There comes a time during every successful company’s lifetime that they start to consider building a rebranding strategy.

Maybe the logo just doesn’t properly express your business’s ideals anymore. After all, you’ve grown! 

With that growth has come several different products and avenues that your company takes to maximize efficiency, and your current logo just doesn’t cover all those bases.

OR maybe your company has taken a complete 180º turn from the plan it originally had and found a more meaningful and fulfilling niche it’s serving to.

Whatever the case may be, rebranding can be an exciting-yet-scary time for your business. There may be the pressure to “get it right this time” or fear of clients not adjusting to your new logo.

Below are 7 items you need to have in your rebranding strategy to make it a successful endeavor!

7 Items to Include in Your Rebranding Strategy

Capture the essence of your company’s mission with these 7 ideas and reap the benefits for years to come!

Define the “Why” of Your Rebrand

Let’s face it: the idea of rebranding your company didn’t pop up in your head as an “oooh, that might be fun!” scenario. There’re a few reasons that you’re considering revamping your look.

If you’re looking to keep up with the Goliaths in your market, a rebrand can give you the look and feel of a company that stands just as tall as those industry giants.

Are you merging with another company? Time to update your logo and reflect the exciting news that two groundbreaking companies are joining forces to save the world!

Maybe you simply feel like you’ve outgrown your old (maybe boring?) company logo and want a new logo to get you recharged and ready to take on the next decade as your company’s leader.

Whatever the reason, it’s important that you’re honest with yourself on the true reason(s) for the rebrand. That way, your marketing team can capture the contrast in the new logo and build the right marketing strategy to push it out.

Take this CBD beginners guide, for example. This company wraps its branding around the up-and-coming industry that their products reside in.

Assess Your Company and Its Customers

Of course, you’re hoping that the rebrand helps catch the eyes of new leads, but you also need to ensure the new look won’t compromise your current batch of clients.

After all, they’re the ones that’ve been with you since the beginning, they believed in your company and are the reason you’re as successful as you are!

Once you have the “why” of your rebranding need, it’s time to assess your company’s current situation and see what needs to be improved on to reach that goal.

If the “why” is a new product that you’re launching, assess what your company needs to adjust to prepare for the launch.

After your self-assessment, it’s time to gather the feedback that truly matters… your client’s feedback. They’ll give you a firm understanding of your current brand from their eyes, and what needs to be improved.

Perception is reality, so if your client focus groups have a collective view on your branding that doesn’t line up with the new product, it HAS to be changed.

If you’re not sure what branding would look like with the new product, gather a focus group of people you’d deem as those in your new target market and consider their feedback as well.

Identify the “Disconnect”

After you’ve heard the feedback of your clients and target market, it’s time to see how your company measures up to their ideals.

The reason you’re considering a rebrand is because you know SOMETHING isn’t working, you just may not know what that is yet.

Finding the disconnect between your current brand/logo and your target market is a crucial step to the remarketing process. What needs to stand out more? which pieces of your marketing are failing?

Lucky for you, failure is an opportunity for learning! Even the big companies like Apple and Nike identify holes in their branding each day; it’s all part of building a consistent brand.

Recognizing the previous faults of your old logo will help you easily apply what you’ve learned to the brand-new logo that you roll out!

Give Your New Brand a Holistic Background

Even though it’s fun to create and launch a new logo, it’s not a decision that should just be made by pulling pieces of paper out of a hat. 

The new brand that you create needs definition and a background story behind it. 

Your story can have many things behind it: your company’s values, motivations, projects, products, origin, future goals, and mission statements, to name several. 

All these features to your story will give clients and business partners a firm understanding of what your company stands for and why they should trust you with their business. 

Try to define as many details of your new brand as possible: if you chose light blue and yellow as your new colors…. why? Describe what the significance of those two colors and how it applies to your corporate mission.

The depth of your new brand will show customers the amount of thought you put into every decision. Each move you make for your company is done with precision and care, why should your new marketing strategy be any different?

Give Your New Brand a “Test Run”

Remember those client/target customer focus groups from before?

You asked them for their thoughts on your old brand, now it’s time to ask for their feedback on your new look!

Witnessing their initial reactions to your new brand will give you an idea of the reaction you’d see during your launch. Not satisfied with their reaction? Ask them what tweaks they would suggest making to it.

Every rebranding presents kinks and adjustments that need to be made, this test run will allow you to fix those prior to the actual launch. Also, your client’s feedback may have an idea that you can easily include prior to the launch.

