Time and time again, we have seen brands go through a marketing revamp to reveal a rebranded identity. Some were successful; some not so.
Companies like luxury fashion house, Burberry (shifting from gang wear to their now-iconic and classic trench coats) understand that rebranding is necessary for enhancing, expanding, and improving a business.
When done right, rebranding allows a business to adapt to change and/or stand out from the crowd. In fact, rebranding improves visibility and product differentiation, which eventually led to an increase in sales.
Image source: bwd.co.za
The Key To A Successful Rebranding
So what does rebranding entail and why is there a need for you to rebrand?
A common misconception is that rebranding simply means changing the logo or adjusting the color scheme to meet the fancy of the market. If you decide to rebrand, you know that there has been a significant change in market interest. This then calls for conducting ample research, coming up with a solid plan, and executing properly.
What is the key to a successful rebranding campaign? The answer is content.
To be able to do that, an extensive market research needs to be accomplished, as well as making sure that you are found in all the right places. This includes ranking high on search engines and eventually other channels where your audience normally lingers.
How To Leverage Your Content For Rebranding
Here’s a quick guide on how you can leverage your content when you rebrand your organization:
#1. Change and update brand structure
You need to keep in mind that branding is the heart of the business. Everyone in the organization must believe that this is the way to improve the company. When everyone in the organization is onboard with embracing the change, you can then establish who you really are and what you want to achieve as a company.
#2. Create a powerful story
Providing a comprehensive brand structure is not enough; you also need to package it in a compelling story.
A perfect example is this neuropsychologist and psychology writer duo, who use stories to support growth and healing for their clients. Your numbers and statistics might bore your audience, but it can be made attractive through a story they would find relatable.
#3. Utilize your brand research
Going back to the drawing board means utilizing every resource available to create an awesome rebranding strategy.
Go back to your old research so you can cover all bases. The reason behind this is that you may have missed important pieces of information that could be the key to the success of your rebranding. There are some information from your old research that seemed less relevant then, but may be game-changing now.
#4. Make sure they know you are human
Interact with your audience the way you would if you are face-to-face with them. Be transparent about the challenges you met and how you acted to resolve them. This way, the audience knows that there is an actual human being on the other end of the screen.
#5. Use original and cutting-edge content
You will be able to connect better with your audience if you add value to their lives.
Creating cornerstone content is one of the best ways to find readers and attract more attention. A few topics you can explore is sharing your personal experiences in building your brand or answering your customers’ top questions. You can then share this on your social media pages.
Do keep in mind that your audience is smart enough to determine whether your content is copied from another site. When this happens, your credibility is compromised. Alternatively, if your customers encounter something unique, refreshing, and original from your site, you are giving them more reasons to keep coming back.
#6. Be consistent and sincere with your branding strategy
When you establish a brand positioning to the public, you need to stay true to it and be consistent. Most times, you will not lose clients despite of, but rather because of it.
The best way is to set standards from the beginning to ensure a seamless and consistent transition. Also, it would be best to do periodical checkups to ensure that you are still on the right track. Are you still able to live up to the brand positioning? Are there ways on how you can improve your processes to further strengthen your brand positioning?
#7. Do not burn bridges
Changes can alienate a segment of your customer base, which is not so much a problem for bigger brands but can prove to be a challenge for smaller companies. Regardless of your industry, rebranding entails that you keep expanding your network.
However, you also need to take steps in ensuring that you do not lose your loyal customers. Plan your transition right and make sure that it flows at an acceptable pace. Your old customers may not be your customers now, but 3 or 5 years down the line, they may exactly be the market you are looking for. If they are still part of your network, it will be so much easier to get them to patronize your brand once again.
Your Steps Moving Forward
After all these points, you need to remember that your goal is to always seal the deal. Strengthen your call to action. What is it with your rebranded identity that they should continue to support? This is the validation your end users need as you ask them to stick with you through the transition.
Next, keep in mind the technical side. Your website needs to be searchable. Make sure that your sites are visible on search engines, social media, and various online listings (if applicable). Ubiquity is key. You need to be on top of your customers’ minds—whether they are on their laptops or mobile phones, browsing search engines or social media. We cannot stress this enough.
Once you have done all these, you are now set for a game-changing rebranding experience. We would love to hear your experience on rebranding after you have applied these tips. How did it go and do you think there are steps that your fellow readers need to hear about?
