When you start your own business there are so many moving parts to navigate. When it comes to branding you may have used Fiverr, a rookie or rockstar designer, or opted for DIY design, either way, it’s served you to this today. My question to you is, does your branding live up to the next chapter in business?
Here are my bulletproof questions to identify whether you’re ready for a brand transformation. If you answer YES to 3 or more questions below it’s time to LEVEL UP your business’s brand story.
Have you outgrown your branding? You have years of experience, built relationships, deliver high-quality products /services and are well-known in your field. You’re trusted by loyal clients, however, you don’t seem to attract many new leads or followers to your socials or email list. You feel a tad embarrassed to share your logo & feel branding lacks connection to your business's vision. Your gut feeling is 'you have outgrown your brand', your core offering has evolved & it’s not attracting your ideal customer demographic. If you answered YES, keep reading.
Branding doesn’t align with the business's core values & future direction. The branding you currently have was created before you knew what you’re all about, before defining the services or products offered and before identifying who you wish to serve. The branding you have is what you thought you should look like, it doesn’t represent the professional you are today or recognise in the future direction. The branding you have doesn’t represent your individual personality. A common path showing growth that you have evolved & reached a light bulb moment that the branding you once loved no longer delivers. This can be recognised as an exciting, rejuvenating, realisation with guidance in working with an experienced designer.
Do you lack consistency using your branding across multi-channels? When starting out in your business you may have thought all you required was a Logo to brand your business. You soon realise how useful & meaningful a toolbox of tailored design assets would be to your business & for staff, and external partners to implement a consistent brand story on social media, ebooks, website, promotional material, signage, packaging, letterhead, style guide etc. It’s tasking to capture all touchpoints where your branding could be implemented however with professional guidance it can be delivered to you with a style guide, a tool for team members to understand the values, mission & meaning behind the design, so they share your vision & visual, colours, fonts, consistent across all channels in conversation, tone of voice, print & online.
Does your branding lack a point of difference? When you start out in business you wanted to look like others in your industry to feel legitimate among competitors or comrades, it made you feel comfortable. Now you feel confident with years of knowledge & experience to do things YOUR OWN WAY, be an individual & showcase it in your branding. You’re ready to stand out and be seen, this brings renewed confidence & energy to you, your team & consumers. Not to mention lifting your pricing to match your tailored services, [you should be charging for value, not hours].
Does your business name no longer work for you? Such a common dilemma when your business name, no longer serves you. With a growing team by your side, you want to reflect this change in the business. The team wants to feel recognised as part of a collective, not the invisible help. You want to showcase the wide support/services you offer not be seen as an individual trying to do it all. A change in a business name, along with a strategy to support such a move will open doors to new markets, and build confidence externally learning about the growth of your team and internally in your employees, and strategic partners taking ownership and identifying with the name change hopefully becoming brand ambassadors. If this feels like you, there is more to unpack before you’re ready to rebrand, work with a designer on this topic can help guide you through the ‘change of business name’ process.
Are you ready for a change? At the end of the day ask yourself does the timing feel right. Are you ready to answer deeper questions about your business before the design work commences? You may recognise design assets that will add value to your business, to design with purpose but are you committed to implementing changes across the visual touchpoints of your business, IT’S A PROCESS! Removing the old & embracing the new with confidence. Are you committed to marketing the launch of your new branding and sharing the journey with your community? If the answer is YES you ARE ready to get started! If it all sounds too hard look for guidance from a designer and your team or ask yourself if there is a more suitable time in the year to implement such change. Set some goals to work towards. Start connecting/following designers you connect with for when the time is right, you have already formed a relationship.
"Branding pays dividends over the life of your company, enabling you to attract better customers with lower marketing costs, all while commanding higher prices for your offerings." Alina Wheeler
We’re all quick to judge a business by its image, may it be a quick overview of an Instagram feed or outdated shop fittings or a website lack of information. When it comes to selecting a product for example Jam as a gift, I look at the packaging, crafted design label and berries I can see inside, all of which influence my decision in the price I’m willing to pay. This is how branding influences our decisions, the same principles apply in business.
Subconsciously consumers will happily pay more for what is perceived to be a premium product or service. This also makes us feel good about the investment we are making when it looks like the part we want it to deliver. There is no solid reason why one brand connects over another, that's where substance MUST be delivered throughout the customer journey. Branding can only assist in getting them in the door/like/follow/trust!
Have I convinced you it’s time for a change? For growth, for alignment? Tell me how you feel about your branding. Send me a DM with your thoughts or leave a comment here.
Check out my podcast interview.
3 Signs It’s Time For a Business Rebrand
