When you’re calling, is anyone answering?
by Allie Cormier
By now, we all know that in order to stay competitive in this ever-evolving world, a business or non-profit must remain current. Established companies with long histories have entire teams devoted to researching the latest trends and keeping a finger on the pulse of marketing strategy. Your brand is your calling card; it’s the first thing someone sees when visiting your website, and it’s also very literally the calling card you leave behind after a meeting. The question is, when you’re calling, is anyone answering? If not, it may be time to consider a rebranding or a refreshing of your current brand.
Not everyone is in need of a rebrand, and there are different levels of rebranding to consider. Maybe you just need a logo redesign something more in line with your company currently as opposed to your company 8 years ago. We at LDM call this a Refreshing of your brand. Perhaps your website hasn’t been optimized for cell phones and tablets since its creation 5 or so years ago and you’re feeling outdated. Both of these are great reasons to consider rebranding or refreshing.
Rebranding occurs when a business or organization changes a significant part of the brand. It can be the obvious logo, a targeted messaging shift, or a website optimization with a subtle design change. Rebranding / redesigning / refreshing is important because as your company is growing and evolving, so too is your audience. As a small business prospers, a rebrand can reflect the growth of your company. Any business that fails to stay current and develop their brand runs the risk of being dwarfed by a more dynamic competitor. Rebranding or refreshing can also help you to more efficiently target your clients’ needs by helping you improve your impact in a crowded market. As a company continues to grow and develop, people continue to return and see the latest from a company they trust.
A company’s Internet presence is no longer something that may or may not be necessary.
People check each other out online before a first meeting, conference call, or even a date.
You want to know whom you’re working with — and that’s justifiable. When you look at a logo or a website, it often evokes a feeling — and the last thing you want that feeling to be is dated or out of touch. So what do you do?
There are two basic questions to ask yourself when you consider a rebranding / refreshing:
- When was the last time I considered a refreshing? Chances are if you haven’t even considered it within the last 5 years (for web) or 10 years (for logo), it may be time. The user experience online is not the same as it was 5 years ago, and will likely not be the same 5 years into the future. Working with qualified individuals will allow you to refresh or rebrand in a way that will allow for future growth, and longevity for your updated presence.
- Has your company had significant changes recently? Did a partner leave? Did you recently have a growth spurt? Have you changed your business structure or focus? Any of these may warrant a change, however small. (We at Lentini Design & Marketing recognized that our own logo no longer fully reflected our business model and were able to seamlessly update and refresh our logo while maintaining it’s original integrity and recognizability).
Whatever you choose to do in terms of a rebranding, refreshing, or even nothing — it’s important to remember that your company’s brand should remain consistent with the best of your business.
Rebranding / refreshing isn’t for everyone, and it’s not always necessary. But for many, the choice to rebrand / refresh communicates your level of quality to your clients and can have a rejuvenating effect that carries forward. And builds your business.
Your brand is your calling card, and what good is a calling card if no one is calling?
Guest Writer for this issue is Allie Cormier
Account Executive at LDM
(with a deep passion for design and social media)