A great rebrand must have a goal to be effective. Let’s face it. If you’re rebranding because you’re bored, then there are probably better uses for your time and money. But rebranding is a strategic process that can get you better clients and more visibility in a shorter period than what you’re likely spending your marketing dollars on right now…if it’s done well.
Why are you rebranding? Change is inevitable in business. You’re going to grow as a person and business owner as you navigate how to serve your clients better. When you first started your business you likely didn’t know who your ideal client was, and even if you did, your growth has given you greater insight into them or shown you that you were focusing on the wrong group from the start. That usually means your logo, visuals, and messaging don’t reflect that person now. Let’s talk about how to effectively launch your rebrand.
More Than a Pretty Picture
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times. Your brand is more than a new logo to slap on your website. It needs to encompass the entire experience your clients go through with you. Now that you’ve been in business a while, it’s time to build the story of your brand so that it connects with your ideal audience and positions your business on firm ground with confidence and clarity.
The biggest mistake you can make is thinking of your rebrand as the end of your journey; it truly is the beginning. What does life after your rebrand need to look like to make it successful? Ensure that your money and energy are well spent with how you follow up after your design is complete. Launch with purpose and passion, and make sure you show your ideal audience what this updated version of your business can do for them.
How to Launch
A pleasantly unexpected side effect of rebranding is effortlessly becoming top of mind with your current and potential audience. Launch intentionally with a plan to make the most of potential customers that you with new eyes; you’re suddenly relevant when they had dismissed you before.
Whether your rebrand includes completely new positioning or simply a refreshed perspective, making the most of the launch time is essential.
Know what your rebrand means for your audience
This one is imperative. You rebranded for a reason, and usually, a lot of it has to do with the fact that your old brand wasn’t making an emotional connection with your audience. Think about how this new brand of yours can serve your audience better. Then tell them exactly how you’ll do that. This will help you form a brand story that weaves your audience right into the center of it. Focusing on your audience gives you great content for blog posts, social posts, and emails to your audience introducing your new brand.
Sneak Peeks on social media, blogs posts and emails
A lot of my clients want to keep rebranding a secret and then reveal the big surprise with a new website. While this sounds fun, you risk losing people when you make a big switcheroo with zero warning, especially if your rebrand includes a name change or a significant shift in positioning. Instead, leverage this big news as content leading up to the completed rebrand and save yourself the heartache of confusing potential clients.
Hints at what’s coming can build excitement with your audience and give them a heads up that something new is coming. If you are serving a new audience or offering a new service, building up to the launch with a giveaway or special offer could be a good tactic.
Work backward from the website launch
Give yourself a couple of weeks for sneak peeks before you make the big change. Even if you don’t know the exact date your new site will go live, you can plan to “soft launch” the site without making the big announcement to make sure all of the kinks are worked out before you are doing lots of promotion.
You’ll also want to work backward to make sure you have plenty of time to have any printed collateral materials, printed, shipped, and delivered to your door before you’re promoting. Don’t get caught handing out old, tired business cards that don’t match your new website. It’s like running the marathon but walking off right before crossing that finish line.
Remember the details
A rebrand is an investment of your time and money, and it’s easy to focus on the big pieces but forget the little details that will really drive it home. You’re not likely to forget the big stuff like your website launch but could overlook little things like email signatures, invoices, contracts, internal documents, presentation templates, onboarding emails, welcome packets or any other form of small client communication. If you’re rebranding with Pop & Grey, most important details are already included and accounted for in your branding package, but there will inevitably be things you’ll be updating yourself in-house. Consistency is the key to trust with your audience, so start out on the right foot by getting your details in order before launching your rebrand.
Remember that launching is just the beginning
You can’t launch your rebrand with excitement today but go right back to business as usual tomorrow. Your most valuable resource is your brand style guide to keep you on track and consistent in during implementation. Keep the momentum of your launch going by consistently using your updated voice in all social media posts and reinforcing how your updated brand serves your client base. You can close the gap between your designer branded goods and pieces that you create in-house in the future just by being consistent and following your style guide.
You’re Ready for Take-Off
If you have clearly outlined your goals for a rebrand and are ready to invest in elevating your brand to align with your goals, then you are ready to begin the process of rebranding with success.
More Resources
How to Build a Website to Sell
You Don’t Have a Brand Without a Message
