Have you thought about rebranding your business? Have you been through a rebranding? If so, what Barbara Bates, the founder and CEO of Eastwick Communications has to say about the subject probably resonates with you. In her deceptively short and simple article “When a Rebrand Makes Sense,” Ms. Bates notes, “The decision to rebrand is not an easy one. It can be disruptive, consume a ton of time, resources and cost a lot.”
Rebranding the right way, says Ms. Bates, means treating yourself as though you are your own client. When you take that approach, you don’t skimp on resources, you invest in research, and you execute “a complete top to bottom overhaul.”
Doing the job the Eastwick way requires time and patience. Before rebirthing itself as an integrated communications firm, Eastwick used its expertise to leverage branding research it had done for its clients and asked its CMO clients what they would value in a strategic communications partner. What the firm discovered is that it had evolved beyond its identity as a PR agency and that its “brand values and even our brand promise had evolved.”
Here is Ms. Bates’ advice for a successful rebranding:
- Hire experts because there’s “an art and science to rebranding.”
- Do your homework. “Do the hard work of establishing your brand promise and values before changing your look.”
- Branding is about “more than a new logo and color palette.” Does how you and others talk about your brand match its values? Does the experience other have with you mesh with your online presence and your products?
- Get feedback, but not too much. My thought: This is an area where less may be more.
- “Plan on it taking longer than you think.” (Especially if you’re going for a new website and new marketing collateral.)
For a rebranding to be successful, everything must be in synch, from the swag you hand out to what you say about yourself. In some senses, a rebranding effort resembles a successfully planned and executed wedding. The devil is in the details, but you also want to consider whether the match is made in heaven.
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