5 Things To Think About Before Re-Branding
Re-brand is sometimes a bit of a mythical beast — the hope and expectations on it are huge, with a revolutionary change in business direction often banked on the creative work.
It’s a science and an art, it’s fickle and it can — without expectations properly set — end in long and drawn-out process that neither delivers want you want or more importantly, need.
It can be as beautiful as you like but that doesn’t mean it will sell.
So, what to think about before re-branding? Here’s out top 5 key insights based on years of experience delivering branding and re-branding for some of the best clients in the country.
1. Start with who.
This is everything. Who is your audience? Not who do you think your audience is, not who you want them to be — they are two very different things. Both of which need considering. Who is buying your good/service right now. What do they like and what do they want to see more of. If you make a brand for yourself (a common mistake), it can be as beautiful as you like but that doesn’t mean it will sell.
2. Culture first, creative second.
This leads on from the first point. Once you have an idea of that audience (A/B testing on social is one way of doing it, for example), then immerse yourself in that culture. What are they reading, where are they spending time, what podcasts are they listening to, who is influential there (note — not an influencer!). The better you can paint a brand world through the culture, the more you can get under the skin of what truly resonates with your target audience.
3. Less is more.
An old adage but it still stands the test of time. Whatever you’re doing, you’re probably over thinking it (occupational hazard) and it will likely need stripping back. Go back to basics & build it back up again — what do you need? What’s essential to convey meaning? Don’t hammer the point, the brand, the colour, the pun, the ‘cleverness’ — just keep it simple and good creative will always shine through.
4. It doesn’t have to please everyone
Another thing we see time & time again when clients are in the process of creating a new brand is that they want to create something everyone loves. Them, their bosses, their partners, their customers, their colleagues. But it doesn’t matter what your colleagues think… what do the target audience think? Test, test and test again. Social boosting is a great quick & easy litmus test.
5. If you have to explain it, it doesn’t work.
This shouldn’t need explaining, but here goes. Sometimes we find things so complex, over-engineered, over-laboured or over-cooked that the branding doesn’t ‘come out’ easily. It’s a struggle to extract. And that’s not creatives not up to the task, it’s a task too bloated too be refined.
Branding, after all, should be the striking & elegant way to articulate who you are and what you do.
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