So you’re thinking about a rebrand. Whether you’re looking to get ahead of the competition, expand into a new market, differentiate yourself with a new product or service, or one of myriad other reasons companies refresh their identities, there are more than a few things to consider before the work can begin.
Yes, you must research and analyze your customers and the market; brainstorm your new mission, vision, values, and voice; plan and execute an identity overhaul to include your new name, logo, and other visual elements (and so much more); and budget for all of it. But after all that work, you also have to ensure the rebrand shows up in the right places at the right times, for all your stakeholders.
While there may be a clearly identified path — a roadmap if you will — through most parts of a rebrand, this final bit of work is where things tend to go off-course. When your brand touches every part of your business — from print to digital, external marketing to internal onboarding, process templates to pitch decks, and more — it’s impossible for one person or department to own the entire process of bringing the rebrand to life.
It’s all too easy to miss a small but vital piece of the rebrand puzzle — a word that doesn’t translate well across languages, a flat design that renders strangely in a 3D application, the availability of a social media handle, or even failing to update information with your utility companies. Little issues can add up to big expenses or even cause the rebrand itself to be seen as a failure.
To take your rebrand from impossible to I’m possible (what can we say, we love 🧀), it’s imperative to get members of every team or department together in a room to communicate, share knowledge and — in the end — plan effectively.
Before you spend a penny or valuable time on rebranding, bring people together, using interaction and engagement to pool the collective knowledge of the group, and uncover issues that might be otherwise go unnoticed… until it’s too late.
You’ll likely find this idea of Connected Cohorts not only helps bring into focus all the moving parts of a rebrand, but also brings about a better overall understanding of the project, better collaboration, and better outcomes for your brand and your business.
Love the concept of Connected Cohorts for your rebrand (or other marketing initiatives) but not sure where to start?
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash
