How To Know When It’s Time To Rebrand

Like your favorite pair of jeans, it’s good to consider every once in a while whether or not your branding still fits your business.

GETTING STARTED

Before you launch into a full-on rebrand, here are a couple questions to ask yourself: 

1. Does our wording still work? Branding isn’t just about your logo, look, and feel. It’s about the words you use too. If your business has grown recently, changed directions, or if it’s been a minute since you last looked, now is the time to make sure your messaging is both accurate and timely. 

2. Does our look and feel fit our audience? Tastes and trends change. And while some logos are classics, most need a refresh every once in a while. Same goes for fonts and colors. 

If you answer “yes” to both of these questions, congratulations! You’re probably good to go.

If your answer is “no” to either one, keep reading for tips on how to systematically rebrand your business.

STEP 1: MESSAGING

You always want to start with your messaging because it’s the foundation for the rest of your branding. 

My biggest tip for working on your messaging is to get outside help.

I once heard someone describe working on your own messaging as trying to read the label from inside the bottle. 

StoryBrand’s Marketing Livestreams* are a great way to do this, or you can always schedule a call with me.

I asked another StoryBrand Guide for some help with my messaging about a year ago and they provided a lot of clarity that I just couldn’t get on my own. So, stop spinning your wheels and get some outside eyes on that copy!  

STEP 2: LOGO

When you look at your logo, ask yourself:

1. What does our logo say? (Is it consistent with our messaging?)

2. Is our logo readable in all instances? (Looking at you social media avatars!)

3. Does the quality of our logo communicate the value we offer our customers?

If you can answer “yes” to all three, congrats! You’re ready to roll.

If not, it’s time to take a deeper look at why that is.  Your logo needs to match your messaging, always be readable, and communicate the value you offer your customers. If it doesn’t, it’s time for a rebrand!

STEP 3: FONTS

There are two non-negotiables when it comes to fonts:

1. All copy must be easily readable in the selected font.
   If folks can’t easily read your copy, they will move on.

2. You must consider what your font says about you.

Fonts set the tone for your copy before people even start to read. So, picking the wrong font could send unintended messages to your target audience. 

For example, check out what Ryan Gosling thinks about Papyrus.

And, if you’re looking to make some better selections, here’s an article from Canva with some great examples of how to think through the basics of font selection.

STEP 4: BRAND COLORS

How do you make sure your brand colors are working for you and not against you? 

My #1 rule when it comes to colors is keep it simple, especially if you’re not working with a professional designer. 

So, if you’re trying to DIY at the moment, pick two to three colors max and work within those. 

Consistency is key and limiting your color palette will help build visual brand recognition.

Want to go deeper and nerd out on some color theory? Here’s an in-depth article from Adobe.

Looking for an easy way to explore color palette options? Try Coolors. 

NEED SOME HELP? If you’re looking for assistance with any of the above, schedule a FREE 20-minute discovery call with me and we’ll make a plan to get you where you need to go.