Maybe you’re Tunnock’s Teacakes, Lyle’s Golden Syrup, or Tabasco sauce and you have persevered so long with your brand that it has come back into fashion again. But for most brands evolving is a periodical necessity. Re-branding isn’t just banging a new logo on your packaging with some lovely new fonts and colours on your website; it’s an opportunity to connect with a new audience, to refresh your existing identity and position your brand better in the current visual climate to become, “harder – better – faster – stronger” (Daft Punk).

You might ask yourself, do you really need a rebrand?
Here are five signs that you do:

1. You need to connect with a new audience

Branding is designed to be audience specific, if your company is shifting its focus to a new market in another territory your branding might not translate. If your company is shifting its target market your brand might connect with one demographic but not others.

> Example

Think of Dunne’s Stores, how far have they come since St. Bernard and shiny floors bouncing back the harsh strip lighting. To reach a more upmarket consumer Dunne’s have upgraded the stores and introduced quality brands. Laminate wood floors were replaced by sleek Swedish design, high end food producers were consigned into the stores, and most importantly the visuals were redesigned to reflect this new brand.

2. Your company has gone through a massive change

Is everything in your company changing for the better? Do you feel like shouting it from the top of the office block? A rebrand can showcase the change and make a moment out of it.

> Example

Take for example Limerick city. Historically if you thought of Limerick you would think of a run down city that has a major crime issue, or in short, Stab City! But Limerick is changing, it’s a diverse city with so much to offer, big businesses are investing there, and the powers that be wanted to shout about it. So they invested in a major rebrand by none other than Saatchi and Saatchi. The new branding appeals to an international audience and positions Limerick as a European city at the edge of the Atlantic.

3. You no longer stand out from the crowd

Standing out from the crowd is so important for your business to succeed. If you look and talk just like your competitors you have no edge. Staking your claim in the marketplace by defining yourself against the competition is an important business move. Maybe your prices are more competitive or maybe you’re offering first class customer service.

> Example

Think Ryanair, think no frills low cost flying all across Europe – that was their chosen differentiator, going against their competition who were selling quality.

4. You need to remove a negative association

Did Mairead from accounts so spectacularly drop the ball that your company made the Six One news? This can be a good opportunity to regroup, reposition and to announce a new stance with a rebrand.

> Example

RTE aired a documentary in 2019 that highlighted the overbreeding of greyhounds in Ireland for racing – with thousands being put down every year. In an attempt to move away from that negative story, the Irish Greyhound Board rebranded as Rásaíocht Con Éireann / Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) and positioned itself as introducing “A New Era in Irish Greyhound Racing” in 2020.

5. Your Brand only represents a part of what you do

If like The Happy Pear your business has developed since its inception and outgrown the brand, it’s time for a rebrand. To future proof your brand it’s important to design a brand that has flexible components. You will have a global visual identity with recognisable components to your business.

> Example

The Happy Pear started as a small fruit and veg shop and has since become a major brand with cafes, branded products, online courses and cookbooks. In 2014 they rebranded and used a visual identity that would be adaptable across their outputs.

Here at Design Clinic we love a rebrand, whether it’s for a new audience or to refresh your brand in light of some company changes, we will help you to tap into what it is that makes your brand and we will represent you to the world with the most appropriate visuals.
> Get in touch with us today!

Photo by Kristian Egelund on Unsplash