Are you considering a rebrand?

Brilliant! That might be a really good strategy. (#yay!)

But, you should also proceed with caution. ⚠️

The decision to rebrand shouldn’t be taken lightly – for a variety of reasons.

For one: To feel confident buying, people usually need to be familiar with you. They need to know, like, and trust you – and encounter you at multiple touchpoints over time. So, consistency is crucial – because it helps build that familiarity. When you change things up, you need to be incredibly intentional and strategic about it. 

Plus, branding is a process that requires an investment of your time (and often money) to be done well. So – like with any significant investment – you need to be ready to make it, and ready to leverage the results. 

In my 15+ years behind the scenes with companies and entrepreneurs, I have seen (and facilitated) rebrands that completely transformed and up-leveled businesses – and paid dividends. 

Absolutely thrilling!

But I’ve also seen rebrands undertaken at questionable times, or (Yikes!) for the wrong reasons. 

Womp, womp.

So, what’s an entrepreneur to do, then? How can you know if a rebrand is right for you – right now? (Or at least soon. 🤓)

Never fear… You’re brainy brand bud has your back. (That’s me.)

In this article, I’m outlining seven reasons a rebrand may serve your business well. (And, conversely, we’ll touch upon when it might not.) After reading, you’ll know the factors to consider when deciding if it’s your time! 

🎥 Pssst… If you prefer to learn by watching, catch the video below. Or, keep reading for the details! 

First, what does a rebrand entail?

Let’s start by getting on the same page about what rebranding could be like. Because, it could actually look quite different for different entrepreneurs, depending on your goals. 

In truth, your rebrand could fall at any point along the spectrum I’m about to lay out. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll look at two scenarios. 

Scenario 1: A rebrand could be a total reinvention. 

On this end of the spectrum, you’re basically starting fresh or rebooting entirely. You’re signaling to the market that this version of your business is totally new – even if you’re not actually starting from scratch in business. 

From an operational perspective, you may be re-aligning and re-naming all of your backend business assets. This could include your team, your content, your customer experience, your delivery mechanisms – e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!

If you’re envisioning sweeping changes, you likely plan to serve your people in an entirely different way. And, that calls for you to show up in a whole different way, too.

Regular readers here know we like to take lessons from the big brands, so let’s look at a stylish example. 👜😉 

Last year, Burberry undertook a total re-invention of its brand. 

(And the branding community took in a big collective gasp!) 😯 😯 😯

Burberry’s re-boot resulted in a dramatic change to their iconic logo and their visual style. This seemed quite risky! Critics said they were throwing out hundreds of years of brand equity – when they could have chosen to refresh what they had. But they seemed to be orchestrating a massive shift in their target audience, so the seismic shifts may have been warranted. 

Time will tell if it’s going to pay off for them. (They did make a big splash, and earned what might be an invaluable amount of press for their bold move…)

The lesson? Sometimes a big brand shake-up is exactly what a business needs. (But not always.) 

Scenario 2: A rebrand can be less drastic… More of a brand refresh. 

Perhaps you’re picturing a process of upgrading what you already have. You’re not necessarily changing your name. You’re not changing your entire position in the market. Rather, you are elevating your visuals and getting more clear in your messaging – so it will all land better with your ideal customers. 

In practice, this second scenario is the one that I see most often among my 1:1 Clarity Code clients. After serving clients and customers for a bit, the foundation of your brand often come into clearer focus – but needs to be defined and conveyed. (And, it’s common for your brand to need to play catch up with how awesome you’ve become! More on that below…) 

With this type of rebrand (versus the total re-boot from Scenario 1), you get to hold on to the brand equity you’ve built so far, but your business still gets a refresh. 😄 

Plus – BONUS! – you often get people to pay attention again. You give them something to notice about you – because you are changing the way that you show up, and that’s a pattern interrupt.  

(You can see why this “brand upgrade” is my favorite kind of project, right? #allthelove for the upleveling!) 

Okay… So, we know that a rebrand can take more than one form. Now, let’s get to the reasons you might consider one… Because regardless of the scope of the project, deciding to rebrand is a big decision. And I’m here to help inform it. So let’s dig in… 

📌 You can pin this article for reference!

📌 Pin this article to your branding board!

Reason 1: Your business has evolved. 

In my experience, one of the hallmarks of entrepreneurship is continuous evolution. As business owners we get to choose. Those choices result in growth – and a continuous honing of our skills and values. (Darwin would be proud! 🤣) 

After some time in business, you might find you’ve evolved so far – and experienced so much healthy change – that your company’s outsides no longer match its insides! 

What the world sees (Hello, janky website and jumbled mission statement! I’m looking at Y-O-U!) just isn’t reflecting you as the founder – or the heart and soul of your business. 

