Is rebranding in your company’s future?
IIf you have been in business for a while, are noticing that there’s some new competition popping up, you’ve had a change in your audience, or you and your employees need a morale boost, you may be ready to explore a rebrand.
Over the past five years, I have worked with many small- to mid-size businesses who were ready for just that. The time had come for them to look at themselves and decide if their business needed something new, something different. While I love the challenge of rebranding and the chance to collaborate with my clients, rebranding is not a decision to take lightly. Rebranding involves redefining the way your business is perceived. It starts by knowing who you are and how flexible you are in these four areas:
- Are you ready to update or change your logo?
- Are you willing to change your current color schemes?
- Are you open to creating new messaging?
- Has the time come for you to rethink your core values?
If you answered, “yes” to one or more of these questions, your business may be ripe for a rebrand. If so, let’s take a deeper diver into rebranding your business.
Has your brand outgrown your identity?
If your business has been around for a long time, your original brand identity may no longer fit who you are today. Who you were in the early 2000s may not look like the company you are in 2025. If your products/services, or core values have changed, a rebrand can help realign your business to reflect who you are today and the way your customers see you. Look at your physical surroundings, does it reflect your identity? Does your signage, website, uniforms or even the color of the paint on your walls clearly identify who you are? When your customers see you are they getting a current picture of your business? If you have matured in any of these areas, rebranding may be just the thing your business needs.
Are you targeting a new audience?
If you are looking to expand into a new market or target a new demographic, does your current brand have the ability to connect or resonate with this new audience? Developing a fresh look and message may help you connect and reach a new market more authentically. Determine if this new population of potential customers is worth the investment in rebranding, and if so…go for it!
Does your brand feel tired and outdated?
Even big names like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, who have very distinct brand identities, have had to update their signature logos. From font types to text spacing, rebranding can be ever so subtle yet mighty impactful. Design trends change with each new decade, and so do consumer expectations. If your brand looks like it’s stuck in the past, it might be time for a modern refresh.
Have you outgrown yourself?
You may have started your business on the dining room table of your home. And because you started out small your name and image were perfect for the audience you were trying to attract. But now, after decades of experience under your belt, you’re aiming for something bigger. A rebrand can scale your identity to match your ambition and reflect who you want to be in the future.
Do you need a fresh start?
Over the course of your company’s lifetime you may have experienced some difficult times. Whether it was bad public relations, poor customer experiences, or outdated business practices, rebranding can be a strategic way to start fresh. If you need to shed some of the bad juju a rebrand can be the remedy to get you back on your feet!
Deciding when and if to rebrand is a tough question to ask yourself and your leadership team. If the idea has been floating around the water cooler consider these points. Rebranding can be powerful if done well and at the right time. If you are seriously considering a rebrand, start with a brand audit or an employee or customer survey to get a pulse, and go from there.
Until then, all the best!
