Before starting a rebranding endeavor, there are a few considerations to make in order to know if rebranding is the right move.
First, understand the brand
Similar to how design can be misunderstood as the practice of "making something pretty," branding is often misunderstood as being solely about the logo or name of the business. But the brand of a company is far deeper than that. A great brand can build trust and confidence with new customers. It can earn the loyalty of repeat customers. And like many aspects of our everchanging world, a great brand will inherently evolve over time to stay relevant. That being said, the company's name and logo become the first representation of its brand, and the brand encompasses the total experience that consumers have with a company.
Ringmaster of the brand: the logo
Creating a logo may seem like an easy thing to do. After all, there are tons of logo-creators on the Internet, tutorials, or you could even pay a freelance designer to whip one out. But the main ideas behind a great logo is to:
Understand good graphical balance and symmetry (or asymmetry)
Convey the intended brand message
Be readable/legible, while being distinct
Take a look at Apple's logo over the years, and see how it changed--note the huge leap in design from the original logo in 1976.
When is it a good time to change your brand?
Thankfully, there are a few signals that indicate whether or not you should consider a refreshment.
Your branding is old and out of date
Like many aesthetic assets, sometimes a fresh and updated look can go a long way. It's the same reason your favorite box a cereal gets a makeover from time to time--creating a new look keeps your company from appearing stale.
You have new product offerings
If your company is launching a new product or incorporating a game-changing feature that it previously didn't have, then rebranding could be a great way to draw attention to your new improvements.
You made a "boo boo" but now you fixed it
Sometimes, big mistakes can happen. Whether it's due to poor leadership or a general turn for the worse, companies can develop a bad reputation. When this happens, and a company makes a change for the better, a rebrand is a popular method to signal to customers, "Hey, we are different now and ready to do business the right way!"
You need to stand out from the crowd
If your logo or name is generic, then people will assume your products or capabilities are generic as well. Especially if you are operating in a space that is a little more crowded than you would like it to be, it's crucial to differentiate your company as smartly as possible.
Strategy + user-centered philosophy
Knowing when to rebrand takes good business sense and a little bit of analysis to see if it's right for your company's immediate strategic plans. Rebranding a company is a delicate task that needs to feel new and improved without feeling like a shock to your audience.
With a great, user-centered designer (or design team) on board, you can be sure that a rebrand will be carried out in a way that considers the most important aspect of your business: the customers.
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