With change, there’s a before and an after.
What something was before a turning point and what it has evolved to after change occurred.
The question is, how to go through that change gracefully.
Change management is both an internal and external process to ease your organizational process with preparation and support. Without traumatizing anyone. Without losing people in the transition.
When your company decides that it’s time to rebrand, there’s more to it than just the look. Your design studio should acknowledge this process and help you work through it.
For a successful rebrand, you both need to:
- Know Why You’re Rebranding
Rebranding your business means more than just a new logo. It means you’re taking things in a new direction. You’re re-imagining an aspect of what you do. As a business owner, you almost certainly know why you want to do this.Sometimes it’s to open your business up to a new market. Or you could be looking to do a better job of resonating with your current customer. Maybe you just want to reach more people in your current target.Being clear about your objective will lead to a successful rebrand because while branding agencies like ours sometimes like magicians when it comes to hearing what you say and turning it into exactly what you didn’t know you were looking for, we’re not mind-readers.And while you’re articulating your vision to your strategy and design team, remember that you’re not on this journey alone.
- Get Your Team On Board with the Rebrand
We’re taking a lesson out of Laurie Sudbrink’s book on this one – “We’ve all got to be rowing in the same direction.” Behind the scenes of every great team is a unified group of people who all know where the ship they’re steering is going.If your team doesn’t understand your new vision for your business, they’re not going to be able to support it. Your team is one of your best assets when you’re redirecting your business. Talk to them about your goals for the business, and where you’re looking to go. Listen to their feedback and ask them how they think the organization could be improved.Your people want to be heard. And you can learn a lot by listening to them!
- Get the Public On Board with Your Rebrand
You’ve done the work to re-imagine your brand to meet your objective. Let’s say that’s reaching a new customer base.If you build it, they will come, right? Well, sort of. You can’t just flip the switch on a new brand position and expect people to understand your thought process behind it.You need to re-tell your story:
- What’s different?
- Why should people care?
- Are you still talking to the right audience? Are they listening?
- Are you telling your new customer what’s in it for them?
Your new brand look needs a rollout plan, another thing your design studio can help you with.
When it comes to re-imagining who you are, we’re strategic experts, design gurus, and overall champions for your vision. If you’re thinking of venturing into rebrand waters, this 6-step guide to successfully rebranding your business will help. Or better yet, book a call with our Founder, Maureen to talk about the change you seek to make.