The best brands don’t remain static; they shift and evolve along with the world around them. How do you know if it’s time to update your brand? We’ve identified three prompts.
01 – It’s Been More Than Three Years Since Your Last Refresh
If it’s been more than three years, you’ve seen shifts in your industry caused by technology, as well as in your audience demographics. To address those changes, reassess at least some aspects of your brand―probably not your whole identity, but your positioning or messaging almost certainly will need a refresh.
Questions to consider:
- Is my brand still relevant to and connecting with my audience?
- Are we blending in too much with our competition?
- When was the last time we, as a whole team, talked about our brand’s values, tone of voice, or promise? What has changed since then?
02 – Your Brand System Has Grown
Consider this common story: A new company launched, got funding, then realized they needed a logo. They got it done quickly and cheaply by a friend. Same for their website, packaging, and other key assets. But as the company grew, the logo was no longer effective as the primary identifying piece, and the template website paled next to the competition.
If your brand has gone through a similar growth spurt, now is when you need to put your best face forward and round out your brand with a more cohesive system.
This is what happened with our client Uber, which in 2013 had only a logo, three colors, and a font―and was about to go global. They invested wisely to develop a full system to support the brand’s anticipated growth.
Questions to consider:
- Does our logo work in every instance we need to use it?
- Does our message tie together all the products/services we offer?
- Are we using assets like photos or illustrations that no longer feel cohesive to tell our story?
03 – You’re Launching a New Product or Service
Let’s say you successfully launched your first product, and everything you did was specific to making that one offering a success. Now you see a space in the market to launch another offering, but to do so you’ll need to expand how your customers view your brand.
We frequently hear from growing companies that are facing this issue. For example, before working with us, Tile had a logo that represented their first product. As their line expanded, they needed to promote their lifestyle and full range of new releases.
As you prepare to add new offerings, take the time to update your messaging and visual style, to think about how your offerings are branded separately and together, and to consider how they tie back to your overall company brand.
Questions to consider:
- Can our current brand system handle multiple products, audiences, and locations?
- Do we need to differentiate the company’s brand from that of the products?
- Have we moved past speaking only to funders? Do we need to refresh our messaging to talk to our consumers and reach a wider audience?
Change―which often means growth―is good! Before it sneaks up on you, make sure you are investing the necessary time and resources to make sure your brand is changing to meet the needs of your company for today―and for tomorrow. If you’d like to collaborate, please consider us as your rebranding agency by reaching out to info@noise13.com. We would love to connect and help with your brand refresh!
