Today we want to talk about business evolution and the image that you portray to the world. How customers and potential customers see your business is integral to the success of your business.
With this article we wanted to talk about some of the factors that may make you sit up and think – gee it’s time I had a proper brand strategy and brand identity or you might even consider rebranding a business.
Here are some factors that may impact your decision – does your brand resonate with your target market? Does it accurately reflect your business and who you are trying to impress? Does it “future proof” your business if you then go to add extra products and services? Does your business look old and out of touch? Boring or unprofessional?
It may be hard to answer some of these questions initially but it really is worth you spending some time and consideration.
Before we look at whether you need a brand refresh, let’s look at the value of a strong brand. At its very foundation, it’s worth remembering that it is your brand that helps you inspire trust from your audiences. These audiences are many – they include customers, staff, as well as suppliers.
Your branding needs to be authentic. Your brand needs to deliver on your messages and have your audiences believe that you have integrity. Proper branding helps deliver the message that you can be trusted and relied upon to do what you say that you are going to do. This helps inspire confidence. Further, branding needs to cover every aspect of your business. If there is brand confusion anywhere this makes it difficult for your audience to understand you, sometimes to even remember you.
In this article, to date, we have used rebranding and “brand refresh” interchangeably so far but they aren’t quite the same thing. Basically the difference comes down to the “extent” of which you are changing things when it comes to your brand. For example, a “brand refresh” is more like an update – tweaking things for the future, kind of like an upgrade. A rebrand can fundamentally mean going back to the beginning and starting again. A full rebrand can help if you are looking to transform your brand’s identity – i.e. if you feel it’s not resonating with your target audiences at all.
Most major brands go through a rebranding strategy regularly – to help their business stay current and more modern. Think McDonalds or Coca Cola as great examples of companies that refresh their brand every few years. You can see how past iterations relate to their current brand and a thematic change over time. You may decide you need to do a whole rebrand if your messaging is just off – for example if your brand has been considered by your audience to be stale and “corporate” but you want to come across as bubbly and fun, you may need a full rebrand.
Whether you are looking at a refresh or a full rebrand, the team at AX Digital can help you out. We start with an in depth conversation looking at all aspects of your company, including your target audience, we look at colours you like and companies you admire, and then we can start coming up with a consistent range of brand elements to help your business resonate with your audience in the way that you want it to. Get in touch today for a no obligation quote.
