As the snow falls outside, a familiar feeling begins to take hold. The new year has arrived. It’s a time to reflect on the past. To look forward to the future. A chance to start fresh.
And, for local businesses, it’s the perfect opportunity to take stock. Maybe you feel the time has come to update your brand – in order to keep up with the fast-changing times and re-energize your connection with your customers.
So, as the snow crunches beneath our boots, let’s take a moment to consider a brand refresh.
What is a Brand Refresh?
Put simply, it’s a strategy that companies use to update the look and feel of their brand while still maintaining its core essence. This can include updates to the logo, color scheme, typography, and messaging.
And, yet, it’s more than that.
A brand refresh can help a company stay current, attract new customers, and connect with existing ones in a more meaningful way – without the need for a full rebranding.
What is a Rebranding?
That’s a whole different beast. It involves a complete overhaul of a company’s identity. It might include changes to its name, values, and even its products or services.
The catch is that if you change too much, too quickly, you risk alienating your customers.
While there are cases where a complete rebranding can be necessary, today we’re just going to focus on the less-drastic brand refresh – and some tips to help you get the most out of it.
What Are the Benefits of a Brand Refresh?
If the time is right for an update, there are plenty of advantages. Refreshing your brand can help you reconnect with your target audience by bringing your business up to date with current market demands.
Here’s an interesting fact: The average lifespan of a logo is about 10 years. After that, even the most famous logos risk looking stale.
By updating your logo and visuals, you can attract a whole new generation of customers that may be interested in what you’re offering.
Not only that, but brand inconsistencies can arise over time, due to all kinds of decisions, no matter how small, that can add up to some big differences. Refreshing your brand provides the opportunity to reintroduce consistency across all the touchpoints, ensuring that your audience understands who you are and what you stand for.
Set Goals
An important first step for a brand refresh? Establish your goals.
Knowing what you want to you to achieve is a great starting point. Setting specific, measurable goals will also allow you to track how well the refresh is working for you. Some of these goals might be:
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- Update your company’s look
- Generate new leads
- Reengage with existing customers
Create or Update Your Style Guide
Your company’s unique style is important. It’s how customers can tell you from your competitors. And it’s why you want to make sure your style is consistent across all channels, no matter how a customer finds you – online, in-store, advertising, etc.
This is where a style guide comes into play. The new year is a great time to update it. Or, if you haven’t made one yet, this is an opportunity to do so.
It doesn’t need to be a massive document, especially if you’re a smaller business, but it should outline the basics of what makes your company unique:
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- Mission statement
- Brand values
- Logo and design variants
- Color schemes
- Typography and fonts
- Social media assets
Find Inspiration in the Latest Trends
It’s always exciting to see the latest and greatest trends that are making waves in the industry. Still, while these can be a great source of inspiration, they shouldn’t be the sole basis for your update. You don’t want to lose sight of what makes your brand unique and memorable.
After all, 80% of customers feel that the experience a company offers is just as important as its products and services. And if you’ve been delivering that kind of top-notch experience, you want to make sure your loyal customers feel just as welcome as ever.
Communicate with Your Audience
One of the most important steps in the rebranding process is communicating all the new changes to your audience. After all, a rebrand won’t do much good if nobody knows about it.
The good news is that you’ve got a variety of channels available to you to get the word out – from your website and social media profiles to emails and press releases. Utilize these platforms to explain what exactly is changing, why it’s happening, and how it will benefit your customers.
With planned, thoughtful communication, your audience will be just as excited about your brand refresh as you are.
Is It Time for a Brand Refresh?
If it feels like the time has come for a change, these tips may sound like a lot at first. But there’s no need to feel overwhelmed. Refreshing your business isn’t a single-day trick, but a series of decision applied over a period of time.
From working on your style guide to updating your logo – you don’t need to do it alone. Smart Link Solutions has the team and the expertise to help your business grow in 2024.
We provide comprehensive digital marketing, communication services, and cutting edge responsive web design. You’ll receive personalized strategies to help your business reach higher levels of success.
Contact Smart Link Solutions today – with the right team in your corner, you can keep your brand fresh, relevant, and ready for the future.
