Author: alvarovm

Evolution or Revolution? 4 rebranding strategies

Posted on by alvarovm

No matter what past success you’ve had with your current brand identity, like all things business, it’s best to review your branding from time-to-time to ensure it’s the best representation of your business now and into the future.

SOME REASONS TO REBRAND ARE:

  • Your brand has become dated and you need to become relevant again;fs
  • You’ve changed your business’ offerings or values and your brand does not reflect this;
  • You want to attract a different, wider or new customer base for your business;
  • Your current brand identity has a logistical issue (Qantas had to change the shape of their Kangaroo to suit the tail of the Airbus A380); or
  • Perhaps your brand identity was never right in the first place because you hadn’t invested in it.

THE FIRST STEP?

It’s important to do an audit of your current brand to assess if there’s goodwill, strong recognition or nostalgia in your current brand and determine if there is something that should be salvaged and why? How subtle or dramatic can the change be without your current customer wondering where you went, or will your customers welcome the fresh change?

THE KEY TO RE-BRANDING SUCCESS?

Find an experienced strategic brand designer to navigate the process with you and help determine the best strategy for you going forward.

BELOW ARE THE 4 MOST POPULAR STRATEGIES:

(Please note, I’ve used big business examples to demonstrate but the strategies still apply for small and medium sized business. For some excellent small and medium business examples please view our case studies).

STRATEGY 1: START AFRESH

If your brand has taken a big shift in it’s core values and/or offerings, or if want to shift to an entirely different target market, then a complete revolution of your brand identity may be the best option.

Example:

re branding
AirBnB opted for a total branding overhaul.

Upside: By taking this approach it means that the brand designer is not hindered by what currently exists and a ‘blank canvass’ allows for the best opportunity to ‘get it right’ without any encumbrances.

Downside: Existing stakeholders who have become familiar with your old branding may be confused when they see your business’ new identity. So consider how you might engage with existing customers and staff about the new brand identity so nobody feels displaced or confused in the process.

STRATEGY 2: A REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE THAT RETAINS KEY ELEMENTS OF THE OLD

If you have a particular brand equity with merit you may want to consider retaining this as a starting point. This is a good option if there is a very recognisable element in the brand.

Example:

ANZ rebrand design
ANZ retained recognition by retaining the blue colour and simplifing the strike through

 

Upside: There will still be brand recognition.  

Downside: There is no real downside. This the most common strategy for small and medium sized business. See examples of how we’ve used this strategy in our case studies.

STRATEGY 3: EVOLUTIONARY INCREMENTAL TWEAKS

A common strategy for big business and multinationals, mostly because there is a lot of brand goodwill, recognition or nostalgia in these big brands.

Example:

Qantas re brand design
Qantas has stayed modern by the use of incremental tweaks every 7 years or so.

 

Upside: Your customers will not consciously notice the change but they will feel that your brand is fresh, modern and relevant. If your brand mark is all over multiply applications (uniforms, signage, print, packaging, product, digital, planes, trains and automobiles), all over the country or the world then you can update the new brand identity slowly without it appearing fractured.

Downside: Providing changes are not made too often there are no significant downsides.

STRATEGY 4: RETAIN THE EXISTING BRAND IDENTITY BUT CHANGE THE CAMPAIGN AROUND IT.

Basically, change nothing yet stay current. This is a big ask and is only a viable option if you have a simple timeless logo or a logo with associated nostalgia.  

Example:

timeless chanel luxury brand

Chanel new brand
Chanel’s advertising has changed dramatically over the years but the brand remains unchanged and timeless.

Upside: Well recognised brand identity is retained.

Downside: The brand is dependant on clever evolving marketing decisions.

Hopefully now you’re feeling inspired and informed about your options going forward.

If you seek an excellent return on investment hire a boutique specialist brand design studio that can walk you through the process. Get in contact with us today.  

You can read more about Fresh Eyes Studio here.

6 things to consider when hiring a brand designer

Posted on by alvarovm
Choosing the designer that’s going to be the creator and custodian of your brand is a daunting prospect. It’s a leap of faith but with a little due diligence and consideration you can weed out the ‘wanna be’s’ and find the talented professional designer that will be your partner to brand success.

REFERRALS OR TESTIMONIALS

If someone you know has a great brand, ask who did it, ask if they were happy with the designers process and customer service? Don’t just go with your niece or second cousin, not all designers were created equal.

PORTFOLIO

Does their work appeal to you straight away? Have they worked for similar industries as your business? Have they worked on a wide range of applications – print, web, packaging and signage? Have they solved real client needs and created a timeless, engaging, thoughtful and strategic brands?

PROCESS

Ok, so you’ve narrowed down your selection to those with glowing testimonials and a winning portfolio. But the only way to ensure that the work done for you is equally as good is if the designer follows a consistent process and doesn’t prescribe before they’ve diagnosed. Does the designer have their own briefing form? Does the designer include you in the process and show you mood boards and or sketches so that you can provide feedback early on in the process? What is the timing of each stage? Contrary to popular belief, discipline is not the enemy of creativity in fact, the two compliment each other very well.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

How available is the designer? Are they juggling too many projects? Can you get her/him on the phone? Do you respond timely to emails? If you’re not getting any attention pre engagement, how do you expect to be treated after when you’ve paid your deposit. You want a designer who is consistent in their communication.

DELIVERABLES

Asking for a quote on a brand design is like asking how long is a piece of string. So what are you getting that you can use and implement? Will they supply you with print and web ready logos, will they supply a brand board with colour, font, graphic and photography style breakdown. When showing you design options will they show how the brand works in context of you web home page, a brochure, a business card or signage? Also don’t make the mistake of thinking the designer that’s doing 10 options is a better option than the designer offering 2 options, Quality over quantity and at the end of the day, you only need one.

PRICE

More often than not, you get what you pay for. Look for a designer with low overheads. You want to be paying for time and expertise, not high-end offices. If the designer is too cheap then their business is not sustainable and they may not be on hand when you need them in the future. How many revisions are included in the price? You may also be annoyed when you want that one extra change because they know they never charged enough in the first place.

Hopefully now you’re feeling informed about your hiring approach.

If you seek an excellent return on investment hire a boutique specialist brand design studio that can walk you through the process. Get in contact with us today.

You can read more about Fresh Eyes Studio here.