Rebranding a care home, a shop, a hotel or business can potentially be one of the most difficult undertakings made by a management team or owner. This stress is very understandable as your brand is your identity and makes up your core values in the market place. Customers and users of your services and products interact with your branding long before they step through the door, email, or pick up the phone, so a good first impression is vital. Here are a few tips and tricks to consider if you’re thinking of a rebrand.
Get your staff behind you
A rebrand can only work if everyone in the organisation is behind it and fully understands the vision that’s being set forward. Understanding what’s changing and the reasons for it, will help create belief in the rebrand and ultimately lead to better team cohesion and appreciation of the changes being made.
The majority of people, 62% in fact, don’t like change or to leave their comfort zone. If your brand is a family firm or has been established for years, rebranding can be seen by some as betraying your roots, however this needn’t be the case; nostalgia can be celebrated. Your core values and message will be retained in the new branding. Taylor & Pickles began life in 1929 and has been through this process.
Signage
Signage is a brilliant way of reinforcing your brand identity. It’s what customers and the public interact with and ultimately drives sales or enhances user experience. Having good signage communicates your values, purpose and identity through the age-old writing rule, ‘show, don’t tell’. From the moment, they arrive at your premises, or even approach them, customers and users will get a clearer understanding and feel of your business.
Read our case studies page to see a selection of work that our customers have undertaken including rebrands. Or visit our products page to see the full range of signage options for a rebrand.
Less can be more
With a good rebrand you can reflect the history of the company, whilst also modernising your business and positioning yourself at the forefront of your industry. There’s nothing heroic about living in the past; the business world is dynamic and changes frequently and quickly. Over the last few years, we’ve seen many brands, small, medium and world leading, rebrand successfully.
In design, stripping back and going for a simpler aesthetic is very effective, especially if you have a highly recognisable brand or clear message to broadcast. Being aware of colour and font is fundamental to a successful rebrand.
Focus on your audience
Alternatively, an example of celebrating the past is Manchester City’s badge rebrand. After consulting with their fans, the design was finalised and implemented. Understanding and being aware of their audience was instrumental for Manchester City’s rebrand and is a good lesson to learn if you’re considering one. Ask questions and find out your regular customers thoughts and feelings, they’ll be able to help you and might even suggest things that you haven’t considered.