rebrand or refocus – what’s the right move for your business?
In today’s fast-paced world, where trends change faster than the latest TikTok dance challenge, rebranding often feels like the go-to solution for declining sales, poor customer engagement, or a tarnished reputation.
Before you slap a new logo on your business or implement a new initiative to promote a specific mission/cause and hope for a viral moment, hold tight for 5 minutes.
I’ve taken some themes and “lessons learned” from business experts (such as Seth Godin, Diana Kander, Donald Miller, Chip & Dan Heath, Robert Solomon, and more), and developed this outline through my own vocabulary and creative spirit.
Take a deep dive into this article to better understand when a rebrand is right and when it’s time to roll up your sleeves to focus on the nuts and bolts of your business:
identifying the real culprit
Think of your business like the latest Netflix hit series — if the storyline (operations) isn’t compelling, no number of flashy graphics (rebranding) will keep viewers (customers) hooked.
Before diving into a rebrand, you have to identify the core issues affecting your business. Often, the symptoms that spark a rebrand are just that — symptoms.
For example: declining sales might be due to…
…a saturated market.
…poor customer service.
…outdated products.
…inefficient marketing strategies.
…a general lack of customer engagement.
Your brand image might not be as stale as you or your team think. Take a hard look at your business’s performance metrics, the feedback from your customers, the honest feedback from your team, and the current market trends.
Key questions to ask:
- Are sales declining because of our brand or because of market conditions?
- Is our customer service aligned with our brand promises?
- Are our products or services still relevant and high quality?
If you’re a brick-and-mortar shop that hasn’t explored e-commerce yet, a food service/hospitality business that’s known for fast service and lower prices, or you’re selling Polaroids, DVDs, and newspapers — go sit down with your team and discuss business strategy before you drop thousands on a rebrand campaign.
when to refocus on your business
The simple answer — often and always. To break it down, here’s three common areas you can refocus on, and when to do so:
1. Operational inefficiencies
Imagine if Amazon Prime’s two-day shipping turned into a two-week ordeal. Operational hiccups can turn loyal customers away faster than you can say “unsubscribe.”
If your business struggles with delivery times, QA/QC, or customer service, these operational inefficiencies will destroy your brand faster than an outdated logo ever could. Streamlining your operations, regularly training your staff while providing them adequate resources, and improving your processes will likely bolster your customer satisfaction and loyalty.
2. Product/Service quality
Your brand is a promise, much like each year’s highly anticipated Marvel movie. If your products or services don’t deliver, customers will tune out.
Focus more on the opportunities for innovation, improving the quality of what you’re offering, and making sure that what you’re offering will meet the demands of your market.
3. Market position and Competition
Sometimes, the issue isn’t your brand but rather your current position in the market.
One of my favorite things to do for my clients is to map out their competition. By conducting a competitive analysis, it will become apparent where you stand and how you need to adjust your business strategy accordingly. This might involve refining who your target audience is, adjusting pricing strategies, expanding your product/service offerings, or just enhancing your overall marketing efforts.
I challenge anyone reading this to do the following if you’re not already: diversify your distribution channels.
By doing so, it’s going to allow your team to reach a broader audience with less effort after developing whatever that diversification system would look like for your business.
when a rebrand makes sense
1. Significant market shift
If there’s been a major shift in your industry or market, rebranding can help reposition your business to stay top-of-mind for your customers. This is particularly important if your brand image no longer resonates with your target audience or if you’re expanding into new markets.
2. Mergers and Acquisitions
When businesses merge or acquire others, a rebrand can help unify the new entity under a cohesive brand identity.
Think of Kum & Go and Maverick — or more simply, your favorite TV series crossing over into one episode. A rebrand can unify the new entity and make sure everyone, from employees, customers, and stakeholders, are all on the same page for the new vision.
3. Brand evolution
Just like people, brands evolve over time.
If your brand feels like your old high school boyfriend that appears to everyone as the small-town superstar, but behind closed doors, is unproductive and emotionally broken — you need to dump your brand, just like you hopefully dumped your boyfriend.
If your business has grown or changed its focus, a rebrand can signal this transformation to the market. This transformation generally involves updating your visual identity, your messaging, how you engage your customers, and aligning your core values to reflect your current (or updated) mission and vision.
avoiding the rebrand trap
Many businesses initiate a rebrand thinking it will solve all their problems, only to find themselves in the same position a year later. To avoid this trap, follow these steps:
1. Conduct a thorough (and honest) audit.
Before making any decisions about rebranding, you have to conduct a comprehensive brand audit. We’re currently in the process of doing this for one of our clients, and it is not an easy, rapid-turnaround feat.
This process involves analyzing your current brand’s strengths and weaknesses (SWOT analysis), understanding market perceptions and the statistical facts available, gathering customer feedback, input from owners and stakeholders, and what your competition is doing well, terrible, or not doing at all.
Capitalizing on what your competition is not doing yet is called ‘seizing an opportunity in the market’, and that is what generally blows a company up (usually in a good way).
2. Develop a strategic plan.
Rebranding should be part of a larger strategic plan. You need a clear vision of what you want to achieve with the rebrand and how it pairs up with your business goals.
If your rebrand is like a filler episode or a quick patch-up fix, you’ll be back to step one in 365 days.
3. Focus on consistency.
Consistency is key in rebranding. If you’re still using the same language or visual elements from before, don’t expect your customers to feel differently about your business.
All elements of your brand, from visuals to messaging to overall customer service, need to be cohesive and line up with your new identity. This will likely include training your team and updating all customer touchpoints.
If you’re considering a rebrand, ask yourself if it’s truly the brand that needs changing or if the focus should be on improving the business behind the brand.
Rebranding is a powerful tool when used correctly, but it’s not a cure-all for deeper business challenges.
If you can first focus on the underlying issues within your business and use rebranding strategically (and only when it’s necessary), you can (and will) craft a brand that truly reflects the quality and values your customers expect. As a byproduct, doing so will naturally allow you to stand out.
A successful brand is built upon market relevance, consistent delivery of your brand promise, and a solid foundation of efficient and effective systems. Those systems (whatever they may look like for you) rely heavily on your people and their commitment to your business, which ultimately affects how they deliver your offerings to your customers.
If you’re considering a rebrand, ask yourself if it’s truly the brand that needs changing or if the focus should be on improving the business behind the brand. Addressing the root causes will help your team create a stronger, more resilient brand presence that can stand out for a long time —just like your favorite classic show (it’s S.N.L., for me) that never gets old.
Cheers,
Britt Avery
Founder, Bloom + Boost