8 Essential Steps To Rebrand Successfully in 2023

Introduction.

If you decided to rebrand your business, you must follow a series of steps for the best outcome. If you did it chaos, you’ll end up with a new identity that does not connect with customers.

As you begin rebranding, complete each step wisely; no need to rush to get to the next. After all, rebranding isn’t a sprint. It’s like an ongoing marathon.

So Make sure your business follows these rebranding steps diligently:

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Table of Contents

01.

Identify the Reason for Rebranding.

There are several reasons to rebrand your business. Once you discover your reason you should document it.

Having a documented reason behind rebranding your business will guide the rest of the process. As you complete each step, always refer back to this intention to make sure you are on track.

Make sure all departments involved in the rebranding process are able to access this documented reason. from the accounting & sales team to the contracted branding agency they should have an understanding of why you’ve decided to transform your business identity.

02.

Establish Your Rebranding Goals.

While it’s great to know why to rebrand, it’s also important to understand what you hope to achieve by doing so. For the best results, make sure your goals are S.M.A.R.T, that stands for:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Attainable
  • Relevant
  • Timely

For example, one rebranding goal could be to improve social media brand mentions by 20% before the end of Q3. This goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and has a deadline.

Without these goals, you won’t be able to measure the success of your efforts. To set your goals, bring your team and brainstorm what you’d like to achieve by rebranding.

03.

Determine Your Budget.

Almost all business decisions come down to budgeting. Does your business currently have enough capital or the ability to do complete a successful rebranding campaign?

Meet with your leadership and the financial department to discuss a budget for your company’s new image. However, be careful not to undercut your rebranding budget, either. After all, the identity of your business is not the place to cut corners.

If you can’t afford a full rebrand of your company, look at another way to enhance your company’s image in the meantime, maybe website redesign or Social Media refreshment. Don’t begin the process of rebranding if you cannot afford it. Because you might end up with a rebranding fail!

04.

Research, Research, and Research Some More.

Research is the backbone of the rebranding strategy. You will need to use in-house resources or hire an independent firm to research each aspect of your potential rebrand, including:

  • The opinions of owners
  • Customer feedback
  • Industry trends
  • Competitors
  • Brands you prefer

Gather as much solid information as you can before proceeding with any rebranding. you may discover your intent to rebrand wouldn’t be well received by customers. Or maybe you find the market isn’t stable enough and a rebrand would cause potential loss.

Never commit to a new brand without good research and data visualization to support your decision. While conducting research, use this opportunity to identify new customer needs and wants. From there, visualize how your brand could fulfill those needs with the new brand identity.

Also, it’s essential to have a look at competitor brands. What are they doing better than yours at the moment? Consider how your new brand can improve your business position when compared to them. also, you have to review competitor brand elements so don’t create a similar brand appearance by mistake.

05.

Set a Timeline.

it’s time to plan out the project. Keep in mind, rebranding can take months upon months to complete. Hurried rebranding projects end up missing goals and resulting in poor publicity for your business.

Your timeline should include details for:

  • Developing the new brand identity.
  • Crafting a marketing plan based on the new brand.
  • Building and launching the rebranded website.
  • Any digital updates required as a result of the rebrand.
  • Employee education about the new company image.
  • Design and distribution of new promotional materials such as signage, packaging, social media layouts, etc.
  • The date to launch with the new company brand.

Consult the expertise of experienced project managers when discussing your timeline. If possible, hire an external branding agency to help run this process. a branding agency will direct all creative and strategic work necessary to develop a prosperous new brand for your business.

06.

Review the New Brand.

Recall the purpose for rebranding, review your budget, and tie up any loose ends with your timeline or identity. Take the time to examine all aspects of your new brand, from the smallest pixels to the largest publicity events. The last thing you want is a mistake or error that could be avoided at the last minute.

07.

Complete All Legal Requirements.

As you finish up with your new brand, consider the legal requirements necessary for the new brand such as copyrights, trademarks, etc. Consult your legal team before the brand launch.

08.

Launch Your Brand.

It’s time to show the world your new business brand. Now is also the time to execute your pre-planned marketing and promotional strategies for the new identity.

You should already have social media posts, internal communications, and other promotional materials ready to roll for the big day. Each of these announcements should reflect your reasoning and excitement about the change.

Take the opportunity to communicate to customers why you decided to rebrand and your goals for the company moving forward. Although you don’t need to dive into specifics,  these materials should seek to also excite customers about the refreshed company identity.

And, while you’re at it, celebrate with your team. You’ve earned a fresh new brand!

Conclusion.

Once your brand is out in the wild and the buzz has done, it’s time to continue implementing your brand strategies. All elements of the new brand should be communicated across your marketing and communications materials and channels, from social media and your website to video production. also, update the old content to fit the new brand assets.

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