Rebrand is one of those dreaded words for companies. For some, it’s up there with recession, or even downsize. However, sometimes a rebrand breathes new life into your company. Some argue that any respectable brand will undergo a rebrand at some point.
And, not all rebrands are created equally. Some companies completely change courses, down to changing their names. Others just need to bring their company’s image to the 21st century while still remaining the same at their core.
If you’re not sure if revamping your brand is right for you, take a look at some of these signs that it’s time for a rebrand.
You Look Dated
If, especially compared to your competitors, your company is looking dated, it may be time for a refresh. Taco Bell is a great example of this. As Wendy’s and McDonald’s started ditching their 90’s aesthetic (goodbye Clown, hello chrome everywhere), it was time for Taco Bell to drop their graffiti appeal and update to a more modern look. They kept their essence – their logo is still a bell. They just refreshed it along with their buildings. This kept them competitive in a market that was changing and maturing.
Your Brand Name No Longer Affects Your Brand Vision
Did you know Google started out as BackRub? Aren’t you so glad you don’t need to BackRub something when you need information? If your brand starts out one way but grows to a point where it’s no longer working for you, it may be time for a change. If you develop a new growth path that doesn’t fit your current setup, it also may be time for a rebrand. You don’t want whatever the equivalent of “Oh you can find us on BackRub” is to apply to your company.
You’re Embarrassed to Give Out Your Business Card
Maybe you feel the need to explain the concept of your business card because it doesn’t translate well. Or explain the whole story of how you landed on your website URL. Perhaps you always lead your introduction with, “Ok, I know it needs updating but…” it’s time for, at bare minimum, a refresh. We recommend this especially if you’re, say,still using an AOL email address, or your web address is too long, or you had your daughter design your business card as part of her sophomore art class.
You Look the Same as Every Other Brand
Staying modern to keep up with the competitors doesn’t have to mean you look exactly like your competitors. The above example of Taco Bell fits perfectly. Even with their rebrand, they’re still very clearly Taco Bell. They kept the color scheme of blues and purples in a sea of red and yellow fast food restaurants. They kept their bell symbol. There is no walking into a Taco Bell and thinking “Oh, ok, so this is just a McDonald’s knockoff.” They still stand out as their own company.
We see this a lot in beauty brands right now too. There is a clear Instagram aesthetic that people want for their spas or beauty lines. The problem is, a lot of them look the same. There is no differentiating their packaging or sometimes even their logos. Many of these could use a rebrand to stand out from the sea of other Instagram-worthy photos. Nothing can be special if it’s not unique in some way.
We’re not saying your brand can’t be aesthetic. We’re simply saying it needs to stand out somehow.
The Foundation, Direction, and Business Model of Your Business Has Completely Changed
This is true especially with expansions. If you are a Southern Utah company and your company name has “Southern Utah” in it, but you expand to a new state (or even just Northern Utah), you need a rebrand.
Opening your company up as a franchise or restructuring it into an MLM could call for a rebrand as well (we’ve mentioned an exact example of this previously).
Rebrands Don’t Have to Be Huge
A rebrand doesn’t mean you have to go from BackRub to Google. That is to say, you don’t always have to undergo a full company overhaul. For instance, accountants tend to do well with a classic, timeless brand. People don’t necessarily want their CPA to be trendy or aesthetic. They probably don’t need to rename, remake logos, or review their company structure. However, if they’re using a raw code website from 2001, their brand could undergo a refresh to bring it into the 21st century.
The Rebrand Bottom Line
We don’t want to say that a rebrand is inevitable. Dedicating the time and resources off the bat can avoid it. However, it doesn’t have to be a death sentence, either. If you need a brand refresh or a complete redo, let us know. We kind of excel at this.
