Rebranding or refreshing my logo? That’s a question that you may have if you want to change your logo. Learn more about the difference to choose the best option for your company.
A total rebrand is far more involved than just changing your logo—it requires you to examine every aspect of your brand and make sure it still aligns with the vision for your business.
When you first launched your company, you were probably implementing growth hacking methods to get your startup off the ground. It’s absolutely critical for new businesses to make big changes quickly, as your company matures. However, it’s wise to be more strategic about the changes you make.
You probably first launched your company with a logo that was simple, memorable and relevant to your industry. But as your business continues to grow, you’re going to have to make some changes to stay on top of things. You need a rebrand that will help attract new customers and investors, while also helping you attract new talent—all while staying true to what made the original brand great in the first place.
Hiring an experienced designer who understands branding can help ensure that the rebranded image retains its authenticity. Therefore, it doesn’t end up feeling like something completely different (or worse: confusing).
A rebranding also means a new website, which means that your old one won’t be around anymore. This can be a great opportunity if you want to redesign your website and make it more user-friendly. The designer you hired for the logo can help create an amazing new site that will feel fresh and modern.
The Case for Rebranding
Rebranding is a good idea if your logo or branding is outdated, but If you have an older logo, it may be time for refreshing it. In fact, the average lifespan of a logo is 5 years.
Once you’ve determined that it’s time for a rebrand, the next step is to decide what will be included in your new design: colors, fonts and images. You can use the trending colour palettes if you haven’t decided on the colors yet. There are no hard and fast rules about what should be used when refreshing your brand identity. However, there are some basic guidelines we recommend keeping in mind while considering how to update your current image—or create one from scratch!
Basic Guidelines for Rebranding
Too Many Updates = Lack of Credibility
If your company has changed its logo more than once, it’s time to reevaluate how often you change it—and why.
For example, if the first time you changed your logo was when the brand went through a major overhaul, then that’s one thing. But if you’ve been making minor changes to the same basic logo for years on end? That’s another story entirely! It may seem like a good idea at first: People are going to get used to our new look eventually, right? Wrong. It makes them question what they’re selling and even how trustworthy their product is overall—which is exactly what we want our customers and employees thinking about when they see our brand!
If you’re thinking about changing your brand’s logo, ask yourself: Is there anything we could do instead? If this isn’t the first time we’ve done something like this, then maybe it’s better left alone. It might just be worth keeping it as-is for now—and saving up those funds for future updates when they’re actually needed.
Rethink Before You Redo
Before you make the leap, take some time to consider whether or not your company has outgrown its current logo. If it’s been a while since you’ve looked at your branding, take a step back and ask yourself these questions:
- Is my logo still relevant? Does it still represent our brand in a way that we’re proud of? The answer might be no—but why? Check if there are any outdated aspects of the design that could be improved upon with a refresh. If so, start there!
- Does my logo communicate exactly what I want it to say about my business and its values? Does it effectively convey those messages across all channels (print materials, social media platforms etc.) without feeling disjointed from one another? A good designer will guide you through this process.
If you’ve determined that a rebranding is in order, congratulations! You’re on your way to creating something spectacular. Just remember that it takes time and thoughtfulness to do it right. The more invested you are in your story as it unfolds, the more successful your brand will be.
Explain Why You’re Changing Your Logo
Explaining why you’re making the change is key. You don’t want to confuse your customers and leave them wondering why your logo looks different. That’s why you need to make sure to include an explanation. Talk about how the change will benefit your business and help you achieve your goals.
How will this make my company better? Why is this a good idea? What are its benefits? How will it affect our customers? What do we need to do in order to make this happen successfully?
Talking About Your Brand Online
- You can talk about the change directly. No need to be afraid of it. Don’t be afraid to talk about why you made the change, and don’t feel like you have to sugar-coat things when doing so. If you’re going through a rebranding process and want to mention that fact on your website or social media, there’s nothing wrong with being upfront about it.
- You can talk about both sides of the coin. This might seem counterintuitive at first because if you want people to come back after they’ve already bailed on your content because they thought they were being spammed by an ad agency (see below), why would talking negatively about your brand help? The answer is simple: People are more likely to come back if they think their loyalty was actually earned rather than coerced by an algorithm or sales pitch for some product or service that someone else created for them!
The Case for Refreshing Your Logo
If you’ve been on the internet as long as I have, you know that there are certain truths about logos.
