So you’re feeling blasé about your brand, and you want to scrap the whole thing and start over. It happens! Maybe you don’t need a rebrand. You need a refresh. There are some critical differences between the two. A rebrand requires you to start from the ground up and rebuild everything you have. Refreshing your brand means you tweak the necessary pieces of your brand to improve them. It’s much less intense than a total rebrand but is still essential for keeping your business relevant.

Reasons for Refreshing Your Brand

Brands such as Burger King, Volvo, and Paramount changed their logos as recently as 2020. If the big dogs are doing it, perhaps you should too? There’s nothing wrong with needing an update. It means you’re listening to your customers and doing what’s best for your business. Refreshes can be what you need, whether you update your brand voice, visual branding, or customer service and products.

Important reasons to refresh your brand include:

• Staying Fresh. It’s vital to deliver what your audience wants, even if those wants change over time. Following every trend is not the goal. Staying up-to-date with what’s happening in your industry and listening to your audience will keep your business fresh.
• Marking Change. Companies change. Have you changed ownership? Leadership? Services? Location? Reflect changes in your branding to eliminate confusion. People want to know who they’re doing business with and supporting. 
• Repositioning. Perhaps you need a refresh to reposition yourself in your industry. Your brand identity and even its audience might be completely different from when you started your company. It’s okay to step back, make adjustments, and market to the audience you currently serve. 
• Creating Cohesion. It’s shockingly easy for your branding to become convoluted and messy as you gain support and grow. Inconsistencies and mess can turn people away from doing business with you. Take the time to refresh everything and create the cohesion and flow your business needs. 
• Boosting KPIs. Have you noticed your Key Performance Indicators declining? A brand refresh can boost your traffic and get those KPIs back where you want them.

Benefits of Refreshing Your Brand

We all need a bit of change in our lives sometimes. Think about how you feel after getting a fun new haircut. You didn’t change your entire identity, yet your confidence is through the roof, and you want everyone to notice! That’s what a brand refresh can do for your business. 

Benefits of a brand refresh include:

• Attracting New Clients. A simple refresh can attract new clients, especially if your refresh includes a shift in audience. New clients keep the business relevant and growing. Plus, you’re gaining new perspectives and challenges you may not have experienced before.
• Reassuring Existing Clients. Sometimes your existing clients need to be reminded that you care enough about their support to make your business its best. It also shows that you’re listening to their wants and needs. It’s a confidence boost for both parties!
• Clarifying Your Identity. If your business has been around for a while, your industry probably is more saturated. Clarifying your identity can be what you need to rise above your competitors. Let potential clients know exactly who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Being clear and concise is attractive. Additionally, your brand might need to update its voice. All aspects of your marketing should read and sound the same.
• Highlighting Services. Let’s pretend your business started as a local art studio for children. It’s called “Child’s Play Art Studio.” Through the years, you’ve started offering painting classes to people of all ages simply because you had requests. It’s become a staple service in your community. Maybe your brand refresh should include changing your brand name to “All Play Art Studio.” This name highlights your service changes while being clear on the type of business it is.

How to Refresh Your Brand

You shouldn’t just dive headfirst into a brand refresh without taking stock of all aspects of your brand. Being prepared before a refresh will save you time and money. You wouldn’t start building a house from a woodpile without having a blueprint in hand. Create a guide for what you want your refresh to entail and go from there.

To refresh your brand:

• Understand the Investment. Take time to budget for the changes you want to make. The last thing you want to do is overextend your finances with excessive brand updates. Start with the most significant changes and build from there.
• Let Data Drive. Analyze your business data to determine the changes you should make first. Your data is a compilation of customer feedback, so giving them what they want is paramount to your success and their satisfaction.
• Check Out Your Competition. What are your competitors providing for their audience? What’s working? What’s not? Competitor research can give your brand refresh insight you may not have otherwise considered. 
• Know your Customers and Offerings. Know your audience so well that you can use precision targeting to aim for specific groups within your audience as a whole. Use personalized offers and messaging to let your customers know how crucial their support is to your business.
• Update the Optics. Sometimes your visual marketing just needs a fresh coat of paint. A new color scheme or logo could make your brand more eye-catching. Your logo likely is the first impression you have on your audience. It should reflect your brand’s personality. 
• Clarify the Messaging. Your current branding could be confusing to potential clients. Does the wording need an update? Is your “mascot” unclear? Are your employees aware of the overall message of your brand? Spend time making your message clear to everyone.
• Create a Launch Plan. Your employees and customers alike should know what a brand refresh will mean for them. If it changes how they interact with your company, they should know specifics about your launch plan. Brand refreshes are exciting and new, so make it fun for your people.
• Move Ahead With Consistency. After you’ve successfully launched your brand refresh, remain consistent. Use the newness as encouragement for a harmonious future for your business. Consistency keeps everyone on the right track and proves that your brand is committed to growth.

Refresh, Refresh, Refresh

Want to make content marketing part of your brand refresh? Content Journey would love to guide you through the process. Contact us to learn how we can help you take your written content from blasé and tired to cohesive and engaging. You can spend time running your business while we take care of all things marketing. Ah, how refreshing!