What's a rebranding and when do you need it

Some brands need one so badly because they are very outdated or what used to work doesn't work anymore. Below we explain when rebranding is necessary for your company. If most of these apply to you, it's time to press the rebrand button. Keep in mind the following quote by Eric Ries when reading this: "A pivot is a change in strategy, not vision."

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1- We can't understand what you do in less than 10 seconds

Branding is not just about your website looking good. It's about the product or service itself. It's a bad sign when people come onto your website and don't understand what you offer in less than 10 seconds. You can't expect them to scroll down to find out. Especially now, with everything being at people's fingertips, we have grown lazier, and our attention spans are even more limited. 

This is the time to dumb it down! Imagine explaining your business to a ten-year-old nephew. You would have to think of a way that they would be able to understand it. If they are confused, you have to try a different approach until you find something that works. ‍

2- Your ‘why’ isn’t clear enough. 

It all starts with you. If you are in a meeting with investors, leads, or clients and start explaining your product, and they are confused about your why and what you do, you don't know it well enough yourself.

If they don't sense passion and consistency within your product, they have no reason to be passionate. If you're presenting your vision and you get a reaction like « oh really », « but that's amazing, why don't you share it? » you know you're in trouble. You have to rethink things and go back to why you created the company. 

3- People mistake your company for another

The worst insult to a company is when someone confuses you with another. This means that your company doesn't have a unique identity. If you have to explain yourself and remind people who you are repeatedly, you don't have a logo, name, sound, etc., that stands out to them. If they can't tell their neighbor or closest friends precisely what you do, you need to consider changing things up.

You know that really catchy song that gets stuck in your head repeatedly? That’s what your brand needs to strive to be. It has to have content that makes people want to read more and visuals that draw you in. It needs to leave your audience with a lasting impact. When they see your logo or hear your name, they remember exactly what you stand for.

4- You don't rank on google in your field. 

If your SEO is not ranking as you want it to, it may be time to rethink your branding strategy. This usually happens when your content isn't clearly explaining what you do correctly! Your website must share your vision, values, and why. 

You need to know the keywords best suited for your industry to create target-centered content. How are you supposed to know these keywords if you struggle to find your brand's identity? It's all interconnected; one clog in the machine leads to another's success or failure. 

Your SEO problems will get solved the second you pause and figure out your exact purpose. Finding the keywords is a great exercise to test and see if you can find the key terms that summarize your brand. This will then lead you to know how you want your product or service to be perceived.‍

5- You look like every other company: The Blanding Phenomenon.

Unintentionally companies adopt each other's traits by taking subconscious notes of what's out there and packing them into their backpack of memories. So, of course, there is bound to be repetition.

A trend called Blanding that was very popular in 2018 is where companies intentionally create generic brand identities by following modern repetitive trends. These brands that choose to do this may be slightly different, but they look almost identical to each other for the most part. Sadly, there is less and less individuality these days, and it is such an important pillar. 

So what's the right approach to take in your rebranding? Individuality or Blanding?

While we agree that looking like every other company in your field is excellent to position yourself in a specific industry quickly, in the long term, we think standing out is non-negotiable. Like many other things, during your potential rebranding, the solution is to find a balance between following the standard uniform of the industry while adding colorful bows, shoes, or stockings to your product or service. 

6- You're trying to steer clear of negative perceptions. 

It is hard for brands to admit their wrongdoings and rebrand to show their customers that they have changed. Many companies today were saved by this. If your company has had an incident that led to negative publicity, a rebrand can help counter that. 

It can't feel like a company is doing it to save itself from crashing and burning. People have to feel like it's coming from a real place for them to accept it and repurchase your product. 

A brand and its consumer's relationship is no different from relationships with friends and family members. The only way for the relationship to heal is to admit the wrongdoing and show active change. 

Conclusion

Even if we didn't mention your company's specific reason for considering rebranding, listen to your gut. If you feel like something has to change, it's never too late to take that leap for a better future. 

Finding the right marketing agency you trust to guide you in the right direction is the best way to ensure your rebranding's success. At Bract, we walk you through the whole process and don't try to change who you are. We keep the essence of your brand by getting to know why you do what you do. 

If you read and decide a rebrand is for you we already did an article explaining how to do a proper rebranding.