Little improvements can make a huge difference in how your new brand is perceived once it hits the open market for the very first time.

Spread the New Brand Across the Board

Alright! You now have a new-and-improved brand with a story that rivals the Harry Potter series… now it’s time to flaunt it!

Put the new logo on every flyer, social media profile picture, website space, and signage piece that you can get your hands on. Place the new mission statement on every bio and website subtitle within reach.

Heck, deck your employees out in swag with the new logo all over it… they’ll love it!

Make sure your employees are up to speed on the new brand’s logo, motto, color scheme, etc. More importantly, be sure to explain the story and thought process of the new brand to them so they can spread the word on the new venture.

Stand with Your New Brand

Be prepared for the long haul with your new brand. Push it out whenever you’re given the opportunity, and back it up whenever you’re questioned on it.

The only thing more important to a brand’s image than its depth, is its consistency. You could have the best logo in the corporate world, but if you never push it out, how will new markets ever find it?

The focus is to “steady the marketing ship” when the times get tough. Even when you’re not seeing great returns or copious amounts of consumer interaction, stand strong and continue to promote your brand. 

Companies that promote themselves on a consistent basis stay at the top of their customers’ and prospects’ minds. The pay-off is well worth the time and money investment.

This new brand is your baby, take it with you wherever you go and shout it from the mountaintops!

Get Started with Your New Logo Today!

Now that you have the step-by-step process laid out for your rebranding strategy, it’s time to start coming up with ideas for your new logo!

You can find inspiration for the new design almost anywhere and apply it to a symbol that will be loved by you and your customers for years to come.

Use the Onlinelogomaker.com logo maker to start brainstorming for your new brand’s aesthetic. 

This offers you an uncomplicated way of customizing logo ideas to your preference and allows you to save all projects for you to edit later.

A brand is not a tangible object that you can hold in your hands. A company like Google, which is currently worth a staggering $286 billion, attributes its success to strong branding. If you were to define branding in the simplest terms possible, it’s that emotional connection that a consumer will have to a brand.

Research indicates that 45% of people will stop following a brand if it concentrates on talking about its products only. Another 73% say customer service is the main reason why the fall in love with a particular brand. Branding is, therefore, very important for any business.

Strong Branding in the Digital Age

The digital platform has given rise to so many opportunities for businesses to engage with consumers. It’s, therefore essential that a company knows how to brand on this platform. A proper brand strategy should guide all your brand building activities to ensure that your communication remains compelling and effective.

A brand has many facets to it, including the visual and verbal identity, the tone of voice, and the mission statement or philosophy.

Why Branding Is Important

Branding is important for several reasons including:-

• Branding will help identify and distinguish your company and products from others.
• It’ll determine how people view your company
• It increases the value of a business because people want to deal with a strong company
• The public will trust a company that has taken the time to establish its credibility
• customers will remain loyal to a strong brand due to the emotional connection with the company
• It is important for employee satisfaction and pride
• Branding and marketing are intertwined and work hand-in-hand to increase company awareness

Top Branding Secrets in the Digital Age

Use of digital media can be a boon for business. You reach a wide audience, and you have so many tools you can use to generate awareness for your company.

There are several advantages of branding but you will need to know how to do it right. Let us look into five ideas which will help with branding your company online and offline.

1. Understand Your Audience

Understanding your audience is the most fundamental step when it comes to marketing and branding. Take your time to understand who you’re talking to. Come up with a complete profile of your target.

Take consideration of factors such as education, income levels, age, sex, marital status, among others. You also need to pay close attention to their purchasing behavior and any other interests they may have.

Go a step farther by putting people who fit your profile into a room and talk to them. Focus groups will help you understand how your brand can respond to their needs.

2. Be Clear About Your Brand Values

Look at the leading brands in the market, and you will realize that they all have very clear mission statements. These values form a major part of how they run their businesses and how they communicate with their customers. You can’t start the process of brand-building without a philosophy or guiding statement.

3. A Strong Brand Narrative is Important

Building a strong brand narrative requires that you have a proper understanding of what your consumer is looking for. How does your product benefit the customer, and what makes you unique. If for example, your company deals in luxury items, understanding why an individual will spend large amounts of money on such items is important.

It’ll require that you take into consideration factors such as image, impact, social status, personal life, among others. Now look for a way to tie in that understanding of the consumer into your brand. Whatever communication You send out after that should resonate with your customers so that they connect with it.

