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.)
Do you have something big in your future? A shiny new product? A sparkling process? An extra-special service? A headline-worthy accomplishment? If so, you might be primed for a new brand.
Launching a product or service—or rolling out the expansion of one—is the perfect time to scrutinize your brand and see how the debut fits into the overall picture. Why? Because the launch may be the “main event.” But once the big moment has passed, your brand is the content. It’s what customers will (or won’t) stick around for.
We get it. It’s easy to fall into the “if you build it, they will come” mindset. After all, you’ve worked hard on this! You know how amazing it is! Surely everyone will be just as jazzed! But take a few steps back and you realize that for every “cool thing” you have to offer, there are a dozen competitors offering something similar (or so they claim). And a launch event or press release isn’t enough to keep brands from getting lost in the hustle and bustle of people’s daily lives.
On top of that, the addition of something new often shakes up the brand architecture. Does your new product or service have its own identity or live under the umbrella of your primary brand? Will it take its place in the market alongside some of your other offerings or stand apart? Does it complement your other products or offer an alternative to them? Will it replace a product or service that you previously offered, or compete against something else in the marketplace? And no matter how you answer these questions, what do you want customers to know about it?
“Brand architecture” describes the relationship between your primary brand and any of the other brands in your portfolio, including your sub-brands, secondary brands and the brands of your individual products and services. Understanding your brand architecture provides a clear roadmap for expansion and evolution, especially as you add, remove or alter your offerings. And sometimes, the introduction of a new product or service is the perfect time to examine this structure—and tweak the details that no longer make sense.
A strong brand helps you articulate your value proposition. It attracts the right audiences and earns loyal customers. It ensures sustainable, long-term success. And it eliminates confusion, both internally and in the marketplace. Change can be a lot to handle, even when its positive. But an organized, well-communicated brand gives any launch a little extra “oomph.”
Client Case Study
Brookside Labs / Amplify For Brookside Labs, business growth was almost entirely dependent on adding consultants to their existing network. But before they could grow, promote or invest the consultant network, it needed a name—and a brand, logo and messaging to match. We developed all of the above and Amplify was born. By taking time to give Amplify its own brand, Brookside Labs elevated their marketing strategy and brought clarity and consistency to their consultant recruitment efforts.