color usage, no typography rules, no guidance for anyone other than the original designer. That gap is where inconsistency creeps in: a flyer that doesn’t quite match the website, a social post in a color that’s technically close but not right. A logo alone can’t prevent that drift. A real identity — the color, type, and usage rules built around the logo — closes the gap and keeps everything you produce looking like it belongs to the same organization.
How is brand identity different from brand strategy?
Strategy comes first and identity follows it. Your brand is bigger than its identity — it’s how people perceive you, what they trust you to deliver, your reputation, all of which lives in people’s heads rather than on a page. Identity doesn’t replace that strategy; it’s the visible layer that makes it legible and repeatable, so the thinking behind your brand actually shows up consistently in what people see.
How does a strong brand differentiate your business from competitors?
In a crowded market, most competitors offer similar services at similar prices, which means customers often struggle to tell one option from another. A strong brand solves that by giving people a clear reason to choose you. Not just choosing what you do, but why it matters and who it’s for. Differentiation comes from having a distinct position. This involves clarifying the specific audience you serve best, and having a point of view that competitors don’t. When that positioning is expressed consistently across everything from your website to your proposals, customers stop comparing you on price alone and start seeing you as the obvious fit. That’s the difference between competing and being chosen.
