The Big Branding Decision

Re-branding, re-marketing, re-changing-the-face-of-your-business; whatever you want to call it, it’s often a daunting and risky decision and one that is not taken lightly by all involved. So what makes sustainable, memorable and effective branding for any industry business and, most importantly, how often should you be re-shuffling elements to produce a competitive, successful strategy? Grace Jalowiecka, Marketing Manager at Devon digital agency, Media Street, explains below.

Consistency & Simplicity is Always Key

It’s industry knowledge that every business strategy has to be consistent – not just in appearance but also in the way you and your employees perform. It can’t be one thing for one area of the company and different for another. The same goes for any new branding venture, as complete fluidity and synchronisation between infrastructures will be what moulds and holds the new strategy in place. It’s certainly at this point where you can undeniably make or break your company.

“From your customer journey to analysis of data and results, every process needs to be thought of”

Regardless of the degree of change you are looking to pursue, there are a number of questions to ask yourself, and those involved, which will dramatically change and influence the approach, and therefore, the success of your branding intentions:

• Before you start, does your business employ a tight-knit USP? Oftentimes business owners rocket launch themselves into a new business without keeping to what actually makes them different, and therefore better from the rest.
• What is the key message you are trying to convey in the rebrand? Is it off the back of a very successful decade of business and you are looking to pursue a new angle for the next ten?
• Going back to the importance of consistency; can you integrate your rebrand across every platform of your business, efficiently and effectively? From customer journey to analysis of data and results, every process needs to be thought of.
• And leaving the most important until last – is the rebrand really necessary in reforming company success? So often, we see businesses rebrand just for the sake of it. If it ain’t broke…

Pinpoint What You’re Good At and Run With It

Now, if you’ve answered ‘yes’ to all four of the above, my guess is that you have a secure and successful business waiting for the next step in the industry sphere. Whether that be to expand nationally or globally, or you have maintained a high turnover in the past several years and want to keep that coming in, there are plenty of avenues you can take to make your mark.

What to remember at this point onwards is that you choose one thing that you and the business are remarkable at and you run with it throughout the company. It can be a simple branding technique that is often overlooked by you and your staff on a daily basis, but is at the core of your success.

It’s at this point where we can look at global brand examples such as Google who have modernised slowly over time but you don’t necessarily notice the small changes.

“The best brands are the ones that stand the test of time and are recognisable, even if you took away the company name.”

Take their interactive games and ‘shows’ for national holidays and VIP birthdays for example – this fully-immersive desktop and mobile element is a memorable and fun experience for every user and they do this consistently, 365 days a year. The same goes for their office designs and ‘exciting’ approach to their employee experience in the workplace (Google ‘A day in the life of a Google employee’ and you will see what I mean!)

I know that all businesses can’t be like Google (what a fantastic world we would live in if they were!) but the main point to take away is to focus on what you pride your business on and filter that through to every inch of what makes your company unique and desirable.

Most Importantly, How Often Should I Rebrand?

Not too often. That’s the simplest and most honest answer, and I’m sure many marketing professionals would say the same. The best brands are the ones that stand the test of time and are recognisable, even if you took away the company name. If you are constantly looking at ways to improve and expand your business, yes rebranding and remarketing can be one option, but don’t make it the only option. You certainly don’t want to damage a firm reputation by making rash and uninformed decisions!

Bespoke Branding Services in Exeter

With over ten years of experience in the design industry, Media Street is at the forefront of industry practice and professional approaches when it comes to branding. We have worked on numerous branding strategies and implementation to ensure our clients’ needs are met to exact standards.

For more information on how we can help you to achieve an exceptional, ‘out-of-the-box’ branding and design strategy which integrates smoothly into your current business plan, talk to one of our branding experts in Exeter, today!