For a lot of small and medium-sized businesses, building a brand is never something explicitly discussed or decided upon as a strategic move. A name was chosen a long time ago, a logo made once. At some point, money was found to do a little extra advertising, and it used that original name and logo. Someone in the organisation eventually made a Facebook page.
While we tried our best to keep everything consistent, at no point do we ask “Is this the brand I want for my business?” or “Is this brand the best for improving my business?” What we have has worked so far, and so we see no reason to change.
However, because the brand was created organically, it is often not as powerful a marketing tool as it could be. Many businesses recognise this and consider rebranding. After all, many companies have grown after rebranding themselves, some even saving themselves from disaster. Why shouldn’t we take advantage of the possibilities out there? It would be nice to have more customers, after all, and to show the world that we are still the best option for everyone.
So we start to look around. We go online and discover thousands of people saying different things about brands and rebranding. They use terms that are difficult to understand, like “positioning statements”, “EPIs”, and “touchpoints”. Even more difficult for us, they often contradict each other. How much of a budget would I need to rebrand? How much do I really need to change to see the benefits? And isn’t rebranding just for those who are embarrassed by what they currently have?
There are so many myths out there about brands and what it means to “rebrand”. It’s important to recognise the biggest ones.
1. REBRANDING IS ONLY FOR BIG BUSINESS
For many people, the concept of “A Brand” sounds like marketing mumbo-jumbo best suited to big companies that have their own public relations departments. The reality is that every business has a brand. A “brand” can be most simply described as “how we are perceived by the community”. If we are offering something to a community (be it selling goods, offering a service, or providing a community service), we put ourselves out there and the community will see us. “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a nice sentiment but we do it all the time. Our businesses do better when we have good covers.
2. REBRANDING IS FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO HIDE SOMETHING
Speaking of covers, another common myth is that rebranding is for businesses who want to cover something up. Changing the name of our restaurant to hide how unhealthy it is, changing our logo to hide a shameful past, or changing our name to separate ourselves from an employee who ruined our reputation. These can all be helped by rebranding, yes, but they are definitely not the only reason to change how we are seen. Other reasons a business should consider rebranding include:
Showing how our primary services have changed.
Appealing to a new market.
Showing that our organisation is still modern and relevant.
3. REBRANDING MEANS CHANGING YOUR NAME/LOGO/IDENTITY
A lot of people who think about rebranding become worried about losing important aspects of who they are when they change. They love the name of their business and are proud of the logo they created when they first started. They are a traditional company and they want to hold onto those traditions.
There’s an old saying: “Be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.” It means when we think about removing the bad from our situation, we shouldn’t accidentally get rid of the good. That’s why branding experts identify the things that currently work and keep them. Often, they choose to make the things we care about more prominent. McDonald’s famous “golden arches” have survived many rebrandings because they are something that not only works but are important to the business.
4. REBRANDING IS SO EASY, ANYONE CAN DO IT
Some businesses can successfully rebrand themselves. They have a knack for marketing, they know their customers and how to attract new ones. They have links with creative people who can help them and successfully go through the complex process by themselves.
Most of us aren’t these people. While we might know how to create a social media page, we don’t know the tricks to get “likes”. While we can draw, we don’t know how design elements can produce the emotions we want our clients to feel when they think about us.
That’s why the most successful rebrandings take advantage of experts in the field. These experts work with us to create strong brand guidelines, create a look that pleases current clients while attracting new ones, and determine the right methods to market our new look to the community.
5. REBRANDING REQUIRES A BIG MARKETING AGENCY
“There are so many things to consider, it would be impossible to rebrand my organisation without an entire team of people. I can’t afford one of these big agencies.” It’s a very common thought. Creating an updated brand can sound like an overwhelming process and when we think of other companies that have done it, we tend to think about the big companies with the big budgets.
The reality is that we can find talented, passionate people who can help us with our budget. These people work with us personally, and offer the time to explain every choice we have. Graphic designers may sound like they only know about logos or fonts, but they also know about websites, social media presence, advertising and community engagement. Yes, big agencies do exist; agencies with clients so large in number that even they often turn to smaller firms for help. Saving money while getting the same great work? It’s an easy decision.
If you are unsure about rebranding your organisation, contact Curnow Design today, and let us help you sort out the options available. We can show you can attract new customers and clients while reassuring your current ones that you are the best people for them.
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