Congratulations, you did it! You launched your business, you’ve been up and running for some time and you feel an overwhelming sense of pride that the exact thing you envisioned is now a fruitful business. It’s the kind of unmatched feeling, only beat by seeing first-hand how happy your customers are. But there comes a day for every business owner when one has to ask themselves that inevitable question … is it time to rebrand?
The Inconvenient Truth
Rebranding can be a pain. We get it. Especially since we're in the business of helping you pull it off! When you launch a business, you invest everything into making it exactly what you want it to be. That includes choosing a name, brand story, and the right representation. But it isn’t uncommon to find that your marketing no longer fully encompases the direction of your business. Maybe you celebrated an accomplishment you couldn’t have imagined. Maybe you decided to grow your business in a different direction. Or maybe it’s just time for the 2.0 version of your original brand.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but yes: It is possible to outgrow your branding.
Timing is Everything
The question of when to rebrand isn’t actually a hard one to answer. You know. We know you know. Even if you’re just starting to ask questions about it, you know. There’s a feeling that comes when you start to reconsider if maybe you should, “do something about it” or “maybe look into it.” If you’re using this language, even in your own head, it means you know that things aren’t matching up.
I’ll level with you … moving forward with actually doing something about it requires excellent timing. You need to have the mental capacity to plan the change, you need support to execute, and most importantly, the money needs to be available. Without any of these things, rebranding turns into one big stressful ball of question marks and accent colours. Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat.
Breathe In, Breathe Out
In the event that you really don’t know if it’s time to rebrand, ask yourself this simple question: Does the brand you originally envisioned still encompass all that you are? No matter what changes your business has gone through, your audience should feel something and associate you with your goals upon first interaction with your brand. In the beginning, you were trying to establish that connection. When it comes to rebranding, even making small tweaks to your representation should only strengthen this connection.
This never means scrapping everything you started with, you use your existing brand as a springboard to grow. The only time it’s appropriate to completely rebrand in a drastic fashion (fun as it may be) is when your business has taken a complete 180 and is going in a new direction. Otherwise, draw on those yoga classes folks: Root to rise.
The “New” You
To make a long story short, rebranding isn’t the nightmare you think it will be. And it doesn’t mean a total overhaul. In fact, you don’t want it to be a total overhaul. You want to pay homage to what got you here and where you want to go, while celebrating the successes you’ve worked so hard for. You know when the time is right, and you know why you need the change. So do yourself and your business a favour and pull a Nike, folks.
…. And if you’re still too scared, email us! Duh!
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