Rebrand, refresh or re-engineer?
If you’re thinking about rebranding your organisation, you may want to think again.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not for one minute suggesting you shouldn’t be constantly thinking about your image, your place in the world and how they can be refreshed, reinvigorated or just fine-tuned. Quite the opposite, in fact.
It’s just that most organisations don’t need the complete overhaul that a full “rebranding” usually involves – new name, new logo, new public face.
I usually only recommend a full rebranding in two situations: where an existing name is so sullied that it would be pointless to continue using it (think food contamination scares and the like) or where the name just doesn’t resonate, no matter how well thought of an organisation is.
Some names are too long or hard to say, while others have become dated or just don’t capture the essence of what you do and why you’re good at it. If people recommend you by saying “we go to the guys on South Road just past the overpass” then you might like to think about a rebrand!
In most cases I think more in terms of engineering the brand. That’s a rather “industrial” sounding word coming from a brand and marketing person, I know, but it neatly sums up the process. You should always be looking to engineer your brand to maximise its value.
At other times you might want to make a few changes because you need a new focus for a new or refined set of skills or because you are looking to appeal to a different demographic or client group. It’s hard to build a name as business strategists if people still think of you as only tax accountants (even if you are very good accountants).
Sometimes brand engineering can involve a name change or modification, particularly where a business is expanding and the old name just doesn’t look right in new locations.
What I tend to do with my clients is help them get clarity on the brand that will help them be more competitive in the market place. They’ve already got a good business but want to go to the next level and to do that they need to define themselves more clearly in their own minds and in the market’s mind.
Have any questions regarding your brand? Feel free to send me an email at lowen@peartree.com.au