Re-branding is a topic that should be familiar to you as it is something we have talked about more than one. If you missed our previous blog on this topic, read it here: When to Re-brand Your Company. Now that we know what a re-brand is and when it’s time to do so, let’s dive in to another variance of this subject: common issues companies experience when re-branding.  While a re-brand make seem like a a quick and easy facelift, there can be some bumps in the road along the way. Read on for what to watch for and how to handle them.
  1. Trying To Keep Up With The Competition. Don’t get us wrong, a re-brand is a great way to keep your business competitive, however, you need to be careful on how you approach this. Re-branding can be a great way to give your company a fresh look, but you want to avoid making changes too similar to competition just to stay on their level. Also pay attention to when you re-brand. Although your audience likely knows you are in competition with others, completing a re-brand directly after your competition could look petty. Make sure you are doing it for the right reasons and at the right time.
  2. Overcoming Past Perceptions. Re-vamping your brand is a great way to shake old and negative perceptions. However, it’s not as easy as just implementing a new logo or new colors. Break down the good and back aspects of your current brand, carry through good aspects and make changes to the negative ones. While keeping a few things solidifies your brand consistency, changing the negative things and publicizing those will help you overcome any negativity. Social media is a great, easy and inexpensive way to show your audience where you have made changes and encourage engagement with a “new and improved” brand again.
  3. Resistance. Whether it be from employees, management or stakeholders, there is bound to be some push back. Change is something not everyone is excepting of. Communication and a well thought out presentation are keys to a smooth transition. It’s always good to request feed back and show those who may be skeptical why the changes are being made.
  4. Identity Problems + Mixed Signals. No matter the scale of your re-brand, inconsistency is always a concern. You always want to have brand consistency even through a time of change. The new needs to mesh with the old. Getting the timing right can help greatly with any transition. Planning out a schedule on how and when you will introduce and roll out changes. Spanning the change out over time will allot you to address any minor issues you face along the way.
As always, working with a professional can greatly increase you rate of success with re-branding and reduce the headache and any problems you could face. If you think it’s time to re-brand or have questions, reach out to us today.