Six signs you’re due for a rebrand
By BAYLEE AKINS
"Identity is cause; brand is effect, and the strength of the former influences the strength of the latter." - Larry Ackerman
Brands requires a strong sense of identity to thrive, regardless of industry. They evoke feelings by design, and due to the intangible nature of the topic, designing your identity can feel like you're trying to hit a moving target. To make matters more complex, brands aren't frozen in time. They grow and evolve with your organization, and much like any relationship, they can outgrow one another. You might have noticed a feeling that something is misaligned, or that your brand isn't generating the same enthusiasm it once did. You might find yourself toying with making a change but having a hard time discerning if you should start from scratch.
Since brands don't come with an expiration date, it's important to periodically revaluate their effectiveness. For those who prefer clear signals of when the time is right to make a change, we've compiled six common markers to look for when deciding if your organization needs to rebrand.
You've outgrown or scaled your brand. When what once made sense no longer resonates, it is time to part ways. Most government agencies have been around for a while, but who you serve or what you offer your communities has likely evolved. This reason for change can be easier to spot because it often comes paired with overhauling your existing mission, vision or values to realign the entire organization with its current or desired state.
You've pivoted your culture or approach to engagement. Similar to outgrowing your brand, maybe you've made some culture shifts or changes in how you interact with your constituents. While this doesn't always warrant a full rebrand, it can certainly necessitate an evaluation of what's currently working with your brand and what (if anything) might need to shift. If this is something your organization has done recently, we recommend reexamining your brand positioning statement to confirm your new culture or model still reflects this sentiment. Any misalignment might seem inconsequential, but small incongruences can turn into big gaps over time.
You're looking to stand out. We see this often with agencies, most notably cities, that share geographical proximity and similar legacies. An example might be neighboring cities that are all proud of their agricultural history, but are poised for growth. How can you visually differentiate yourself from neighbors that have similar pasts and want to move in the same general direction? It makes sense to incorporate part of your history into your brand's future (like an orange or a lemon to continue this example), but when every city uses the same elements, they can all start to blur together. We find that while neighbors might look alike on the surface, every community is unique. This is where our love of research comes in because once we start to really understand a community, its unique characteristics and personality surface.
You're embarrassed of it. If your staff resists wearing your branded merch in public, is reluctant to share their business card, or has created work arounds to your existing logo: this is a sign that your staff are embarrassed of your brand and it is time for an upgrade. It can be a harder reason to bring up, particularly if someone in your leadership team has strong ties with the brand, but it's an important one to rectify. Brand alignment starts from within and your staff are often the first touchpoint with your customer base, therefore, its important they feel confident with and are aligned with your brand positioning.
Its look and feel didn't stand the test of time. It can seem like a great idea to capitalize on what's trending, but it's important to think longterm. Especially, if the trend is inauthentic to the core of your brand identity, it is time to reassess. Staying true to the compass of your brand identity will remove the margin for error when deciding if something you are incorporating is a trend or timeless. Branding isn't a small undertaking and you want your efforts to last for as long as possible. When unsure, ask yourself, "does this make sense, or will there be a disconnect between our mission and our look and feel?"
You're trying to remedy brand confusion. This is harder to identify, but as important a reason as any. Your brand should be clear to your target audience at every touchpoint, and that requires total alignment. To recognize whether you need a rebrand or a communications strategy and brand style guide, you'll want to audit the following for alignment: your materials; brand positioning statement; and mission, vision and values. The determining factor is whether the confusion is internal or external. If your brand positioning statement and mission, vision and values still align but your public-facing brand materials and messaging are inconsistent, you need a communications strategy and brand style guide. If your internal staff have lost sight of the brand vision, it's time to rebrand.
At JPW, we like to say that we don't create brands from thin air -- instead, we uncover them. The reality is that your brand already exists and is the sum total of your culture, values, differentiators and every constituent touchpoint, down to the staff representing it. It's a matter of capturing that essence at the intersection of perception, reality and aspiration. And when everything is aligned, it's a cascading effect that will be felt from the top of the organization down to every target audience interaction.
If you know you need a rebrand and are looking for guidance to the intersection of strategy and creativity, let's talk branding.