Redesigning Your Brand

Rebranding can be critical to capturing new markets and buffing up your image

By Judy Artunian, Freelance Writer

When you redesign your brand, your company takes on a new identity in the marketplace. Companies typically rebrand when they want to reach new markets, update their image, market a new product or service line, or after merging with another organization. A brand redesigning effort can be as simple as a retailer giving his display windows a trendier look, or as complex as a newly-acquired manufacturing company overhauling everything from product packaging to the way it bills its customers.

The steps to developing a new brand include such branding fundamentals as understanding your target markets and identifying what you bring to those markets. But rebranding also requires its own set of considerations. Among the most critical:

Determine how your new brand can be integrated into every customer touch point.
Make sure that employees understand the values behind the new brand and how to incorporate those values into their work.
Take into account how your loyal, long-time customers might react to a re-tooled brand.

Brush up on basics and trends

Whether you're new to branding or it's been a while since you've launched a new brand, it's time to get up to speed on the latest thinking about branding.
Try: Check out world-renowned branding consultant Martin Lindstrom’s Web site for a host of branding tools, including books, a video blog, DVDs and a collection of insightful (and free!) articles. Although small businesses probably can’t afford this guru’s speaking fees, you can download free snippets of his presentations on the site.

Hire a rebranding expert

Let the pros help you formulate and execute your new brand.
Try: BrandChannel offers an online directory of professionals ranging from branding strategists to packaging designers.

Tap into logo power

Give careful thought to your logo. It's one of the most critical elements of your new brand. If you doubt that, consider the power of Nike's famous "swoosh" logo.
Try: Go to Creative Hotlist to find graphic designers who have logo-design experience. If you’re in a hurry, Logoworks can deliver several logo concepts to you in just three business days.

See how award-winners did it

Wondering what a successful rebranding campaign looks like?
Try: View examples of award-winning rebranding programs for all types of businesses, including small companies, and check out rebranding strategies at Rebrand.

Introduce your new brand to existing customers

If you have a database that includes contact information for your current customers, you can announce your rebrand to them via a direct mail campaign. According to Hank Blank, of Hank Blank Inc, a marketing consultant who has worked on some of the world's largest brands, "The key thing that they should convey is what is new about the product." What about the time-honored practice of reassuring current customers that you'll still deliver quality products or services? "Quality and service are generic claims and basic points of entry. Who sells bad products with lousy service and continues to survive today?" says Blank.
Try: If you have permission to e-mail your customers, check out Campaigner.com where you can use templates to create direct marketing e-mail messages, automate your e-mail delivery and manage your contact lists.

Just because a new design-be it a logo, a brochure or a Web site-looks hip, that doesn't make it right for your target market.
It's time to start fresh, so let go of the temptation to tweak old logos and tag lines. And while you're at it, toss out your old ideas about where to market your goods and services.
Know why you're redesigning your brand. Being bored with your old brand, or being pressured by a new marketing manager who wants to be a hero, are not sound reasons to toss out a brand that still has clout. Investigate ways to make your current brand stronger before you turn to rebranding.