Your business, along with its product, customer base, and market niche will inevitably evolve over time. As a result, with the passing of years, your original brand elements may no longer accurately reflect your company’s current identity.
When that happens, a brand refresh may be a necessary step for a company to grow and adapt to the modern business landscape. But a brand refresh can be an expensive and time-consuming process, so it shouldn’t be done flippantly.
How do you identify the proper time to conduct a brand revamp? Here are five signs you should be on the lookout for.
Sign #1 — The Branding Lacks Clarity
The fundamental purpose of branding is to explain what your product or service is and does, while also differentiating it from your competitors. As Kristopher Joseph, founder of LSEO, notes: “On the outside, your brand may seem like it consists only of elements such as logos and colors, but your brand is actually the entire identity of your business. Your brand gives you personality.”
With more competition and market saturation than ever, businesses must go out of their way to stand out. When done right, their branding can assist with this, fostering:
- Name recognition
- Trust
- Cohesive advertising
- Employee loyalty
However, if your branding lacks clarity, it will fail to accomplish such things. In fact, it may even make customers more likely to reject you as a potential option.
Sign #2 — Your Logo Isn’t Flexible
Can your brand logo fit any format, whether it’s for a banner ad, homepage, or favicon?
What once may have worked for more traditional areas of marketing may no longer be applicable. If the brand logo is too big, long, or detailed, that may impact its usage.
For modern branding, the trend has moved towards minimalism—a logo that’s simple, clean, and can render in any resolution.
Sign #3 — There’s No Visual Consistency
Your branding should be cohesive across all mediums, be it your website, social media accounts, or in marketing materials. If it’s done properly, a visitor should be able to instantly recognize the brand’s assets regardless of where they’re encountered.
If, on the other hand, users get a fractured experience from one location to another, that lack of consistency can lead to confusion, frustration, or disillusionment with the brand itself.
Sign #4 — Your Brand Doesn’t Reflect the Current Status of the Company
Good branding should act as both a reflection of the company and its customer.
But branding that was accurate five years ago, may no longer be so. Your goods or services may have changed, or the customer base could be different. Consider:
- Has your company changed its business model?
- Did it scale?
- Does the current branding exemplify these updates?
You should run a competitive analysis to gauge your standing in the market and then rebrand if the dated image fails to reflect your current status.
Sign #5 — It Fails to Reflect Your Values
Your company’s purpose, vision, and values should function as the fundamental cornerstones of your brand design. Ideally, every visual element should reflect those. If not, you’re missing out on a prime opportunity to buttress your branding and reinforce who you say you are.
When branding fails to reflect the company’s values, it’s unlikely that it will resonate, especially with would-be customers who are unfamiliar with the company.
Semgeeks—Your One-Stop-Shop for Branding and Digital Marketing
Are you looking for “branding agencies near me?”
Then you’ve already come to the right place. At Semgeeks, we can help you analyze your brand strategy, and update it if necessary. Our team of digital marketing experts will work hand-in-hand with you to create a unique brand identity, including logo design and brand collateral.
Are you ready to cultivate your brand experience? Reach out today.
Sources:
Forbes. The Importance Of Branding In Business. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/03/24/the-importance-of-branding-in-business/?sh=1cfb569167f7
