It’s difficult to admit, but you’ve fallen out of love. Your brand used to give you butterflies in your stomach, but now, you’re wondering if you’d be better off as friends.
Instead of giving up on your brand completely, it might be time for a refresh. A brand refresh will bring back that loving feeling for you and your customers.
What to Expect During a Brand Refresh
A brand refresh is an opportunity to change your messaging and the emotional appeal you make to your customers. The refresh should also incorporate the changes your business has made since the brand was originally built.
This process can seem overwhelming. You will have to change marketing materials, and you might need to redesign your logo and other graphics. Even your social media channels will be impacted.
While it seems like a lot to handle, you can make the process simple with the right amount of preparation.
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1. Have a Specific Goal in Mind
Define your brand’s priorities and values, and then use that information to set your goals. What do you want your brand to look like after the refresh? What do you hope to accomplish? Use SMART goal setting (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) to give your company honest expectations and hopes for the process.
2. Know What You Like and Don’t Like About Your Current Branding
You’ve worked hard to create your current brand identity, and you do not want to start from scratch during the refresh. Identify the aspects of the identity that you like, so you can incorporate them into your new branding.
At the same time, it’s also important to understand what you don’t like. If you are unhappy with an aspect of your branding – logo design, tagline, brand colors, in-store signage, personality – you need to leave it on the cutting room floor during the refresh. At the very least, that aspect needs to be updated to reflect your current goals.
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3. Identify Your Brand’s Story
Storytelling is a huge part of the branding process. The most successful brands know how to tell stories. Even if your business is relatively new, you can talk about how your company was founded, you can spotlight employees, and talk about your mission or vision for the future. Find a way to incorporate our unique voice into your brand refresh.
4. Conduct Market Research
Analyze the market and competitors to ensure your new branding will be a hit with your buyer personas. Look at design elements and messaging so your refresh will be on point. The idea is to pull even more target customers in with the refresh, and research can help with that.
5. Maintain a Consistent Message
A brand refresh is an excellent time to make changes, but don’t change the focus of the brand too much. Your brand messaging needs to stay consistent at its core, even though you can adopt some key changes. If you have a large customer base, don’t make radical changes that could put off your customers.
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Don’t Be Afraid of Change
Many brands are afraid of a refresh because they fear change. Change can be frightening, but it can also be beneficial. If your brand is feeling a bit stale, analyze the issue and come up with fun and creative ways to give it a much-needed spark.
If you’re not sure exactly how to get started, that’s OK. The creative and marketing experts at Ironmark can help you evaluate what is and isn’t working for your brand and make recommendations for the future. Drop us a line today to see where your new branding can take you!
