If you have to ask this question then you’ve probably not gone through a branding process properly in the past. Either that, or your understanding of branding as a subject may be limited. I’m not going to harp on that branding is more than just a logo and use this time to educate what brand is, or isn’t, you can read through our earlier Frostbites for that, but what I want to try and communicate is what type of output businesses of varying sizes may get at the end of going through a strategic rebrand process, and the benefits they can expect.
I have written this post following a recent new business meeting where we were invited to discuss a website project, however it was clearly evident through our discussions and a brief audit of their comms that a rebrand was needed. When discussing the project with them it was acknowledged that the existing brand, in terms of the visuals and messaging was self made, and although it serves a purpose and the business has been fairly successful to date, it doesn’t effectively communicate who they are and what they do in the right way. In their minds, refreshing the website may be one way of solving this issue, however through further dialogue we discovered that the messaging and communications needed to be addressed also. Additionally, internally, they had been contemplating dropping a word from their identity because the business had evolved and now does more than the logo mark communicates.
This in itself is a key indicator you need to consider a rebrand!
As the conversation moved on and we shared case studies of various successes we have had for other businesses that we had successfully rebranded, we were asked a strange question:
“This is all great, but what is it we get at the end from you apart from a website?”
We were a little taken aback as we’d just presented examples of the type of work we have done for other brands, explained the impact of our work and discussed the various elements produced for each client, along with our processes, yet they were still unsure.
The challenge for an agency like ours is that we don’t have a one size fits all approach. We adapt our process and output to the needs of the client, the business strategy and of course, budget. This in turn dictates how deep we go through each stage of our strategic brand process, an overview of this can be seen here. When we pitch for new business we always take into account who they are, what we know already, their size and turnover, what they have asked help for and, following a brief audit of their comms, we then respond with our top level recommendations and cost.
So what could you get after rebranding your business ?
Following a collaborative workshop we would develop your brand to work more effectively visually and also verbally; there’s real value to be had if every brand, no matter the size, had a brand book that could easily be distributed that outlined the following:
- Core values
- Vision
- Positioning
- Brand proposition
- Brand essence
- Brand structure
- Brand language / Tone of voice
- Proposition
- Positioning statement
- Brand essence
- Brand strategy
- Brand architecture
- Brand identity and design direction
- Sales messaging
Image: A selection of pages from a brand guidelines document created for Southampton Hospital Charity.
This information would be presented in digital format and easily shared with staff internally and suppliers externally. It is your brand bible. This will dictate what all your marketing communications should look and sound like; it will enable everyone involved with your business to follow rules and guidance on how to create marketing assets consistently and effectively. This would be delivered alongside a new website if that was a priority, or any other priority brand assets if you wanted us to produce them. You would also be provided with core marketing assets and templates for your staff to utilise at launch. These may include some, or all of the following depending on budget:
- Corporate stationery
- Case Studies
- Sales presentations
- Uniforms
- Signage
- Proposal templates
- Promotional materials
- Exhibition materials
- Vehicle livery
- Video animation
- Photography
- E-marketing templates
- Social media templates and branded channels
- Brand and marketing campaigns
From this list the number of assets that are created by the agency will be driven by your individual circumstances. If you are an SME, you may just need the stationery and website delivered alongside your guidelines. However a larger national or global organisation may want the agency to deliver all the brand and marketing assets, or just supply the guidelines for their internal designers to work from.
What are the benefits of rebranding
If it has been recommended that you should consider rebranding then it’s because the agency has your best interest at heart. At Frost we wouldn’t advise on something we didn’t believe would benefit our clients’ businesses, however through rebranding you could expect the following:
- Your business and brand will be able to connect with a new audience and reach new customers, whilst re-engaging existing.
- You’ll have a fresh opportunity to set yourself apart from your competitors and define your true differentiator
- Evolve and become more current
- Revamp the brand to communicate your latest business vision, products, services and capabilities
- Increase the bottom line
- Engage staff and empower your team to drive success
- Retain and attract fresh talent that will reduce recruitment fees and churn rates
What ROI will I get through rebranding
This can often be a tricky one to answer directly because there are a lot of positive factors that help drive ROI that are not always clear to see.
Essentially rebranding, if done well, will deliver ROI but it can be difficult to put your finger on any one element to measure against. Unless we are rebranding a product, for example an energy drink, where we have the revenues from before and after the rebrand to measure against, we have to explore other areas to find the ROI, and there are lots. There are various metrics that can be used when measuring the impact of rebranding your company; you can monitor perception data, performance data, and financial data. Whether you can use all these examples will vary, depending on your business, but are some useful ways you can quantify the impact of your rebrand.
There are also website traffic and leads, an increase in sales and/or referrals. Your social follower count may have increased, more press coverage, an increase in market share, interest from other businesses looking to acquire… the list goes on.
Is rebranding for me?
A brand agency like Frost can offer impartial advise on whether you need to rebrand fully or just make some tweaks to the existing one. That said there are some clear signs to look out for that will help you make a decision as follows:
- Your target audience has changed (or expanded).
- Your main benefits or value proposition has changed.
- The offerings or price points have changed.
- The competitive landscape has changed.
- The customers’ behaviours or needs have changed.
- The times have changed and visually you look dated.
In summary
What you get at the end of doing a rebrand will vary and be tailored to your individual business needs. However as a bare minimum you should expect to have a brand guidelines document that clearly defines who you are, what you stand for as a business and guidance on how to create effective and consistent marketing communications. You and your staff will fee empowered, knowing all your ducks are in a row and everything from a marketing perspective, both internally and externally is all aligned. On a personal level, if you are an MD of an SME or CEO of a global brand you can rest assured knowing confidently you have done everything you can do to drive your business forwards and achieve your goals.
Whether you continue ahead on your own, or work with a branding agency like Frost, getting your branding right will play a key role in the success of your business. If you want to find out more and discuss your branding requirements, don’t hesitate to call our team on 01489 892 602 or email [email protected].