So you’ve been in business for about 3 years and a lot has changed. Your business has evolved and the branding doesn’t quite align with what you are offering anymore. Sometimes, change is as good as a holiday! A fresh lick of paint can revive a dull living room, a new haircut can boost self-esteem, and a rejuvenated image can bring life back to an outdated brand.
To stay successful, your business must continually adapt to new opportunities and external influences. As your company evolves and grows, you’ll need to periodically refocus your brand to reflect who you’ve become, what you stand for, and why it matters. A refresh or a rebrand delivers clarity and a revitalising change for your brand’s future.
Brand development is a bit of a process so the thought of it might be daunting, But to stay competitive in your niche, appeal to your target market and evolve as a business it’s so important to revisit and refresh your branding every 2-3 years.
But then what are we talking about when we say ‘your brand’? Your logo, your website or just your font and colours. For Clever Octopus, your brand is a lot more than a logo, it’s the fonts, the colours, the tone of your voice in your headlines, the images you use across all materials and the way you position yourself or deal with customer issues.
It can be challenging to differentiate between the terms brand refresh and rebrand. If you want to make your brand more appealing to the current market, you might need to refresh it.
A brand refresh typically maintains a visual connection to how the brand identity was seen before. For example, the logo remains the same, but the tagline is updated. A new, updated colour palette may be introduced. Or, the logo is tweaked to update the look and feel for the company. It’s also an excellent option if you are expanding into a new market, perhaps the relationship between your offers and brand isn’t working. A brand refresh could involve modifying the tagline, the colours, the typefaces and the logo, as well as marketing collateral. This increases the brand’s relevance and ability to connect with a larger audience.
On the other hand, a rebrand is more of a complete transformation to a new identity and brand system for the same name. It goes beyond simply redesigning the website or its logo. A rebrand aims to transform the perception of your business. A deep dive into who you are now and how you want to be perceived in the future.
So now you’re wondering if it’s the right time for a rebrand or refresh?
If any of the below statements sound like your business, chances are it’s time for a freshen’ up:
- We’re a great company with cutting-edge products, but our identity looks behind the times.
- Our logo no longer aligns with where the company is headed and what audiences it’s targeting.
- Our identity does not translate well to a digital environment.
- Our brand does not position us to be a stand out competitor in our field.
- Our colour palette is not up to date with current trends.
- We love our symbol, but our logo is unreadable.
- We are a well-recognised brand, but our logo needs a facelift.
When your brand changes, it’s time to change your branding!
Ultimately, the decision to refresh your brand can be a difficult one, but it’s worth thinking about when your current image isn’t delivering the results you need. In some cases, you might discover that the best way to bring your company back to life is a complete rebrand! In reality, you’ll get the most out of your brand if you treat it as a kind of living thing, not something you build once and put aside.
No matter what changes you decide to implement, take the time to make a thorough recommendation and have an expert involved to help you. Having that expert present to your team can go a long way in helping them see how important this exercise is and how it can impact your future growth.
If you’re ready to get started, or you’re still unsure, contact our creative team for an open and honest chat about how we can help make your brand look fresh.