4. Have a Personality

Think about your brand as you would a human being. A person with a great personality is likely to have a lot of friends. People will respond well to a brand that has an identity, and one which will help elevate the individual’s status in society.

People know the Mercedes for its elegance and durability. The Ferrari and Lamborghini are a sign of wealth and an aspect of risk-taking. Dove is known for purity, Harley-Davidson motorbikes for rebels among others.

5. Get the Right Branding Support

There are certain aspects you need to consider when working on your branding. These include getting the right name, logo, slogan, among others.

The right brand name will help differentiate you from the competitors. Strong brands have strong names, but get a name that has meaning. Try not to localize it too much in case you scale your business.

Also, consider your target when picking a name, if you’re selling kids products; make the name child-friendly so that it resonates well with the target group

Generating the right slogan is equally important. You will find many online tools to help generate multiple slogans for you. Slogan generating will only be possible if you have a proper understanding of your brand values. Also factor in what makes your product unique. A great slogan is memorable, emotional, states the promise, among others.

The right logo will become the symbol by which people identify your company. Think about the Nike swoosh, Apple logo, Toyota, Mercedes, among others. Even without the brand name next to it, you can identify these companies easily due to the well thought out product branding.

Elevate Your Company Through Proper Branding

We have shared with you invaluable tips on how to build a brand. Strong branding will require that you follow some of the steps we have highlighted above so that you can achieve your goals easily. The things you need to keep in mind are the target market, what makes you unique, what are your values, does your business have a personality, and does it have a good name and logo.

Invest in proper research on your industry. You also need to keep a pulse on what your competitors are doing. They are a great source of information on what to do and what not to do.

Take advantage of the tools and resources available on the online platform. You can also bookmark our website for great tips on how to grow your business.

On average, businesses in the U.S. spend approximately 11 percent of their total budget on branding and marketing.

Clearly, a strong brand and marketing strategy is crucial if you want your business to succeed long-term.

Has it been a while since you adjusted your business’s branding and marketing strategy? If so, you could be negatively affecting your profitability.

If you’re not sure where to begin, keep reading.

Listed below are some of the best steps you can take to improve your marketing and branding approach.

1. Do a “Value Check”

If it’s been a while since you’ve revisited your company’s values, now is the perfect time to do so. Think about your business’s mission and the values upon which your company is built.

After doing this, ask yourself whether your marketing and branding techniques align with those values. If they don’t, it’s time to make some adjustments.

This will help you to build customer loyalty and make your business more credible and trustworthy.

2. Use High-Quality Images

No matter what kind of marketing material you’re putting out, you ought to make sure you’re using high-quality images.

Try to use real images of your employees and your business when you can, too. Don’t rely too much on generic stock photos.

3. Make Videos

Video ought to be a key component of your marketing and branding strategy, too.

Video marketing is all the rage right now, and tons of people watch videos online every day. Meet your customers and connect with them where they are and you’ll likely see some significant growth in your business. 

4. Host an Event

Another great way to build your business and get people interested in what you have to offer is to host a live event.

Use this event to showcase your products and get to know your customers and their needs better.

Be sure to use a great poster maker and utilize online marketing tools to help you advertise the event and get people excited about it.

5. Give Something Away

This might seem counterintuitive at first. Giving something away for free can be a powerful marketing tool and can help people to connect with your brand.

Consider sending out a weekly email newsletter providing information about your business, your products or services, and tips that your customers can implement into their own lives.

Sharing knowledge helps you to build trust and show your customers you appreciate them. 

6. Partner with a Professional

If you’re totally lost when it comes to boosting your branding and marketing strategies, consider hiring a professional.

Working with a marketing consultant, even if it’s just for a short time, can help you learn the latest and great techniques and figure out what mistakes you’re making that are causing your business to lag behind.

Improve Your Branding and Marketing Today

As you can see, there are lots of ways you can go about enhancing the branding and marketing for your business.

Which one of these strategies are you going to try first?

If you need help designing a new logo for your business, we can help.

Check out our free logo maker tool today to create an eye-catching, high-quality logo that is sure to attract people’s attention.

There’s no arguing that digital marketing is the way of the future. In fact, according to studies, chief marketing officers (CMOs) spend two-thirds of their marketing budgets on digital strategies.

However, this influx of dollars and expected continued popularity has led the digital space to become extremely crowded. Consumers are increasingly turned off by digital ads that can feel intrusive and even creepy. 

