- Reading time: 3 mins
- Topics:
- Branding
There are many reasons why a company may choose to rebrand. For one, the company may have new products or services that need to be reflected in the new brand. Other reasons may include updating the look of the logo to keep up with new trends, or simply because the old logo is no longer attractive. Although many companies receive backlash from the public when they’ve made a change to their logo, we’ve provided a few tips that will help make the logo transition easier and, hopefully, accepted by your customers.
Figure out why you are rebranding.
Although there are many reasons to rebrand, it may not be completely necessary, and could cause more harm than good. (The Sci Fi Channel switching their name to a slang term for an STD, anyone?)
If your sales are down, or you are just sick of looking at your logo, you might want to give rebranding a second thought. If you rebrand too often (within 5 years), or with little strategy in mind, you might confuse your customers and give the wrong impression of your company.
Determine which components to salvage.
A rebrand doesn’t mean that your company has to start from the ground up. Many successful rebrands involve the company using recognizable pieces from their old logo. (Remember Apple’s rebrand in the late ‘90s?) This might be as simple as using the same color or font from the old logo and somehow incorporating it in the new brand.
Involve your employees and customers.
It’s helpful to have both your employees and your customers on board when you are making the decision to rebrand. Talk to your employees, let them know what this means for the company, and even ask for their input. Think about polling your customers to see which design they prefer once you have it down to a few logo options.
Keep it simple.
If you’re at the point of rebranding, you have a great opportunity to use best practices when you give your brand a refresh. Only use colors that really enhance your logo (we suggest using a maximum of three), and keep your fonts to a minimum as well. In addition, make sure your logo is clean and readable, especially if you’re targeting an older audience.
Plan ahead.
Be prepared for a few customers or employees to be a little confused or upset that your brand has changed. Have employees trained on how to answer questions about the change and how to inform vendors, customers, etc. the effects it will have (if any) on your business. Remember, that you can’t please everyone, though, so keep your business’s best interests in mind even if you receive negative feedback.
Although not fool proof, these five tips can help your rebrand be successful during the often tricky business transition.
