8 Reasons to Rebrand
Rebranding. It’s a big word—and an even bigger decision. Change is always hard, especially when it affects every aspect of your livelihood and hits your bottom line. But whether your brand’s been chugging along for one year or 100, there are times when a brand-new brand is not only helpful, but necessary.
At Big, branding is what we do (and we’ve spent decades doing it). Over the years, we’ve spotted some situaitons and symptoms that almost always point to the need for a rebrand. If you’re thinking about taking the leap toward a new brand identity, read through this series. If any of these points hit a little too close to home, you know who to call. (Hint: It’s us. Call us. Obviously.)
“Set it and forget it” doesn’t work. You don’t do that with your equipment, facilities, or sales channels. So why do it with your brand? Whether it’s a conscious choice or just because time has slipped by without you realizing it, it’s good practice to evaluate your brand every five to eight years. Why? Because no matter how “hip” your logo was when it was created, the marketplace is always changing and evolving. Generational differences impact demand. Technology like phones and computers changes the way graphics are displayed. Major cultural events shake up behaviors and public perceptions. And your customer base—or your most valuable differentiators—may have shifted gradually over time.
If it’s been a long time since you’ve revisited your brand, odds are good that something needs to be addressed—or one of the other “reasons to rebrand” is at play. It could be that the messaging needs a second look. By refining it a bit, you can better match the marketplace, your consumers’ mindset and opportunities. With design elements, you want to make sure they remain relevant and reinforce what you’re saying in the messaging.
But external perceptions may not be the only problem on your hands. If it’s been several years since you examined your brand, you might find that what was once a unified, consistent identity has become a hodge-podge—an eclectic collection of elements cobbled together over the years, both out of necessity and because of a lack of oversight. We’ve seen dozens of internal teams create an unintentional “wild west” of branding elements serving as Band-aids for an aging brand.
Luckily, a branding refresh doesn’t need to be a major overhaul. Small course corrections can keep a brand vibrant, functional and appealing to audiences. In fact, some of these subtle tweaks may not even be noticed by the average consumer. But the longer you wait to make changes, the more significant they’ll become. The best course of action is to always stay on top of your brand so that when you do implement revisions, it can be an evolution, not a revolution.
Client Case Study
3Rivers Archery
In the case of 3Rivers Archery, the marketplace moved them forward without their brand following. Their humble beginnings selling out of a bedroom eventually transformed them into becoming the largest retailer of traditional archery gear. 3Rivers’ outdated brand didn’t reflect their tremendous status in the industry.
We zeroed in on the customer base to see who was propelling this retailer to the top of the food chain. And when we identified who that audience was, we created messaging and visuals that spoke to their passion. Since 3Rivers is a family business, we made sure to maintain some elements that struck a personal chord and kept its legacy alive, which serves as a reminder that rebranding with BIG is a process of give and take—as long as it works, we’ll work with it.
