Rebranding is the process used to develop a new marketing direction for a product or service that needs an updated image or was previously known under a different brand. It involves the changing of name, logo design, image, advertising and marketing strategies. Another reason for rebranding is to distinguish your company from a negative opinion associated with your previous brand identity. Generally after a company merges or undergoes an acquisition, the company in question will rebrand their newly acquired products to keep them consistent with their existing product line.
Integraphix takes great care with our company rebranding process. It's not enough to have a well designed logo or brand message. You can bet that from any branding company. You can demand more from Integraphix branding experts. A branding firm like Integraphix, gives you customized, personal attention including an actionable marketing strategy, brand messaging, creative execution and a brand identity mission designed to generate new revenue for your business.
Burberry Rebranding Case Study:
Let's use Burberry as an example. Even if you don't know what or who Burberry is, you'd probably recognize their signature black, tan and red check pattern. Burberry was founded more than 150 years ago in England. It was once a very small brand by today's standards. Today the brand has been embraced by celebrities, royalty and preps alike. But it wasn't always that way.
In the early 2000s, Burberry's good name was in massive trouble, being dismissed as frumpy and even 'gang wear'. Two pubs even famously banned anyone wearing the label due to a rumor that the brand was popular with 'hooligans'! Burberry decided that a major overhaul was in order and with new creative leadership and product design; the company transformed their sinking ship into one of the hottest fashion items on the rack. Christopher Bailey, Burberry's new creative director overhauled the company brand using a mix of modern and classic looks that included the ever sexy 'trench coat' and landed advertising deals with model Kate Moss and popular actress, Emma Watson (Hermione Granger of Harry Potter fame).
Due to these major changes, Burberry has experienced a massive sales increase that proves luxury brands are coming back in style with common shoppers. After the redesign, sales rose 27% ($747 million by the end of Dec 31, 2010), and is expected to expand 11 percent in the fiscal year ending March 2012. Burberry has also been steadily adding more stores, their newest in China where 50 stores were built in 2010.
The moral of the story? Know your market and what people are saying about your product. Also, rebranding can be a very good thing. The key to any rebranding effort is to know what you do, who you do it for and why you do it. The answers to those questions should guide your rebranding efforts.
Integraphix is experienced in influencing customer's final buying decisions based on the knowledge that people make those decisions based on emotional attachment to a brand or product rather than ration judgment. Integraphix has done extensive research to exploit those emotions with a proven approach that influence your target marketing into choosing your brand over another.
We invite you to read the rest of this featured article and make your own assumptions. If you would like more information, give us a call at 847.537.0067. An hour with us can change the way you view your company brand identity, and through our targeted and personal design and branding services, will change the way your marketing views your company.
Does my company need to rebrand?
A good brand is essential for business success. Most logos or marketing campaigns are good for around 5 to 10 years. After this time, the marketing changes and business need to change in order to keep up with a more modern image and newer company ideas. Evolving is necessary to keep up with the competition, meet consumers ever changing preferences and, as they say, 'Keep up with the Jones''.
An ever evolving brand identity is the best way to stay relevant and fresh in an ever evolving marketing place. If you look at a company's brand history, most major brands have gone through a metamorphosis. It is essential to compete. Coca-Cola now is very different from the Coca-Cola of the 1950s. They have kept the same principles of their brand, but their image is constantly evolving to keep up with their target market. Apple is another brand that has changed drastically over the years. If you looked at the original Apple logo today, you wouldn't know what you were looking at. It's archaic by today's logo and design standards. For them, it was absolutely necessary to rebrand in order to stay relevant and in keeping with their message of revolutionary technology.
Rebranding is always a good idea if the need is there. If your company hasn't been able to establish a brand successfully, or your target marketing isn't responding in the way they should, rebranding is absolutely necessary to your company competitive and in business. Integraphix has successfully branded and rebranded individuals, small companies and large companies including Natural Choice Water, DeRose Financial Planning Group, and October Three. Rebranding can be successfully applied to new products, those that are still in development, or even to mature products that need an image update. Rebranding can be applied to services as well. Give yourself a new image and watch the new clients come in.
Rebranding is a complex process, and the utmost care must be taken. Integraphix is experienced in the successful launch of a new brand because it is done with a strategy in mind, as well as influencing target marketing interactions and memorable visuals.
What is the difference between a Brand, Branding, and Rebranding?
