Having a rebrand can be beneficial for many reasons and having a fresh start sometimes is the best way to carry out business. This is something that can create real disruption in the market, whether this is changing the logo, the colour scheme or alternatively running your business under a new brand name.
A rebranding is a huge decision and should not be taken lightly as you still need to accommodate your existing customers whilst rebranding. If done incorrectly, you will find that you lose existing customers which can be detrimental to your business. In this article, we will go through how to rebrand without losing your existing audience.
Understand The Reasons For Your Branding Change
The first thing you need to do is determine whether a rebrand is right for you. If you are wanting a rebrand for the sake of it, then think again as this can hinder progress in your business. If you are looking at a rebrand for reasons such as to expand your audience, then this has substance. When rebranding, it is important to understand that every department in your business is going to be affected in some way so have a solid reason behind your rebrand for a smooth process.
If you are looking at expanding your audience, adding new services or products or have merged with another brand, then it is time for a rebrand, if you are looking to add a different colour because you don’t like it anymore, this is not a reason to rebrand.
Ensure You Have A Well Thought Out Plan
On paper, it can seem pretty simple to have a rebrand, but this couldn’t be further from the truth, it probably takes more time to rebrand than thinking of your brand in the first place. The whole process takes time and adjustments from you and your employees. Rebranding is much more than simply changing the name of your brand, it takes a whole load of considerations such as the rebrand guidelines, reviewing current products or services, adjusting workflows and product guides and much more.
A successful rebrand will include a detailed plan whereas a rebrand with no plan is bound to fail. Plan everything you need to do with your rebrand and map everything out so you have a clear direction. This will include your marketing strategy, brand identity and design.
Make The Rebrand Public
Many people think that when rebranding should not be made public as it can result in unrest with your workers and cause them to think that something bad is happening. This isn’t all true, by keeping your rebrand public you can improve your business rather than hinder results.
Making your rebrand public and making your reasons for your process, can help to increase visibility as well as let your existing customers know that they are still a priority. This can actually improve your business in many ways when you go public with your rebrand. This is because your rebrand will more than likely reach more people than you first may think as it may appeal to the larger market. Show how your business can benefit them and you will easily be able to see the improvements.
Anticipate Questions and Concerns From Your Customers
When you are rebranding, it is impossible to please everyone so you are going to face some questions regarding why you are rebrand and what you are doing to it to name a few. Many customers are going to feel that there is something wrong, so making it public is the best option. When you are answering these questions it is best to be prepared and actually have some answers written down so that you are not giving different bits of information to different people. Communicating effectively and answering questions can help to maintain relationships and build new ones. This is also a good opportunity to do your own market research to find out what your customers are wanting from the rebrand and also what they want to keep.
Keep Your Existing Customers In Mind
When you are looking to rebrand, it is essential that you keep your existing customers in mind. Your existing customers may have been supporting you for years, these customers are how you got successful, so it is best to be accommodating to these customers. At the end of the day, you have a service or product that they like, so don’t remove the parts they love, even if you are having a total rebrand, you need to be able to expand whilst keeping your loyal customers happy.
A rebrand aims to do better for its customers so the business can grow, this indicates that you will need to cater to their needs and wants first over the rebrand. This will ensure that your customers remain loyal.
Rebranding your business is a huge decision that must be planned out correctly whilst also keeping your existing customers at the forefront of your mind so that you can cater to all of their needs above anyone else. These are the clients that have given you success so don’t brush them aside for a more attractive audience. This will result in a loss of clients and in turn, less business than you started with.
Rethink Your Content Strategy
One way you can help your rebrand is through altering your content strategy. This will help to shift how you target your consumers and how they view your brand. Ensure your content covers your brand values as well as how you cover your existing and potential customers’ needs. When creating new content re-aligning your business with your customers is essential so this is where it is important to continue to optimise your brand guidelines and tone of voice if this is what you are choosing to do. This also includes not just written content, but social media, video content, blogs, emails, website content and everything else as it all needs to be consistent throughout all platforms. This will ensure that your customers and potential customers are aware of the rebrand and if they are seeing differences in the branding, then at least they understand why.
It can be difficult to get a rebrand right, and many people who do rebrand on their own fail due to the number of small factors that are missed. If you get your rebrand wrong, this can be detrimental to your business. Hiring a branding agency Manchester or London based will enable you to hire some of the best talents in the UK. If you are rebranding, ensure you have a viable reason for it as you may have some challenges on the way from your existing customers.
