Nothing captures an audiences’ attention quite like a rebrand.
Creative Lead, Michael Cottage, (Mick) and Graphic Designer, Adam Peel, are the brains behind recent rebrands for Open Media and Krol Corlett, so we thought we’d ask them to share some valuable insights on what the right time for a rebrand is. So, kick back, grab your favourite cup of coffee, and plunge yourself in the world of rebranding.
“A rebrand is so much more than a fresh coat of paint,” says Mick. “Done right a rebrand places your business firmly in the eyes, minds and even the hearts of an audience who share your values and believe in your mission.”
“It’s the perfect opportunity readdress brand values, reaffirm your brand purpose and rejuvenate your company throughout,” adds Adam. “However, there are many important factors to assess and consider.”
Here are Mick and Adam’s top five reasons to rebrand.
1. Strategic Change
MC: When your business is expanding, entering new markets, shifting or even re-enforcing your values, what worked before might need a fresh approach.
AP: It’s the perfect time to take a step back, look at your brand from a strategic perspective, and plan for the long term.
2. Communicating Values
MC: With Open Media, they nailed it with their crystal-clear messaging – it’s not just about what they sell; it’s about embracing a whole lifestyle. When a brand struggles to convey its values, connecting with the target audience becomes an uphill battle. The thing is, if your brand isn’t communicating its values across the board, it might be one reason why you’re not hitting the mark with your audience. Consider Open Media, championing sustainability and people-centric values. Or take Patagonia, deeply rooted in environmental consciousness. What sets these two brands apart from others, is that their brand proudly stands by its values. It’s not just about what you sell; it’s about the story you tell.
Open Media’s rebrand was a fresh opportunity to reinforce and reshare their values with the world
3. Reaching new or more specific audiences
AP: Rebranding is often all about knowing your audience. If your brand doesn’t speak directly to your audience, or those you want to reach, you are missing vital opportunities for your brand to really resonate. Learning from your new or solidified mission, vision and values should paint a clear path to your new or reaffirmed audience base, allowing you to effectively communicate your value proposition to them, leading to new, exciting ways to keep your audience engaged. What better way to establish new connections and increase your businesses appeal than changing how your brand looks, feels, and communicates?
4. Staying relevant
AP: Design and audiences are ever evolving, and you may feel like you are becoming less relevant with your target market or feeling your brand is starting to look old. This may be the time you want to rebrand, but this should be done with caution and not at the cost of the brand equity you’ve built, nor should it be at the expense of losing your brand values. Rebranding for the sake of relevancy shouldn’t be detrimental to your authenticity, but instead refresh and reinforce it.
5. Consistency
AP: From my experience, a lot of inconsistency comes from brands either not establishing a proper set of brand guidelines to begin with, or the brand starting to pull away from the brand guidelines to refresh or reinvigorate a brand with re-establishing those rules. When this happens, things can feel a bit all over the place. This is where it’s best to revisit and re-evaluate your company’s strategy and values… When we help brands do this, it allows them to craft a deliberate plan they can share with their team and customers.
MC: Adam’s work on Krol Corlett’s recent rebrand is a great example of getting consistency right. Thanks to their logos, fonts, colour palettes, voice, imagery style, packaging, and messaging, they’ve now got complete brand harmony, and it’s working brilliantly!
AP: Thanks Mick.
Krol-Corlett’s new brand out in the world.
Is your brand saying what you really want it to? Have a chat with our team and find out how we can help you steer things in the right direction.