Rebranding is hot these days. It seems like more companies are sending out press releases about their “rebranding” initiatives than ever. However, many of these rebranding efforts miss the mark despite the huge amounts of money invested in them.
How can your company ensure that your rebranding is successful? It’s simple. Avoid the 5 mistakes listed below.
1. Forget a facelift. A simple nip-tuck will do.
A rebranding takes more than a few tweaks to your logo and slogan, redesigning your signage, and printing new business cards. A rebranding is an opportunity to re-imagine your story and create a new brand promise that will take your company into the future. Would you rebrand yourself by simply getting a new pair of shoes or would a complete makeover — physically and emotionally — be required? The same goes for your business brand.
2. Don’t call in unbiased branding experts to help you.
One of the most common mistakes companies make when it’s time to rebrand is assuming that they have the talent in-house to get the job done. The job might get done, but it won’t be as good as it could be if you got help from people who live and breathe branding and can cut through the internal debates and hangups to truly roll out the best rebranding effort possible.
3. Involve anyone and everyone in the decision-making process.
When it comes to rebranding, everyone seems to feel like it’s their place to weigh in on the decisions. Believe it or not, most people don’t have all the facts. Their opinions should be taken into consideration but those opinions should not rule with an iron fist.
4. Don’t bother doing any research. Go with your gut.
It’s true that the best branding experts have a sixth sense about branding, but there is more to branding than gut feelings. You need to be able to formulate strategies and decisions should be based at least partially in fact. Strike a balance between research and creativity, and you’ve struck marketing gold.
5. Just update the logo and forget about everything else.
Your brand is far more than just a logo. Rolling out a new logo is not rebranding. Don’t confuse the two.
Susan Gunelius is the author of 10 marketing, social media, branding, copywriting, and technology books, and she is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She also owns Women on Business, an award-wining blog for business women. She is a featured columnist for Entrepreneur.com and Forbes.com, and her marketing-related articles have appeared on websites such as MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, TodayShow.com, and more.
She has over 20 years of experience in the marketing field having spent the first decade of her career directing marketing programs for some of the largest companies in the world, including divisions of AT&T and HSBC. Today, her clients include large and small companies around the world and household brands like Citigroup, Cox Communications, Intuit, and more. Susan is frequently interviewed about marketing and branding by television, radio, print, and online media organizations, and she speaks about these topics at events around the world. You can connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.