At a time when everybody else seems to be all about getting ahead in the digital marketplace, the key to success may lie in taking a step back, kicking it old-school, and focusing on traditional advertising.

If you’re still not convinced that offline advertising deserves at least a part of your marketing budget, stick with us. Here are seven extremely effective methods that you’ll definitely want to try!

#1 Traditional Advertising Technique: Television and Radio

Although digital marketing is the big dog in town, there’s still plenty to be said for television and radio advertising. Most people watch television, in fact, there are 119.9 million TV households in the U.S. alone. And 227 million people also still listen to AM/FM radio, primarily in their cars.

It’s easy to see that allocating a portion of your marketing plan to these media outlets can help you reach a large audience. And, since so many companies are leaning away from this type of advertisement, it’s an easier space for you to make a name for yourself. 

6 More Marketing Ideas You Need to Try

Although TV and radio ads continue to be an excellent option, many business owners just can’t stomach the expense. For this reason, they tend to lean towards other traditional marketing methods that are less expensive but possibly just as effective. Check out these six exciting ideas.

1. Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Word-of-mouth marketing is extremely effective and is also one of the least expensive traditional marketing methods. This strategy often focuses on online review sites like Google, Yelp, and Facebook recommendations.

Since 80 percent of people ask for a personal referral before choosing a vendor, managing your online reputation is critical. Consider offering incentives to your happy clients to provide you with positive reviews on these types of sites. Also, always monitor your reviews and respond to negative comments immediately to reduce potential damage.

2. Vehicle Advertising

Wrapping your car with branded advertising is an excellent way to market your business. Every time you get into your car, you’re essentially a mobile billboard.

If you’re not ready to go for a full wrap yet, consider branded car decals. These are far less expensive and easier to remove if you change your branding or are no longer happy with the look.  

Driving a branded car also shows that you’re committed to your business and are proud to represent it no matter where you go. This can help with goodwill, especially in smaller communities where people are likely to start recognizing your business’s vehicles.

One word of warning, however. Make sure that anyone who drives your branded vehicles understands that they are representing your company when they’re behind the wheel. The last thing you want is road-rage or some other incident tarnishing the brand you’ve worked so hard to establish.

3. Printed Ads

Printed ads are another old-school marketing technique that isn’t going anywhere. In a world where you can read a book, search the internet, chat, and visit social media all from the same device, the distractions can get overwhelming. For this reason, many people are once again starting to lean towards printed media as their go-to source for information.

Magazine ads and newspaper flyers are an excellent way to capture the audience that’s simply exhausted by the constant flood of digital media. To succeed in this space, you’ll need eye-catching artwork and a tagline that hooks the reader, pulling them in.

4. In-Store Displays

If you’re selling a product that someone can purchase in a store, then eye-catching in-store displays is another great way to grab your customers’ attention.

Done right, these displays can stop shoppers in their tracks. Since they’ll already be in the store, it’s super-easy for them to pick up your product and toss it in the cart.

You make money, the store makes money, and the client gets instant gratification. That’s what we call a win-win!

5. Direct Mail

Did you know there were approximately 281 billion emails sent last year? When you’re looking at a huge number like that, it’s easy to see that you’ll have some competition while fighting for attention in someone’s inbox. 

On the other hand, there are far fewer businesses sending out direct mail. When your ad lands in someone’s physical mailbox, you’re more likely to at least get a glance. If your ad is well made with attention-grabbing visuals and headlines, you might even connect with your ideal customer.

6. Event Marketing

If there’s one surefire way to earn goodwill among your ideal customers, it’s by making your brand visible at the events they attend. This is especially true for local businesses who sponsor area charity and community events.

When you sponsor an event, you’re often able to include your logo on banners and signage, on the back of t-shirts, and more. You may also have the opportunity to included branded promotional items and/or discount coupons in swag bags that go out to all of the attendees.

When seeking out events to sponsor, look for those that fit well with your brand or that you are truly passionate about. This will help you make true connections with the right types of prospective customers.

Is Your Brand Positioned for Effective Marketing?

Now that you have some excellent ideas to incorporate traditional advertising into your marketing plan, you’ll want to make sure you have your brand positioning ready to go. This includes having a killer logo design.

Even if you already have a logo, giving it a refresh can breathe new life into your brand. Check out our tutorial to learn how you can make a new logo for free! Once your update is complete, you’ll be ready to move forward with your new and improved marketing plan.