First Steps
Deciding to rebrand is a huge step--whether its for an entire company or a product/service.
From the beginning, setting up a brand should be a part of your overall plan. When thinking about rebranding, the first step is to identify when and why it is necessary. (We go over a few points in our Tuesday post about occurrences where rebranding is necessary.) The brand is what customers identify with, so any alteration to it must be taken with care for how they will react.
A strong brand attracts new customers and helps retain old ones.
How to Go About Rebranding
The initial re-branding process is the same as the initial branding process.
(1) Market & Customer Research
Identifying your competitive advantage within your market is the first place to start. Knowing how your competitors are branded as well as how to attract the customers in this segment will help you figure out how to differentiate your brand. This will also highlight if or why your current brand isn't working.
(2) Consider the entirety of what you are branding
Considering every component is necessary because they are all brand-influencers. This includes your name, logo, customer service, website, marketing, pricing, etc. As your brand is your story and involves every aspect, when re-branding, each component may need to be reconsidered.
(3) Values and Mission
As a brand is an identity, it reflects the "personality" of you/your company. Your values and mission statement are all drivers of what you are promising to deliver. Nothing works better than honesty--especially in most industry climates today.
(4) Professional Help
Whatever you are considering changing, professionals who have experience developing a brand--whether it is one component or the whole strategy--can be the difference between a successful or unsuccessful rebranding. This includes web designers, graphic designers, logo-experts, etc. They can help you deliver on your vision.
Teams like the one at LiveFive Web Design have experience in branding and can assist you with this process. Whether you are beginning with nothing prepared, or feel you are starting over at stage one once again.