5 Common Rebranding Mistakes That Kill Companies
Thinking about rebranding? As one of Houston’s best marketing and branding agencies, Studio Brand Collective helps Texas organizations and entrepreneurs rebrand their businesses, products, and services every day. Sometimes, we’re hired to clean up the mess made by a previous rebranding attempt, and it’s taught us a lot about what not to do!
If you’re considering undertaking a rebrand without the guidance of an experienced Houston branding agency, you could be in for a world of hurt if you don’t know what you’re doing. We’d hate to see that! That’s why we’re passing on these definite DON’TS free of charge—we believe no brand deserves to be mistreated!
5. Skipping research
Common sense and your “gut” might have steered you right in a majority of your business decisions over the years, but branding is about so much more than business logic. A successful rebrand demands research to be effective. It’s essential for determining which brand equities you should keep and which you should dump or modify. Ditching existing brand equity when rebranding may alienate established customers, while unnecessary overhauls can irreparably harm a brand’s perception.
4. Half-measures
If you’re planning to redesign your logo and call it a day, don’t bother. A rebrand goes much deeper than applying a fresh coat of paint. Companies working to reposition themselves often make superficial changes to their logo, label, or uniforms and expect big changes. This approach is about as effective as painting over wallpaper. Either rip it off and start completely fresh or stick with what you’ve got.
3. Failure to benchmark
How can you expect to measure the success of your rebranding efforts if you don’t benchmark your current performance first? Collect data on your current Web traffic, social engagement, form conversions, sales, signups, and other important metrics before you make a move. If your rebranding efforts don’t meet or exceed these numbers after a reasonable amount of time has passed, you’ve got a problem and may need to consider switching back. Which leads us to…
2. Not having a reason
Can you explain in a single, compelling sentence why you want to rebrand? “I don’t like the colors” or “our logo looks dated” are not sufficient reasons. Coca-Cola’s logo is well over 100 years old, and they’re in no rush to modernize it! It’s important to know how you want your company to be seen differently and by whom before you embark on a rebrand. Otherwise, you’re likely to end up with something that will confuse more people than it intrigues.
1. Forgetting buy-in
Ramming through a rebrand that few people are interested in is not going to work. Your employees will need to be your new brand ambassadors, and if they don’t believe in your new brand, no one will. That’s why it’s critical to promote internal buy-in and include your staff in the rebranding process. They will have insights into your customers’ needs that the executives will not have. They’re the ones who will ultimately sell it to your customers.
Maybe it goes without saying, but as branding professionals, one of our biggest don’ts for companies trying to rebrand is to try it without an experienced branding agency on their side. There are far too many important factors that go into rebranding to fit in a single list. Fortunately, we’re willing to share all of them with you! To get started, call Studio Brand Collective today for a FREE brand audit. We’ll assess the health of your brand and make recommendations on the way forward. Take our advice—you’ll thank yourself later! (713) 863-1141
