You have a sense that your brand is not resonating, now what? It’s not always easy to determine the scope of a branding project. You need to weigh a variety of factors, like the depth of research that may be needed to learn about your audiences, the equity built into your current identity, the level of disconnect between your current brand elements and how you want to be perceived, and of course, your available resources. With everything there is to think about, it can be an intimidating process, especially if you’ve never been through it before.
Before anything else, know that not all rebrands are created equal. Starting from scratch and recreating everything is a big investment of both time and money. Introducing some brand extensions to supplement what you already have? That’s a whole different level. So how do you decide your scope? Before you make decisions or plan budgets, consider a these three very different scopes: a total overhaul, a visual refresh, or a messaging strategy engagement.
Total Overhaul
When does it make sense to consider the nuclear option, complete with re-naming and designing a totally different logo? This entails rethinking who you are conceptually, then applying it to all new visuals and messaging. Your digital ecosystem and any existing collateral need to be remade as well. A dramatic shift like this is often needed if:
- the look and feel of your brand is completely mismatched with your customer experience
- your business model is changing after many years of doing the same thing, like pivoting from one service or product to another
- an unfortunate connotation arises that never existed before (something like a hate group adopting parts of your name or acronym)
- you inherited major baggage (think awful customer experiences and sky-high turnover) and need to signal new leadership and a new day
There may be other factors pushing you this way. Whatever your issues are, think carefully. A total overhaul is not the time to cut corners. While it may be appealing to try to get a deal or limit your spend by cutting audience research, you don’t want to do all of the work, only to have your new brand flop with your stakeholders. I’ve also seen organizations try to limit their costs by eliminating designs of various collateral and a printing budget, or assistance with the roll out of the brand. You’ll need all of those things. It’s best to be realistic and get the right budget in place. The bright side with this option is you don’t have to make concessions like trying to make that dusty mauve feel modern, or hoping people will suddenly glean the meaning in your cryptic mark. You have a clean slate to build the right brand for your organization.
Visual Refresh
Sometimes, it’s enough to go with a refresh, which can include things like adding a more varied color palette, a new photography or illustration style, or improving your existing logo. You may be tweaking or adding, while maintaining some elements of your brand. You’ll still need to do some research, and likely design new collateral too. But since you’re keeping some parts of your existing identity, you may be able to salvage some things, rather than recreate everything. This might make sense if:
- you have some good basics in place, but want extensions that help you bring your brand to life in new ways
- the concept behind your brand is working, but some of the visuals need updating
- your brand works for your current customers, but doesn’t resonate with a new potential audience or industry
The caution with the refresh is to understand what you’re getting. It’s easy to start digging around, making changes, and then find yourself wishing for the total overhaul. A good way to avoid that is to isolate a research period that helps inform your brand scope before you are committed to a path. A refresh has its limitations, but there’s appeal to this option too. Aside from the fact that it costs less and can move more quickly, the great thing about a refresh is that it taps into the equity you already have built up in your current brand.
Messaging Strategy
In some cases, you may already have a well-designed visual brand, but still struggle to bring your brand to life. In those cases, the best track may be focusing on your messaging. This makes sense if:
- you need clarity on who you are and how to talk about your organization
- you have decided creating content or providing thought leadership is needed, but don’t know how to tell good organizational stories
- you need to shift brand perception, but don’t have a big budget for design and collateral
A great story won’t get rid of a dated logo, but it can highlight your brand personality and what makes you unique. While it’s easy to focus on visual representations, language is a large percentage of brand. Your name, your values, the stories you tell, and how you communicate all help shape the way people perceive you.
Every situation is different.
Even within these three different approaches, the scope of a branding project can have a wide range based on the size of your organization, how many different stakeholder groups you have, and your geographic reach. If you’re considering a rebrand and weighing your options, I’d be happy to help you make sense of it all.