Are you doing the ol’ band-aid fix to work with the changing times? Feel like your brand isn’t pulling its weight? Or feeling like your business isn’t on an even playing field?
Deciding whether you need a refresh, redesign, or rebrand will help your business flourish. Although they may sound like they have a similar meaning, there is quite a distinction between what each term means, and getting it right will help save you time and money.
To understand the differences, let’s use an analogy – Imagine that your brand is a person.
A refresh would be giving them a makeover, maybe sprucing up their hair, getting new shoes, and putting on new threads. It’s still the same person, just enhanced.
A refresh is for when a business has been around a while, their name is good, the logo is good but might be dated in its excitation – then this is when a refresh is what you want to undertake.
It may be something as simple as a modern typeface and doing away with the drop shadow. The changes of a refresh shouldn’t be huge. They should be subtle enough to improve your overall brand image and give you more flexibility with changing marketing platforms. Sometimes, all you need is to change a few minor details to make your brand more appealing to modern customers.
Getting back to our analogy – a redesign is changing the foundations, much like plastic surgery.
For your business, a redesign is when your brand name has carried you well through the years. It’s a well-known name, but as a company, you are progressing; maybe there’s new management or the business is pivoting away from what you were. A redesign is mostly cosmetic, and the aim is not to change the fundamentals of your brand, such as your values or your story. You could change your slogan, design a new logo, or adjust your colours.
If you find things like your logo doesn’t fit your social media profile, or people shorten your business name (without even knowing the original), these are tell-tale signs that a redesign is for you. These changes are noticeable and often ones people have the most to say about.
In our analogy, a rebrand is basically transplanting one person’s brain into a new body – completely transforming the look and giving you a chance to start fresh with your image.
A rebrand is the full works. This is when your brand name, story, and look doesn’t reflect who you are as a company. A rebrand is no small decision – trust us, we know! A rebrand comes with its pros and cons. It’s a great solution if your established brand is inconsistent or doesn’t communicate your message – you can start over with a fresh identity and a whole new marketing strategy. But in rebranding, there is a lot of work involved. You’ll need a clear vision and to do some meaningful and reflective thinking about how you want to position your business in the current market.
So, a rebrand is not something to do for fun; it’s a serious decision and is the pathway for your business’s future. But if done well – it’ll massively pay off!
Tossing our analogy aside, what does your business need to bring it up to speed?
Businesses grow and change, and so do their audiences. Knowing what you need to change and adapt is key. Understanding the difference between a refresh, redesign, and rebrand can help you stay relevant and tap into your place in the market.
