Time to Rebrand?

What does a rebranding mean?

Rebranding – the big ‘rebrand’ – it’s a term that can confuse and can often mean different things to different people. So, as we’re helpful little bees here at Pistachio, and might know a thing or two about brands – having helped many of our lovely clients to develop creative for, promote and yes, even re-brand, some of their own – we’ve decided to tell you what we perceive ‘rebranding’ to mean to help clear up any confusion.

So here a few misconceptions surrounding a rebrand to whet your appetite…

– Deciding to rebrand does not necessarily mean that you need to change your name or URL

When you decide to embark upon a rebrand you are doing so in order to ensure that your business’s overall image, identity and marketing strategy is all in line and is positioned to appeal to current audiences and markets. In 90% of cases, your name, and therefore your domain, will likely stay the same.

This means that you won’t lose your core fan base that you’ve spent years gaining the trust and loyalty of, and they in turn will continue to move forward with you in the rebranding process.

If you do decide that a name change is in order however – then you, of course, have to embark on a full rebrand anyway.

– New logo or refresh? – The choice is yours!

Rebranding often means the re-design of your company logo. There is no need to panic however – just like having a wardrobe overhaul, you’re still the same person, you just look more professional, polished and contemporary.

However, if your logo is strong and extremely recognisable within your current brand identity, then sometimes it’s best to opt for a brand refresh rather than a complete rebrand and re-design of the logo. Options for this include keeping visual elements from the current identity but updating components such as an updated colour palette, typography, iconography, imagery and graphics.

A refresh can also incorporate new brand messaging, strengthening your offering, yet still keeping the core visual elements of your identity the same – the brand promise and other surrounding elements can transform how your name and logo are recognised and a monumental scale.

– Rebranding does not detract from your objectives, it captures new attention!

Making a significant change to anything within your business always poses a risk – but taking the leap to rebrand can help you to reach more people and re-align attention back to you and what you can offer.

Additionally the whole process of a rebrand allows you more insight into your business and people’s perception of it. It can force you to rethink and re-examine what is most important to you and the people you want to attract.

With change comes risk, but remaining the same can also mean degeneration – times have changed, so keeping your brand fresh means keeping your business ahead of the curve.

– When is the right time to rebrand?

Depending on the age and size of your business the answer to this can vary – but if your organisation has been around for 20-30 plus years, then you will have already seen massive shifts in how your business operates and the way in which you reach and connect with customers. As audiences develop and grow in the new digital age, so do their tastes and the way in which they perceive brands – and if your branding looks out of date, often the presumption is that your organisation is too. Don’t forget that millennials make up nearly 40% of the workforce, and this will increase year upon year, so it is key to remember that the landscape is heavily driven by the millennial perspective, both internally and within the audiences you seek to reach.

– So what have we learnt?

There are many reasons to rebrand or refresh but perhaps two important questions to ask yourself are, are you still relevant? And, is it time to embrace change?

If you are unsure of the answers to the above, or feel like you need to know more about whether a rebrand could work for you, get in touch with us today, we’re promise we’re a great sounding board for all of your great ideas!