For many companies, disruptive changes in their industry or a prominent new aspect in their business identity can lead to an overhaul of their marketing plan and the need for a complete brand relaunch. While it can be a time of excitement and creativity, you also need to be sure that brand integration is at the center of your planning.
Relaunching your brand comes with a lot of considerations, so take the time to carefully walk through your process:
Determine which aspects of your brand need a new approach. Maybe your logo is looking a little dated after a couple of decades, or you’ve made significant technological advances that have become the center of your brand. It may be that you’ve changed the entire focus of your company, and a comprehensive overhaul is needed. Make sure your key stakeholders agree with how extensive your relaunch will be.
Get a complete read on your market. Take time to understand how the market is currently interacting with your brand. You need to know where your brand is connecting with your target audience and where you are missing the mark. This type of research will require some investment and can take up to six months to compile, so be prepared to commit some resources to the research process.
Connect with your current customers. A brand relaunch can feel a bit like starting up a new company, but with a significant advantage: existing customers. Plan a strategy to introduce your new brand to your current customers and make sure that part of the it includes communicating that the things they loved about your company are still there. Find a way to tell your customers that your core values haven’t changed, and your offering to the market has only gotten better.
Prioritize consistency. One of the challenging aspects of a relaunch is full brand integration. Convincing your team to leave the old logo colors, the old voice and the old tagline in the archives may be a challenge. Be sure to plan some kind of in-house launch of your new logo so that brand integration is supported by a clear kickoff that helps everyone transition to the new brand.
Part of making your launch successful is a full understanding of the value of brand integration. Take a look at SimpliContent’s white paper on the topic to learn more about thriving under your new brand strategy.