How to Have a Conversation About Your Brand
You’ve been talking about rebranding for a while now. Everyone seems to agree that your visual branding just doesn’t feel right.
Some people suggest tweaking the logo. Others think you could use some new colors in the palette. And some think you’d be better off starting fresh with a new name, logo, and visual identity.
You have a conversation loosely scheduled for later in the year, but you realize, suddenly, it can’t wait that long. You have a big campaign coming up, and the board wants your branding and website updated before it kicks off.
You have some big decisions to make and you’re officially on the clock.
What do you do?
First Things First
The scenario above is very common.
Big decisions about your brand can be intimidating. It’s easy to let them percolate in the background until something timely finally forces your hand. Then, suddenly, you’re rushing, generating and reviewing design options without a clear sense of what they need to communicate about your brand or why.
It’s possible to make important decisions quickly, but for that to happen, you need a clear sense of where you’re headed and what obstacles you need to account for.
Getting on the Same Page
Regardless of what your timeline looks like, the first thing you must prioritize before kicking off a rebrand is a conversation.
A brand strategy workshop can be a great place for this. But even before you get to that stage, it can be helpful to bring a wider group of stakeholders together to get a sense of how different people currently think about your brand.
Here are a few questions we recommend asking:
How do we want others to think about our brand?
Describe what we offer in one simple sentence.
What is it that makes us unique?
Could any of our competitors claim the same thing?
What do people misunderstand about our organization?
Does our current branding reflect where we are? How about where we’re going?
How should people feel when they interact with our brand?
Which specific elements feel like they’re missing the mark currently?
The goal of a conversation like this is to align on where you’re headed and what needs to change for you to get there. But disagreements can also be enlightening.
If you’re discussing your offer or what makes you unique, for example, and six different answers come up, it could be a sign that bigger conversations are needed.
Making Decisions
It’s important to be aligned on your brand’s goals and challenges, but when it comes time to start making decisions about your brand, you’ll want to limit the number of voices in the room.
Meaningful change often requires bold and decisive action, which can be difficult when you’re working with a large group. That isn’t to say you can’t or shouldn’t include a wide range of stakeholders in the process, but where and how you include them will dictate your new brand’s effectiveness and how well it's adopted.
An inclusive conversation early on is a great way to ensure a wide range of perspectives from the beginning. It will also help with buy-in later on because you’ll be able to explain where and how the new branding engages with the group’s concerns.
Forward Together
The rebranding process can be a bit of a tightrope when it comes to who you include and how, but you can set yourself up for success by having one well-planned (and well-timed) conversation.
After all, bold decisions are only as valuable as your team’s ability (and willingness) to act on them. In one way or another, a successful rebrand includes everyone.
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