I have a Thomas Edison quote hanging in my office that reads, “Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” It’s one of my favorites.
In rebranding your company, you have an opportunity – a big one – to clarify your brand, to make it distinctive and relevant. But a lot of businesses miss that opportunity because they see rebranding as just a redesign. It’s simple. Not too much effort involved.
Whoa.
Let’s back up… your brand isn’t your logo, and it isn’t your advertising campaign. A brand is what people think and believe about your company, product or service. It lives in what your customers think and feel. And it resonates within your company because it is built on who you are, fundamentally. It should be easily identified, quickly described and clearly stand out from the competition. Good branding is focused – and focusing takes work.
When it comes to rebranding, you first need to know what your company stands for. A surefire way to find out is to ask your customers. If you don’t work to define yourself, customers will do it for you. A decision to buy from your company will either be based on an attraction to your brand – or cost, time and availability. If you want your customers to be brand loyal and choose you even when it may be inconvenient for them, you have to tell them why they should.
And they can’t have a preference if they don’t see a difference. No company can be all things to all people. Knowing what your customers want from you and how they want to hear it is just as important as knowing what you want to be.
When rebranding is done hastily and assumptions are made about your customers, there is a greater risk of not understanding the power of your existing equity and making unnecessary or confusing overhauls in the creative. It can mar your image with your existing customers and make new customers skeptical.
Whether it be the messaging on your website or a direct marketing campaign, your creative needs to be built first and foremost on your brand. It needs to do the work for the future, not just for right now. At every touch point, your customers need to find your brand consistent and speaking to them in a voice that is uniquely yours.
Finding a good marketing partner is key. One that will involve you in the process. One that wants to start with your business objectives. After all, you know your company, and you know the business you’re in. The right rebrand and messaging should resonate with you, even if it pushes you a tad outside of your comfort zone. It’s not uncommon for branding research to reveal new opportunities for your company to pursue, or to reveal where you may need to clean up shop.
Doing the work together and finding those opportunities can make or break your future. Building solid creative requires a solid foundation.
One last thing to consider when you’re rebranding: you and your marketing partner should also plan to be in it for the long haul. Because rebranding efforts require looking at all of your touch points, don’t stop at redesigning your logo. Keep going. Find the opportunities. Take the time to be consistent. Good brands stand the test of time because they are relevant and distinguishable – and because they evolve. It takes work, but it’s worth it.
Solid Creative is Built on Solid Branding
I have a Thomas Edison quote hanging in my office that reads, “Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” It’s one of my favorites.
In rebranding your company, you have an opportunity – a big one – to clarify your brand, to make it distinctive and relevant. But a lot of businesses miss that opportunity because they see rebranding as just a redesign. It’s simple. Not too much effort involved.
Whoa.
Let’s back up… your brand isn’t your logo, and it isn’t your advertising campaign. A brand is what people think and believe about your company, product or service. It lives in what your customers think and feel. And it resonates within your company because it is built on who you are, fundamentally. It should be easily identified, quickly described and clearly stand out from the competition. Good branding is focused – and focusing takes work.
When it comes to rebranding, you first need to know what your company stands for. A surefire way to find out is to ask your customers. If you don’t work to define yourself, customers will do it for you. A decision to buy from your company will either be based on an attraction to your brand – or cost, time and availability. If you want your customers to be brand loyal and choose you even when it may be inconvenient for them, you have to tell them why they should.
And they can’t have a preference if they don’t see a difference. No company can be all things to all people. Knowing what your customers want from you and how they want to hear it is just as important as knowing what you want to be.
When rebranding is done hastily and assumptions are made about your customers, there is a greater risk of not understanding the power of your existing equity and making unnecessary or confusing overhauls in the creative. It can mar your image with your existing customers and make new customers skeptical.
Whether it be the messaging on your website or a direct marketing campaign, your creative needs to be built first and foremost on your brand. It needs to do the work for the future, not just for right now. At every touch point, your customers need to find your brand consistent and speaking to them in a voice that is uniquely yours.
Finding a good marketing partner is key. One that will involve you in the process. One that wants to start with your business objectives. After all, you know your company, and you know the business you’re in. The right rebrand and messaging should resonate with you, even if it pushes you a tad outside of your comfort zone. It’s not uncommon for branding research to reveal new opportunities for your company to pursue, or to reveal where you may need to clean up shop.
Doing the work together and finding those opportunities can make or break your future. Building solid creative requires a solid foundation.
One last thing to consider when you’re rebranding: you and your marketing partner should also plan to be in it for the long haul. Because rebranding efforts require looking at all of your touch points, don’t stop at redesigning your logo. Keep going. Find the opportunities. Take the time to be consistent. Good brands stand the test of time because they are relevant and distinguishable – and because they evolve. It takes work, but it’s worth it.