Nearly every business has to rebrand at some point, for a number of reasons. As businesses and the market keep changing and evolving, your brand has to keep up with these changes. You may want to appeal to a new demographic, or you may have added your product lines, or the business may be under new management. Along with the rebranding, a logo redesign can give your business a boost and greater recognition.
Rebranding is a complex process and needs a lot of planning to get it right. There are plenty of examples of companies that have rebranded successfully as they grew and changed, like FedEx and Apple. And there are the rebranding fails, like the new Tropicana orange juice packaging which resulted in dramatically lower sales. Luckily, you can learn from these examples to successfully rebrand your company.
The process of rebranding demands significant thought, effort and coordination on your part. You must take into account how you want to reposition your company, the new image you want to create for your brand, and the customers you want to reach. You must also decide on the scope of the rebranding, and whether you need to make a few visual tweaks or do a complete change with a new name, mission and vision. A logo redesign from websites like logomyway is an important part of the rebranding, because it’s one of the primary ways in which your company interacts with the world.
Reasons for rebranding your company
Before you begin the process of rebranding, it’s important to be clear about your reasons for doing so. This can help you decide on the scope and extent of the rebranding. There are both internal and external factors that can make it necessary to rebrand a business. Here are some common reasons why companies choose to rebrand.
1. Your company has grown and evolved from its original mission
This is one of the commonest and best reasons for rebranding. It could be because your company has grown and changed or added to its product line. You may be about to go international or enter a new market. This is a good time to redefine yourself and boost your image at the same time.
2. You want to appeal to a new demographic
Many companies find that the market has changed and grown away from them, and they need to adapt to the needs of a new demographic. Sometimes a more old-fashioned look needs to be replaced by something more contemporary to stay current.
3. Your company is under new management
People retire and companies change hands. As part of the new management, you may want to take the company in a new direction. This could be a slight modification or a major change, but either one should be reflected in the rebranding and logo redesign.
4. You need to differentiate yourself from the competition
Nothing in the world of business stays still and the competition may have evolved into a near-clone of your business. In that case, it’s time to differentiate yourself to stand out from the growing number of competitors. This is your chance to tell the world what makes your business unique.
Your reasons for rebranding may be a mixture of these, but once you’re clear about your goals, you can proceed to plan the rebranding.
How to plan the rebranding
Your brand essentially tells the story of your company to the world. It tells them what you do, why and how you do it, and your goals in the short and long term. Market research and feedback can help you in aligning your story with the wants and needs of your current and new customers. Surveys and focus groups are useful tools at this stage to get feedback that you can use as you plan the rebranding.
This is also the right time to think about what makes you unique, and how to add that element to your brand. You should also get feedback from your staff, since they know your business better than anyone else except yourself. The answers you get will help you to decide the type of rebranding you need – do you need just a visual makeover, with a logo redesign, or should you change your brand name as well?
Will you make just small adjustments to the existing brand to refresh it, or will it be a completely new brand? A complete rebranding will call for a change in your mission and values as well. In practical terms, you want to think about all the places where your branding appears, online and in the real world. How will your new brand appear in different settings like websites, social media, delivery vans, business signs, etc.?
Once you know the scope of your rebranding, you have to make sure that all the elements line up together. Especially if you’re going for a total rebranding, your name, mission and logo must all align perfectly. A logo redesign is an important part of the process because your logo is one of the first points of contact with the world. It represents your business, and a new logo design can be a very effective way of communicating the changes you’re making.
A successful example of rebranding: FedEx
In the world of creating brands, rebranding is seen as a challenge. When it’s done right, it can successfully boost the image of a business. One of the best-known rebranding success stories is when FedEx decided in 1994 to change their company’s image to a more dynamic one. This process worked across different fronts, from using a shorter version of the name Federal Express to a completely redesigned logo.
The new FedEx logo has become a classic – easily recognizable, with an arrow hidden in the lettering to indicate the unique qualities of the business – speed and accuracy. It reflected the company’s relevance and mission in a memorable design. The FedEx rebrand story has important lessons for any company seeking to rebrand today, especially if that also involves a logo redesign.
Logo redesign as part of rebranding
As the example of the successful FedEx rebranding shows, a logo redesign can be an essential part of boosting your company’s image and making it more current and relevant. The redesigned logo can be an aesthetic representation of your new values and mission. It doesn’t have to be a completely new design, and can simply reflect new products added to your line, like the changing Apple logo over the years.
Based on your reasons for rebranding in the first place, you can just tweak and modify your logo a little, or go for a completely new design. Newer versions of old designs tend to be sleeker and more contemporary, reflecting greater comfort and fit with the brand identity. Keeping the same basic design also helps you to maintain the connection with your current customers while reaching out to new ones.
Sometimes rebranding is an opportunity to polish and fine-tune a logo design that was put together in a hurry initially. Over time, you may have thought about how to make it simpler and more appealing, and more in line with your mission and your audience. Rebranding is the perfect time to make those changes for more effective communication.
Rebranding can be a major change for your company. It’s an exciting opportunity to refresh your image and re-engage with your customers through a new identity and logo. Whatever your reasons for rebranding your business, you can use it to give your company a boost with current and new customers.
