Is your brand really working for you?
Generating new and exciting ways to tell a story is important for any company and sometimes rebranding is a necessary step in the evolution of a business. We’ve seen any number of corporations adjust their brand, whether it is in response to a negative occurrence – remember when McDonald’s proudly promoted burgers and fries, but childhood obesity required a change to salads and fruits? Or as a way to stimulate growth or a competitive advantage – think Starbucks’ new interiors and logo with the mermaid freed from the confines of the ring that contained her. The world is in a constant state of progression and businesses must adapt or risk being irrelevant.
Any professional communicator will agree that their job is to constantly develop creative story-telling ideas for what may be an old story. No surprise there, but when a company’s personality needs a jumpstart, it’s time to rebrand. Whether the driving force behind this change is reactive like McDonald’s, or proactive like Starbucks, is immaterial. What matters is the recognition for the need to evolve.
We recently rebranded our company from Martin Public Relations to Atlas Marketing and the process of change began long before the decision to rebrand was even made. For us, the change was prompted by the limitations of our previous name. You see, we’ve never been just a PR agency and far too often prospects had expressed they had no idea we were a full-service marketing agency. The rebranding process to define ourselves more accurately was verification that our new identity is actually who we’ve been all along.
Rebranding isn’t equivalent to erasing your former self. In most instances, it is merely shifting your look to better reflect who you are. Before this can happen, there are some steps that should be considered during your journey to self-actualization.
Knowledge Is Power
Before you make any drastic changes to your business, think about how they will affect your target audiences. Businesses serve a wide variety of clients, and those clients’ association with a company speaks to who they are. This requires research to ensure any change represents their wants/needs while expressing the personality of your brand. While research gets a bad rap for being boring, it’s invaluable and will truly make a difference.
Map Your Plan For Success
As Ben Franklin once said, “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Before you can succeed, you must formulate a plan of action. A strategy will make your transition smoother, provide structure to ideas, create understanding among staff, and ultimately shape the future of your business. Don’t let lack of planning be your recipe for failure!
Make it Happen
You’ve done your research, you have a plan, now it’s time to step out of your comfort zone and execute. Don’t be afraid, if you have done your homework the outcome that you have visualized will soon become a reality. During this final phase, remember to be confident, keep your audience in mind and stay positive – you’ve almost made it!
Though the idea of change may seem overwhelming, it’s the perfect opportunity to challenge yourself and your company. As part of an industry that is constantly improving, we are fortunate enough to be able to enhance our capabilities as the market changes. Remember, change does not mean that you abandon all that you once were; it simply means giving your story the opportunity to mature into something great.