Even the most illustrious brands sometimes need makeovers. So begins “Brand Makeover: 3 Lessons in Reinvention” that appeared in Entrepreneur magazine several years ago.
The branding strategy that worked for your company when you went into business may no longer be working for you because your products have changed, you want to reach new customers and/or there’s new competition in your market space. Social networks may be forcing you to rethink your brand strategy, too. Today’s consumers are driving the perception of your brand through word of mouth; user reviews, such as Yelp; and social media. Now more than ever, the customer experience has to equal the expectation you set with your brand strategy.
Whatever the reason, it may be time for a branding makeover. In fact, revamping your image is something you should do periodically, according to branding firm Landor Associates quoted in the Entrepreneur article. But don’t wait until it’s too late and the marketplace makes it clear it prefers ‘the new kid on the block.” When things are still going well but your market momentum is slowing, it’s the best time to broaden your appeal and more clearly differentiate your product or service offering.
Refresh an out of date look
Just because you need a branding makeover, doesn’t mean you have to completely reinvent the wheel. As an example, you can refresh your company logo simply by changing the text or color. Update your marketing materials, website and social media sites with your newly revised logo. You also might want to change the background colors on your website and revise the most frequented pages – your home page, about us and product or service offering pages – to save the expense of redoing the entire site.
Create or change your tagline
Your tagline can have a lasting impression in the minds of your customers. If you don’t have a tagline, now may be a good time to create one. If a current tagline no longer resonates with customers, create a new one. Spend whatever time it takes to develop the right tagline that conjures up a visual image and builds an emotional bond with your customers.
Consider the collective experience
Your rebranding is more than a facelift or new tagline. The emotional connection your customers have with your brand is affected by every interaction with your company – how you handle a call, deal with questions or complaints, and offer advice. It’s really a promise to your customers. Examine your customer touch points to make sure your rebranding effort is reflected throughout.
You get your customers to care about your brand when you care about them and show it.