What is a Brand Refresh?

The terms Brand Refresh and Rebrand are often confused. So let’s take a look at them back to back to compare them. The way to determine if you are Refreshing your brand versus Rebranding comes down to your business objectives. What is motivating the change and what are the new goals you’re looking to achieve? A better you or an all new you?
Brand Refresh – The essence of your brand & business philosophy is right, but it’s just not being perceived by your customers in quite the right way. Your overall business strategy hasn’t changed but your Brand Strategy requires some adjustment and the articulation of the brand needs an overhaul – look, feel, tone perhaps even the positioning.

Brands to life® is all about humanising brand (thinking of your brand as a person) so if we look at it in this way – a Brand Refresh is like a makeover, a more energized and better version of you…. but deep down, it’s still you.

Rebrand – Your business objectives have changed so fundamentally that your Brand Strategy needs to change too. Wholesale changes will be needed to steer the ship in an all new direction. Brand Strategy will be completely reviewed – you are really becoming a new brand and everything will be different, potentially even your brand name, your philosophy and your brand story.

In human terms, this would be like reinventing yourself completely, from your values up. So much change that people would hardly recognise you as the same person. You’d look, sound, act completely differently.

When to consider a Brand Refresh?

Your brand looks tired

Your brand might have looked amazing in the late 90’s and really resonated with your target audience at the time but it’s actually working against your business now. You may be perceived as old school, behind the times, just a bit daggy etc. This perception is affecting your ability retain existing customers, connect with new target audiences and is even perhaps effecting your ability to retain or attract great employees.

You are preparing for growth

Are things about to change? Are you introducing new products, planning on expanding, about to merge or trying to attract investment or potentially a buyer for your business? When you’re selling your home you typically bring it up to scratch to attract the best potential buyers… similarly if you want your brand to be in great shape to put its best possible foot forward for more potential reward, a Brand Refresh may be what’s required.

You’re a start-up who is ready to grow up

Several years ago you started on a shoestring and your brothers’ friend (who wasn’t actually a designer but had a mac) helped you pull the brand visual assets together. It wasn’t really planned, it just evolved. The brand is now holding its own, it’s poised for growth but it needs to have an overhaul to deliver a more resolved and confident face to take the business to the next level.

You’re coming across as a bit schizophrenic

Over the years many different designers have had a bit of go at designing different touchpoints for the brand and there is now no consistent look or voice. You look one way on your website and another when people visit your showroom. You want to pull it all together in one strong brand look and feel to help target audiences to understand who you are and connect better.

Your brand isn’t connecting with your target audience any more

Been in business for a while? Potentially your audience has changed while you’ve stayed the same. If you have defined who your current target markets are (or could be) is your existing brand connecting with them? Perhaps a Brand Refresh is needed to make you relevant to your evolved audience/s.

Think you may need more than just a  Brand Refresh? Take a look at Rebranding.