This guide will walk you through the process of preparing for a rebrand so that you can ensure it not only goes well but is effective.
So, you’ve decided… or decided-ish. It’s time to rebrand your business.
First, congratulations!
Rebranding is a pretty big deal (yes, I know I’m biased). It’s exciting and fun and new. The possibilities seem endless and you may already be envisioning the huge transformation that is going to happen to your business once you complete the process.
But here’s the thing. Rebranding isn’t just about new colors and fonts and a new logo. It’s about changing the entire experience someone has with your business.
So with that in mind, how do you get ready for that big of an overhaul? And is it even possible to do so without adding to the overwhelm?
Oh friend, I’m so glad you asked.
Today, we’re going to walk through the tips, tricks and tactics of getting your business ready for a rebrand.
In This Post
>> What is a rebrand?
>> What can a rebrand do for your business?
>> How do you know if you need a rebrand?
>> What should you do to prepare your business for a successful rebrand?
What is a rebrand?
When we think about the Witt and Company definition of a brand, it’s how people think, feel and act in regards to your business’s identity.
Given this definition, a rebrand then, is intentionally changing those thoughts, feelings and actions.
More often than not, this is done by updating the brand’s strategy, messaging and visuals.
What can a rebrand do for your business?
To answer this question, we first need to understand why we have a brand in the first place.
But let’s back up even further – Your business is selling a service that you believe is valuable, that you believe will solve a problem for someone. So, in order to sell that service, the purchaser needs to trust you, at least a little, in order to make that investment.
Your brand is the catalyst for creating that trust.
How?
Because your brand provides an experience and tells a story. And every touch point someone has with your business either enhances that story or detracts from it.
And every time your brand falls into that ‘enhance’ category, you build even more trust with the visitor, viewer, community member.
So, this means that we maximize trust-building by providing a consistent and cohesive experience.
Which brings us to the original question: what can a rebrand do for your business?
Well, if your brand experience is full of inconsistencies, a rebrand can have a dramatic effect on your business. By going through the branding process and getting clear on your strategy (the plan for communicating your brand) and then bringing that plan to life through consistent visuals, you not only will help your audience better understand what you do and how you can help them, but you’ll also get back on track from a behind-the-scenes perspective.
In the simplest terms, a rebrand will help you get all your ducks in a row so that you can consistently and cohesively communicate your brand to the right people at the right time.
How do you know if you need a rebrand?
Well damn. Rebranding sounds pretty great, huh? But how do you know if you’re ready for an entire overhaul or if you just need support with strategy, or maybe a visual refresh, or just a new website?
For an in-depth answer, hop on over to this post, walking you through, in detail, the five most common reasons a business would rebrand. For the cliffnotes version, those five reasons are:
- You’re serving a new audience
- The visuals don’t effectively or accurately reflect the desired brand experience
- You’ve DIY’ed everything up to this point and your brand lacks consistency
- You’re pivoting what you offer and/or how you serve
- You’re changing the name of your business
What should you do to prepare your business for a successful rebrand?
Great, so you align with one of those five reasons and you’re ready to jump in. How on earth do you get ready for the rebranding process?
Get leadership and team buy-in.
If you’re killin’ it as a solopreneur, great. All you have to do is check-in with yourself and make sure you’re able to make the investment. But, if you have a team and/or you’re wanting your CEO/owner to embark on this process, the first step is getting everyone on board.
Rebranding isn’t a quick, one-week endeavor. Because you’re changing the identity and experience of your brand, it should be something you take your time with. And when everyone is supportive, the entire process goes a lot smoother. Both for you and your team, but also for the brand partner you are working with.
So how do you get buy-in? Go back to the list above and use that as a way to explain the pitfalls of the current brand and why it’s not working for the business. Use those items as a starting point to explain that a brand is supposed to enhance the experience but when even just one of them isn’t aligned, the brand can be more a detriment than anything else.
Understand the scope of the project.
What I mean by this is, what in your brand experience needs the update? This could be something as simple as, we just need to go through our strategy foundation (who, what, why, how) and then update the basic visuals (logo, fonts, colors). Or, maybe you have courses that will need to be updated and a whole ton of assets/collateral that will need to be changed.
It can seem overwhelming at first glance but deep breaths and know that it doesn’t have to be. And, it doesn’t have to be done all at once.
How do you determine what’s needed and when?
First ask where you’re currently showing up. Website, social, email, etc.
Then ask what tangible assets do you have that are part of your brand experience. Workbooks, courses, videos, social graphics, email newsletter, blog posts, podcast artwork, website graphics, etc.
And then ask, from those two lists, what is currently moving the needle forward in your business? That’s where you start. Yes, maybe you show up on Instagram but it’s not getting you clients so updating that template isn’t at the top of your list. On the flip side, maybe the onboarding experience desperately needs an update, especially once you go through the rebrand, so that jumps ahead to the top of the list.
The other piece to note is that it’s helpful to identify what you need support in doing and what you/your team can do after the rebrand is over.
Get clear on your desired result.
As we’ve discussed already, going through a rebrand is no quick process. So, if you’re going to make the investment (both time and money), then you best be damn sure what you want to get out of it.
If you go into the process with an ambiguous idea of what you’re hoping for, then it’s more likely that you’ll get a result you aren’t entirely happy with.
So, sit down and get clear on what success means for you and your business. Are you hoping to connect with the right people, get more clarity on what your brand stands for, have consistent and cohesive visuals across all the touch points, or bring more of your personality into the brand? The list can be pretty endless in terms of results but I promise you, the more clarity you have on what you are actually looking for, the better the outcome will be. Not only because you can communicate that desire to the brand partner you’re hiring but also because it can be used as a way to find the right person in the first place.
Choose your right brand partner.
Which brings us to the last piece – be intentional about choosing the right branding professional.
I know that’s a loaded phrase, so here’s an example: Let’s say you decide that success means bringing more of you as a person into your brand. It would then make sense to find a brand partner who specializes in helping businesses make the transition from business-brand to personal-brand. Or, if you know that you want to pivot your ideal client and start targeting corporate clients, it makes sense to work with a brand professional who operates in that space because they’ll know the right questions to ask and how to design for that type of clientele.
That being said, ensuring that your brand partner has to specialize in your specific use-case isn’t the be-all, end-all. I believe there’s a lot to be said for personality and likeability. Meaning, if you really get along with your brand professional but they aren’t necessarily the go-to for your space, it could still be a great fit. That’s why I’d recommend hopping on a call with at least two or three branding professionals to make sure you’re finding the right fit.
Shameless plug: If you’re ready to change up your brand’s identity and jump into the rebranding process, we’d love to support you! Click here to schedule a call and get support with your rebrand.
Happy (re)branding!
All my best,
Additional Resources
Want to know if you’re ready for a rebrand? Here’s how to know if it’s time.
Just need a little visual refresh? Here are five updates you can make to your brand without hiring a pro.
Not sure if you need just a logo or a full brand? Check out this post for all the tips!
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