- Logos should be unique and memorable.
- Logos should be simple and easy to understand.
- Logos should be scalable and flexible.
Logo design is like fashion, they go in and out of style over time. Hence, it’s important that yours doesn’t look dated when it’s 5 or 10 years old. The best logos are timeless enough to remain relevant for decades if not centuries!
With all these things in mind, let’s talk about how your logo can reflect your brand identity while staying fresh and timeless at the same time!
Making a Change or Two
When you are considering rebranding or refreshing your logo, the first thing you need to do is look at your current logo and ask yourself if it’s still doing what it needs to do. If so, great! If not, then you need to focus on the most important elements of your brand. Also, make sure they are represented in the new logo. Then, take into account how your logo will look at different sizes (think small icons on a website versus large billboard). You also want to consider using fonts that are easy to read.
Finally, think about how long it takes people who don’t know much about design or even people who are more informed than average but not experts like yourself—when they see your badge/logo/symbol/etc., do they recognize what it means immediately? Or does it require too much thought for them? A good way to test this theory is by giving someone an assignment: have them draw their company’s symbol without looking at theirs first (or having another employee tell them what it looks like) and then compare drawings!
Options for Keep Your Brand Modern
If you’re planning to update your brand, there are a few ways to keep it modern without changing too much.
- Use the same font. If the font is part of your brand identity, it’s probably best to stick with it. In fact, using a different font could make people think that you’re trying too hard—and even though they won’t know why they think that, it won’t do you any favors!
- Use the same color scheme. If color is also an important part of your logo design, don’t make any big changes here either unless it’s absolutely necessary because some colors may have become outdated or less recognizable over time (for example if there has been a lot of new technology released).
- Use the same logo shape (or similar one). The shape shouldn’t be changed unless absolutely necessary either because those shapes have become iconic and well recognized by consumers over time which will make them associate with products/services from this company rather than others making them more likely products/services from this company rather than others making them more likely buy or use whatever product or service comes out next time around (even if they aren’t aware why…).
Talk To Customers About Your Branding Changes
If you are making a change to your brand, it’s important to be able to explain why. If you don’t know your customers well enough, it can be difficult to know what they want. To figure out how people feel about your brand is by talking with them directly and asking for their feedback.
Once you have a better understanding of the people that make up your audience, the next step is being open-minded and responsive when someone gives an opinion about what they do or don’t like about your company’s branding decisions. It may be tempting for some companies in particular industries (such as tech) where there is often pressure from peers/employees on social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook; however if these conversations take place exclusively among people who think similarly in terms of aesthetics, then chances are any changes made by management will not resonate with their target audience(s). This can result in lost revenue opportunities because no one pays attention anymore – especially if those conversations become heated debates! Instead, try seeking out alternative perspectives – such as those provided by professional designers whose job it is specifically focus on aesthetics all day long!
It is also important to remember that even the best brands make mistakes. The key is admitting these errors and making changes quickly. This will help your company remain in good standing with customers who may be upset by a particular decision.
Study your current logo and branding carefully before deciding whether you need a total rebrand or just a slight refresh.
Does your business need a rebrand?
Whether or not you need to rebrand your company is dependent on several factors.
- Are you still getting new customers? If so, the current brand may be working just fine.
- Is there a significant portion of people who are leaving because they don’t like the look of your logo? If so, it might be time for a change.
- How old is your current logo? If it’s out-of-date, consider refreshing rather than completely replacing it with something new. Many companies choose this route when updating their visual identity.
If your company has been around for quite some time and hasn’t updated its logo in some time (or ever), you may find yourself faced with an outdated representation of what you do—one that doesn’t accurately reflect who and what your business has become over time. In this case, rebranding makes sense since updating the image will also update perception among consumers and increase brand loyalty among existing customers by showing them that the company is committed to staying relevant in today’s competitive marketplace.
If you decide to rebrand, be sure to consider whether your current logo is too complex. When designing a brand new one from scratch, designers often create more elaborate designs than they need in order to differentiate themselves from other companies. However, the result can often be confusing and overwhelming (or even off-putting) for customers.
Logos are often a company’s most valuable asset. Your logo is the first thing people see when they visit your website and provides instant recognition of your brand. If you’re thinking about refreshing or rebranding your logo, it might be time to give some thought to whether or not this is something you want to do.
Worried about doing something this big on your own? Reach out today at hello@creativepartner.ca
