Change is never easy, but if we don’t change, we don’t grow. Knowing that you can’t stop the future or rewind the past should motivate you to press pause and discover where you or your brand is at this moment. If we focus on your business, start by asking yourself about the identity, your mission, benefits for consumers, and the difference between you and your competition. When you have a good brand, you answer these in every aspect of your company, which then establishes trust and credibility with your prospects and customers. With every good brand comes evolution and the ability to adapt and grow. It may not be easy, but no one ever said, achieving your dreams was either. We are going to give you a little insight into why your company may be ready for a rebrand.
The Most Successful Companies Rebrand
The “Everything Store” Amazon.com went through numerous rebrands since its first launch on July 5th, 1994. Initially, Amazon was called Cadabra; originating from the common magician saying, “Abracadabra!” Unfortunately, CEO Jeff Bezos’ first lawyer noted that the reference was too obscure and was often heard as “cadaver.” Moving forward, Jeff Bezos registered numerous domain names, including relentless.com, awake.com, bookmall.com, and browse.com. If you type these into your browser today, you will be directed to Amazon.com. Finally, Jeff Bezos was searching through a dictionary when he discovered the name we all know today and registered it on November 1st, 1994: “This is not only the largest river in the world, it’s many times larger than the next biggest river. It blows all other rivers away.”
It took many trials to discover the perfect name, but still, with changing times, even the most successful companies change their names and go through a rebranding. Take Dunkin’ Donuts for example. CEO David Hoffmann noted that the donuts are, of course, staying. Still, since Americans are eating healthier, coffee has a higher profit margin than donuts, thus implementing a new “blueprint for growth.” Dunkin’ Donuts’ US CMO Tony Weisman enthused about simplifying the brand as a whole, “The simplicity of our new brand creates energy… Dunkin’ is a short, simpler, more modern version of who we’ve always been.” Although some did not take to the liking of the rebrand, many commented that they’ve referred to the world’s leading baked goods and coffee chain as Dunkin’ for years! With that in mind, one of their rebranding slogans included, “Our friends call us Dunkin’.”
The Brand Should Represent Your Why
To build a successful brand, you do not start with what your product is; you start with your ‘why.’ Referring back to Amazon, their ‘why’ is “to be Earth’s most customer-centric company,” while their ‘what’ is to provide “anything [their customers] might want to buy online… [at] the lowest possible prices.”
When you first started your business, you had to think about why you wanted to do it; maybe to provide a service that impacted someone’s life, or perhaps to bring awareness to the faulty systems currently in place. Of course, when countless businesses have the same access to resources, the same amount of experience and knowledge, there are so many that fail. They fail because they lead with what they do and not why they do it.
When you are rebranding, take into consideration your original ‘why’ and apply how your company has or should evolve. If your business has not changed since the beginning, consider market trends, what your competitors are doing, and how you can create a new bold, and modern brand. Rebranding helps your business stand out from the competitors, especially if you are the first to take this action, your company will now prove it is different and better!
Rebranding that begins with your ‘why’ gives new life to your outdated branding; thus, consumers can see you and your mission in a fresh new light. Not every passion leads to a successful business, but it is contagious. When you share your passions with your consumers, they have more reason to support the cause. People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. We believe that starting with your why is one of the most successful business tactics you should take to build a stronger brand.
The Business is Bound to Evolve
Some of the most successful companies started as a simple idea in a garage or basement, and then grew and developed. It is not unusual for a company to outgrow their original mission or branding. Let’s say that you started your company as a local mattress firm that now offers all types of high-end furniture; but your logo and branding revolves around mattresses. It might be time to consider a rebranding and expand to a new target market.
Excellent design and branding can make or break a business, so if yours does not match your current customers, it’s time! Differentiate yourself from the competition by renaming your company, using better graphics, creating new logos, and giving your business a fresh and unique look. Starting, you may be using stock images, but when rebranding, you want to consider how many of your competitors are using that same image. Your services are unique, and the images you share should represent that!
Before You Rebrand
There are a few things you should consider before you begin your rebrand. Start by establishing and understanding your company’s mission and values, as well as your own. When you know what you and your company are trying to accomplish, it makes each goal more realistically achievable. When you achieve these goals, the level of satisfaction is much more grand and satisfying. Now, you won’t want to start from a clean slate, take into consideration what your initial mission and values were and apply it. Develop a modern strategy that works with your existing branding because a full rebrand can be costly. Be cautious though with current trends as they may look dated quickly. Finding that balance is where we come in! We adopt our clients’ vision and their grit for success by committing to their brand. We believe in the game changers because they don’t let the game change them.