As entrepreneurs and business owners, our businesses are like our babies.  We invest time, money, and energy into them, watch them grow over time, and have a vision of how we want them to succeed.  Just like how a baby will go through many stages in their life, so do our businesses.  Ask yourself this question: As a baby ages, do they look the same?  The answer is obviously no, and the same idea can be applied to our businesses.  For the last 20 years, I’ve worked with businesses of all sizes to transform their visual identities and brand experiences to reflect the changes they go through as they grow.

Are you unsure if a rebrand or brand refresh is right for you?  Here are my top 3 reasons for rethinking your brand.

Reflect changes made to your business

Have you recently made any major changes to your business?  If so, you may want to consider updating your brand.  Whether you choose to do a complete rebrand or simply a refresh will depend on how major the change is, but anytime one of my clients changes their business model, product/service focus, or their target audience, I recommend they update their brand.

Think of your brand and visual identity as an ad.  You have a split second to capture someone’s attention, make your point, and intrigue them to want to know more.  If your brand assets, including your logo, website, and other marketing collateral, are not reflective of the current state of your business, you run the risk of causing confusion for your potential customers. 

Keep up with the times

Put yourself in the shoes of a customer.  Would you prefer to shop at a store that is visually appealing, or one that looks run down?  While there’s a chance the run down store may have better prices, naturally, you’re more likely to want to enter the attractive store.  The same concept can be applied to your brand.  If you’ve been using the same logo and brand assets for the last 20 years, I recommend modernizing them. 

Even if you think that there is nothing wrong with your brand and that it’s been successful throughout the years, consider that even the most successful of brands, such as Apple, IBM, GE, and Microsoft, have altered their visual identities over time.  Of course, I recommend staying true to who you are by keeping your core values and some of your most defining elements so as to not confuse your customers with a completely foreign look.  Additionally, be sure to communicate a major brand change to them as well.

Differentiate yourself from the competition

In today’s business world, competition is tough.  Use your brand as a way to stand out from the crowd.  I recommend conducting a brand audit to ensure your brand resonates with your target audience, sets you apart from the competition, and is consistent across all of your marketing channels.  There’s nothing worse than spending time and money on developing a brand, only to later realize that it is very similar to another brand.  If that’s the case, you again run the risk of causing confusion for your customers.

If you’ve gone through a major change in your business, whether as a result of COVID-19 or not, now may be the perfect time to consider a rebrand or brand refresh.  With over 20 years of experience in the business, CreativeWorks Marketing is the go-to agency for all of your branding needs!