It’s also quite possible that your services have dramatically shifted – or you’re changing your business model in some other really big way. 

However this evolution has shown up… if there’s a large delta between “who you used to be” and “who you are now,” it can be game-changing to give your brand a much-needed upgrade. 

Reason 2: You built your brand on trends.

Did you initially build your business’s visual identity or messaging (or both!) around something that was trendy at the time? If yes, you’re not alone – and there’s no shame in it.

When we first start, it’s common to model after those we see as successful. So, it’s easy to latch on to a certain “look” or trending topic – and run with it. 

But like Maya Angelou said, “When you know better, you do better!” 

If you incorporated trendy concepts or visuals the first time around, (and now they’re outdated or less relevant) you might be ripe for an impactful rebrand! In this case, I highly recommend that you revisit your brand strategy. Come up with a new visual identity and messaging that’s timeless – so it won’t be tired or dated again in a few years. 

This is – in fact – one of the key concepts I teach my clients and students:
Build your brand on truth, not trends.

(It’s not completely off the table to adopt visual trends or catchphrases into some areas of your brand. If some “latest and greatest” thing is in alignment with who you are at your core, it can be done. Just don’t build your entire identity around it – or know that you’ll need to update often.) 

Reason 3: You need to reposition your brand.

You might be considering a rebrand to reposition yourself in the market. 

Maybe you’re dramatically raising your prices. Or perhaps you’re planning to launch a really low-priced offer – and you haven’t played in that space yet. You’re venturing into new price point territory, and presumably speaking to a different audience than you have before. 

Or, maybe you’re feeling that it’s become “too close for comfort” among all of the competitors in your space. If so, repositioning your message might be in order to help you differentiate and stand out. 

These are all strong indicators that you’d benefit from a rebrand.

Reason 4: You’re reorganizing.

If you’re consolidating offers – or partnering with and/or acquiring other products or businesses – a thoughtful rebrand may serve you well. 

Perhaps this means you’re simplifying and bringing a variety of different products or services under one brand umbrella. Maybe you’re merging or partnering with another business on a significant venture. In these and similar cases, it’s a really good idea to assess the overall ecosystem of your brand and get realigned.

Reason 5: You’re expanding into a new culture or location.

You started your business serving people in one country or area… and now you’re extending your brand into a new culture or geographic location. 

(Love it, BTW, you empire-builder, you!) 🤓

As an example, let’s say you’ve been working with clients in the United States, and you’re ready to market in one or more countries in Europe. Some of your earlier decisions may need re-visiting. Chances are, some of the cultural norms that are prevalent in the U. S. will be different here.

By looking closely again at your brand foundation, you can tailor your messages and ensure they can land appropriately – and impactfully – in your new market. 

Reason 6: You need to attract top talent. 

If you find you’re having a hard time attracting – or retaining – top talent, it may be time to revisit your brand. 

… Because, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but… If your employees aren’t excited and inspired by their work, it’s not going to go unnoticed. In fact, I guarantee it’s impacting your customer experience.

So, how can you get your team back into alignment and producing better results? One of the best ways is to give them a larger vision to get excited about. Having a clear sense of the big picture… of what you stand for… of how your standards show up in the details they handle? It’s invigorating. And, it naturally builds in accountability and encourages independent decision-making. 

Defining that larger vision – and refining how you articulate it – will be wildly effective for getting your team onboard with you again. 

Reason 7: Your sales have stagnated. 

I want to start this section off with a Big. Ol’ Caveat. 

(Like, a really big one…) 

It’s imperative that you be very, very careful if this is the only reason that you’re considering a rebrand. If your sales have been stagnant, it can be tempting to throw up your hands in the air and be like…

Okay, we need to change everything… EVERYTHING!

But, here’s the thing: Your brand may or not be the issue. It might be some other piece in the puzzle. If you assume it’s your brand, and you blow it all up… you run the additional risk of losing the brand recognition that you have earned. 

(On occasion, I’ve encountered entrepreneurs that rebrand once a year, and I just can’t endorse that! Building a blockbuster business takes more than a year. Your brand needs time to build familiarity and trust!)

When you’re properly poised – and at a crossroads that calls for it – a thoughtful rebrand can uplevel your business in all the right ways!  

If you’re ready, I’m ready to help you. You can start by learning more about working with me one-on-one. I’ve developed The Clarity Code™, a proven step-by-step method to clarity, consistency, and ease in your business. By applying the Clarity Code to your brand, we develop a cohesive psychology-driven brand strategy that saves you time and money as you grow.

When you’re ready to evolve, we’ll ensure your brand doesn’t get lost in the process! Learn more here.