Technology innovations and the expanding global economy have led to rapid change becoming the new normal.
In order to remain competitive in existing markets, as well as gain exposure when expanding into new emerging markets, many organizations will undertake a rebrand. We discussed some of the pitfalls involved with this in Laz Gonzalez’s post. But before embarking on this perilous journey, business leaders need to decide if they’re going to rebrand their organization or do a brand refresh.
Rebranding or Brand Refresh? The difference is…?
A brand refresh is like a renovation. You modernize your logo, update your color palette, design brand guidelines and stock images as well as your promotional material to give your brand a fresh new look and feel.
A rebrand is more like tearing down and rebuilding. This approach often involves redevelopment from the ground up to deliver a completely new company identity and market position. A rebrand can often become necessary to clarify new or existing services, especially in the event of a merger or to ensure alignment after an acquisition.
So, no matter whether you’re going to do a rebrand or a brand refresh, the most critical aspect is planning. One of the most vital elements to include is continuing to make marketing campaigns available for customers while the rebrand is bubbling along in the background.
The Best Laid Plans
The decision to do a rebrand is not taken lightly as it’s a long, arduous, resource-draining and expensive task. Transitioning through a rebrand or brand refresh, as anyone who has gone through this process will attest, is anything but seamless.
One of the questions managers grapple with is whether to launch marketing campaigns when undergoing a rebrand. Many organizations choose to put a hold on any marketing campaigns until the rebrand is completed.
There is a problem with this approach, though. Due to the nature of a rebrand, it’s not uncommon for launch dates to be pushed back because of unforeseen circumstances or for necessary changes to be made.
Customers are constantly demanding quality content and any delay to the launch of your rebrand further lengthens the time you’re not communicating with your customers. If you’re not talking to customers while simultaneously working on the rebrand, your competitors surely will.
As a consequence, you’ll lose any momentum your previous campaigns may have generated if you cease all communication suddenly and have no campaigns available.
The Advantages of Generic Marketing Campaigns
To overcome the dilemma of whether or not to launch campaigns, some marketers are now choosing to launch generic campaigns. Creating generic marketing campaigns and making them available while your organization is going through a rebrand is a great way to maintain communication with your established customer base.
It’s an ideal opportunity to make your customers aware of the impending changes, why the changes are happening and how their business will benefit. In addition to keeping your customers engaged throughout the rebranding phase, constant communication prepares them for the new brand look and feel. It also enhances your reputation and enables you to highlight and promote your new branding. Can’t hurt, right?
Companies experiencing the most success with generic campaigns focus on offering insights into current industry topics or solutions that save time, money and lead to business growth opportunities. Campaigns like these don’t necessarily promote specific products, but add valuable business advice customers can implement immediately.
In an ever-changing business environment, rebranding can breathe new life into your business. However, as you focus on developing your new brand to attract new customers in a growing market, it’s important not to forget your existing customers.
Continually keeping customers informed on the progress of your rebrand makes them part of the process. Therefore, they’ll be more likely to embrace the changes and promote your new-look campaigns.
