Rebrands aren’t the sole domain of huge corporations with mega budgets and massive followings. Sometimes smaller, more modest, businesses decide that it’s time to freshen up their look by introducing a new identity.
Here, Quality Company Formations, look at 5 things small business owners need to consider before their makeover.
- Why?
Before you call in the branding agency (or don’t, more on this below), ask yourself this; why are you rebranding? Has your old image become outdated? Is there a new competitor on the block and you need to smarten up your act? Do you need to facilitate a new service? Are you trying to appeal to a new audience?
These can all be legitimate reasons for a rebrand.
As the owner of a small business with limited time and maybe budget, you need to ascertain if your reason is good enough. It shouldn’t just be a change for change’s sake.
- How much of a rebrand do you want?
Are you just rounding off an edge on your logo or are you renaming your business, developing a brand new marketing strategy and redoing your website? It’s an obvious consideration but one that you must sit down and think about.
A rebrand can be a big job that grows and grows, and requires input – and so time – from different members of your team.
Regardless of how big or small your rebranding project is, you need to set aside enough time for it to be done properly.
- Have you consulted with your customers?
The only people who know your business better than you (and your team) are your customers, so it would be wise to consult with a selection of them before and during the rebranding process.
By talking to a selection of loyal customers, you can delve into the areas of your business that connect with them as well as the aspects that leave them a little cold. This can then help inform the direction that your rebrand takes.
- What are other businesses doing?
It’s imperative that you conduct thorough research into the branding of your direct competition, other businesses operating in your industry and businesses working in completely different sectors.
What are they doing well? What are they doing poorly? Are there elements you could borrow or steer away from?
Whilst you don’t want to completely rip off another business’s logo, there may be parts of their website or tone of voice that you could use as inspiration, for example.
- In-house or agency?
The decision of whether to outsource your rebrand or manage it in-house will depend on a number of factors including your budget and the skillset you have on hand.
By hiring a dedicated agency to take care of the rebrand, you’ll be getting experts in the field who should know exactly what’s required to get the job done. But generally, it will cost a significant amount of money and you may need to relinquish some control over the project.
On the other hand, by keeping the project in-house, you’ll save a great deal of money and have full autonomy over the project. But you’ll be taking people away from their regular duties and there’s the risk that the work isn’t quite up to scratch.
Thanks for reading
So there you have it, 5 things a small business needs to consider before starting a rebrand. We hope you have found this post useful.
If you don’t currently have a brand to rebrand and are looking to get version 1 of your business off the ground, Quality Company Formations are your ideal starting point. From only £12.99 they can help you register your UK limited company with Companies House. They have formation packages to suit all needs – take a look now.