HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT’S REALLY NECESSARY?
There are at least 5 signs that you could do with a rebranding. If you can relate to any of these, you might want to consider freshening up the look of your visual identity. This could be anything from a whole new logo and visual identity to just updating your colors or maybe adding in some new patterns and photo styles.
You have brand shame
ARE BUSINESS CARDS RECYCLABLE?
One sign you need to rebrand is if you have a visual identity, but you really, really, REALLY don’t like it. Maybe you have business cards you’re embarrassed to hand out. Or you wish your website looked sleek and savvy instead of, well, meh. If you’re not happy with how your business is presented, it’s not a good look. Pun totally intended.
You DIY’ed your brand initially
GOTTA LOVE A GOOD DIY
There’s nothing wrong with creating your brand yourself. It’s how we all start out! Especially if you’re a service provider with a side gig, it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money on something that isn’t even making you money yet. But, if your business is established and growing, you are probably ready to have a professional designer help you define your visual identity.
You no longer feel like your brand reflects who you are
MESSAGE MISMATCH?
If your messaging is all about who or what your brand used to be and who you used to serve, it won’t reach and connect with the audience you really want to work with. This can be in your literal messaging where you need some copywriting help to get the right words across that connect with your ideal clients, or it can be in the message your design is sending. You know how when you go shopping, you can usually tell which products are more expensive just by looking at their packaging? That’s design sending a clear message. So, are you a big, cheap box of chocolates, or a smaller, pricier one that’s meant to be savored? (Sorry for the weird comparison, but I really like chocolate.)
It looks outdated
RETRO IS COOL. OUTDATED IS NOT.
If your logo looks outdated and out of touch, guess what else does. Yep, you and your business. If you’re not actively marketing, it could even be so bad as to make potential customers assume you’ve gone out of business. Ooops. The last thing you want is someone finding your website and then not bothering to contact you because the design looks about 10 years old and you don’t even have any recent social media posts or reviews. I know if I stumbled across a site like that, I would rather assume they’re out of business instead of risking wasting my time with someone who’s either out of business, or will be soon.
You want start a new phase in your business journey
NEW BIZ. WHO DIS?
If your target market changes, you need to make sure that your brand appeals to them. If it won’t, it’s time to look at rebranding. You simply can’t attract the proper clients to your monkey pants business when you still look like you’re selling berets for hedgehogs. You need to make sure your branding and marketing are set up to attract the pants-wearing monkeys. Otherwise, you’ll just be attracting disappointed hedgehogs and neither will be buying from you.
But Beth, that’s silly, I’m selling to people. To everyone, in fact.
No. No, you’re not. You need to define your target market and align your business brand accordingly.
These are just a few signs that it’s time to update your visual identity. Whether or not you do is, of course, totally up to you. If you aren’t sure of how much of an overhaul you need, don’t hesitate to reach out to a designer to discuss your options. Look around at what some of your competitors do that you think would benefit you. Knowing what you want your brand to express will help determine what changes you need to make.