5 Signs You Aren’t Ready to Rebrand
A blog we never thought we’d write, but one you may need to hear. Sometimes, you aren’t ready for a rebrand and that’s okay. While we love to share the benefits of strategic and beautiful branding, there are circumstances where we recommend waiting or reconsidering a rebrand.
You aren’t clear on your business’s goals
While we often think of the visuals when considering branding, there is a lot of strategic choices behind each aspect of brands we design. When we work with clients we dive deep into their businesses goals and make sure their visuals will set them up for success. Sometimes businesses come along that are in a transition period or the owners are unsure what they want to see for their business in the next 6 months, 1 year, or even 5 years. If this is you, we recommend holding off on rebranding your business until you have a clear vision of where you’re headed! Sometimes a business coach or some soul searching is required before designing a new identity for your business.
You don’t have time to commit to the process
The most valuable thing a small business owner often has is their time! While a brand designer will be taking care of the design hours, there is often a lot of time required to examine your business & the goals of your rebrand project. Before design begins we require clients fill out questionnaires to understand their business, goals, values, target demographics, and visual likes & dislikes. We then include them throughout the process with revisions & refinements before we have the finished product. We view branding projects as a collaborative process, and the more time you can dedicate to helping your brand designer understand the essence of your business the better.
You aren’t prepared to invest in replacing everything with your old branding
This is a tough one for us, and causes us some pain when we see this (haha!). The ultimate goal of branding should be to create an identity around your business & allow your customers to form a relationship with your brand. Because of this it is important to create a consistent visual identity no matter where they see you. While we often think of the online things that will change with a rebrand (your social media display photos, your website, etc.), there can be a lot of collateral that requires changing. Whether this is storefront signs, business cards, or packaging, you’ll want to make sure you have thought through all of the digital & physical places you’ll need to update. When budgeting for your rebrand, include the price of all of these items in your total to make sure you are prepared.
You recently rebranded
Unlike outfits, brand design is not something you want to be changing too frequently for your business. This is often something we see with clients who seek trendy brand design and are always comparing themselves to other businesses. Followers & customers commit your brand to memory and too many changes creates confusion and a disconnect with your brand. View your branding as a commitment and try to minimize constant changes to colours, fonts, or full out rebrands. Instead, take the time to work with a brand designer that can capture your brand’s uniqueness and create a timeless aesthetic.
Your current branding is working
This can occur in two cases:
1. Your business is flourishing & you are consistently getting inquiries from your dream clients. In this case, congratulations! Your branding is likely targeting the right demographic and this is usually not the best time to start changing your visuals too drastically.
2. Your business is doing okay, but you aren’t meeting all of your business goals. While we are the first to say your brand makes a huge impact in your businesses success, it isn’t always the culprit when things aren’t going right. There are times when a new website, social media strategy, or working on your offerings or services will make the biggest impact.