Branding: Successful branding is the art of creating and maintaining a brand. Your brand cannot exist without you maintaining it. The brand experience of the target audience can be directed in a positive momentum through appropriate branding activities. It enfolds the company's commitment to the ultimate consumers that the product carries quality and posses some features that makes it unique from that of its competitors'. Using Integraphix as an example; we brand ourselves as having integrity and being innovators in the design industry. To successfully maintain our brand, we must consistently innovate and provide our clients with great service every single time they step into our offices.
Brand: A true Brand is the embodiment of all information related to a product, service, or company. It's both tangible and intangible, and is the emotional bond created by interacting with products associated with the brand. Take Apple for example: there is a feeling that is evoked when someone mentions the company or the product. Their brand has a unique name, identity, and personality; just like a human being. Any good brand possesses the following characteristics:
- Your brand must deliver your company messages in an appropriate way.
- Your brand must confirm the credibility of your company.
- Your brand must be able to connect with prospective customers, and sustain relationship with the existing customer base.
- Your brand MUST attract potential business opportunities.
Rebranding: This can be defined as "a process of giving a product or an organization a new image, in order to make it more attractive and successful". This is done to increase consumer loyalty, improve member professionalism, enter a new market trend, create a stronger voice in the industry, increase share holder value or to reenergize a company.
Natural Choice Water is a company that provides superior and eco-friendly alternatives to home or business water-coolers. Natural Choice came to Integraphix for a complete rebranding package for their company and main product, the ION. They wanted to brand themselves as the leading, environmentally friendly manufacturer of drinking water appliances. The Natural Choice brand identity now reflects a contemporary and clean brand. Their reputation as an eco-friendly company is cemented by the use of a consistent brand image on the newly redesigned Natural Choice website (currently under construction and coming soon!) and in their print materials.
Tips for successful rebranding – and how to avoid common mistakes
Smart graphic designers and marketing consultants evolve brands over time to keep them relevant. To gear your next rebrand for success, you can follow these steps from Integraphix to sidestep some common mistakes:
- Don't cling to history. Successful rebranding means staying relevant. Remember that creative decisions and assumptions made when the brand was established may no longer hold true. Explore various opportunities for brand expansion, such as online advertising.
- Never think that a brand is limited to the logo, stationery and corporate colors. Brands encompass everything from customer perception and experience to quality, look and feel, customer care, retail and web environments, the tone and voice of communications, and more.
- Don't rebrand without a plan. Effective rebrands rely on a creative brief to keep everyone focused as the project progresses. Include sections for an analysis, objectives, target markets, budget, timeframe, point person and methods for assessing results.
- Leverage existing brand equity and goodwill. Dismissing brand equity when rebranding alienates established customers, while unnecessary overhauls can irreparably damage a brand's perception. Consider the needs and mindset of the target market carefully before diving into the process.
- Take a walk in your customer's shoes. Simply calling your own 800-number or receptionist may reveal challenges customers face and help you focus your brand strategy. Take the time to navigate your own website, buy your products and return something. Better yet, ask a friend or family member to do so and learn from their experiences.
- Rebranding is an investment but it's also affordable. Great design doesn't have to come with a multi-million dollar price-tag. You can get innovative design and solid strategy for less than you think. It's worth the investment when you start seeing your sales increase.
- Don't bypass the basics. The value of perfecting your physical environment, marketing materials, website, etc., is decreased if your customers languish on hold for inordinate amounts of time. If your invoices and contracts are written in seven-point legal jargon, the brand experience declines. Keep all customer touch-points in mind when rebranding.
How do I rebrand my company?
Rebranding can be as simple as changing the way you answer the phone. It can be as simple as a color scheme change. More often than not though, failing companies looking for a bottom-line boost need more than a simple 'coat of paint'.
Natural Choice is a long-time client of Integraphix, and required a major brand overhaul to help them compete in a rapidly evolving and modern business environment. Due to our deep understanding of the Natural Choice Company, we were able to develop a beautiful and contemporary brand identity and website. Their new and improved look still maintains their original logo concept, though it is modernized and able to evolve with the rapidly changing business environment. Their reputation as an innovative, eco-friendly company is bolstered by the clean, contemporary upgrade to their brand identity.
If your company requires a major brand overhaul, Integraphix is your creative go-to company for brand identity, and brand marketing. We have the tools, the experience, and the knowledge to help your business succeed in a constantly evolving market. It's our business to make your business look good.
For more information on brand identity, contact Integraphix, a leading Chicago Marketing Company at 847.537.0067 or email us directly.