Whether it is to enhance your brand value after a merger or to avoid becoming irrelevant, there are various reasons for a company to undergo a rebranding exercise. It could also mean better visibility and product differentiation – and a much-needed sales boost.
That’s according to the Dixon|James Rebranding Success Survey, which revealed 75 per cent of respondent organisations experienced improved sales within two years of rebranding.
The survey also found that the leading reason for rebranding was to create opportunity for growth, followed by a desire to remain relevant, to introduce new company leadership and to establish a competitive advantage.
To maximise the benefits of a rebrand, however, you’ll need to overcome these key challenges.
Look Beyond Your Logo
An effective rebrand should run much deeper than the logo on your business card. Your brand strategy should encompass the entire customer experience, from the look and feel of your website and the design of your in-store environment, to how you communicate the culture of your organisation.
That’s why it’s important not to embark on a rebrand believing it’ll be a quick fix. You must invest the time and resources in a detailed brand strategy and implementation plan before you worry about a shiny new logo.
Align Content Across Departments
To achieve a successful rebrand, you’ll need to ensure consistency in your messaging so you can build continuity with your customers. This means aligning all your content across the organisation and getting the required buy-in from all departments as you redefine your content to fit the new brand.
This will include everything from creating new sales and marketing collateral such as blog posts, white papers and case studies, to reframing human resources material and coming up with new PR content that reflects your revised brand positioning.
Engage Your Employees
Your new brand strategy may look great on paper, but it will be your staff on the ground who will largely determine its success. A buyer who is impressed by your new website will become quickly disillusioned if your customer service team fails to demonstrate your new brand values.
Take the time to educate all employees about the new brand and – most importantly – how it mutually benefits the organisation and its people with their support. But remember, many people are naturally apprehensive of change, so tread lightly at first.
Get IT Involved
Don’t overlook your IT department when planning a rebrand. Transitioning to a new website URL, for example, will have company-wide implications if all employee email logins are based on your old URL.
In addition, if you’re changing your sales pipeline as part of the rebrand, you may need new functionality built into your CRM or other project management software. Involve your IT department from day one of planning your rebrand to ensure nothing is overlooked.
Rebranding can bring several benefits, but as with all big organisational changes, investing the time and resources as well as ensuring cross-departmental collaboration can help you avoid the pitfalls of rebranding in a rush. That way, you’ll also be able to maximise all potential benefits.
