4 lessons we’ve learned out of our own re-branding
Rebranding is a natural part of a company’s life.
A painful part! Yet necessary in most cases.
I think of it like reptiles changing their skin …greatly uncomfortable for sure, energy consuming definitely but somehow refreshing and rebirthing.
We grow and our companies grow so YES rebranding is probably a sign of maturity (wohoo), of knowing more what your company is and is not so let’s embrace this painful re-branding but trying to understand why it has been so painful to us and formulating that into a list of advise we would give ourselves if we happen to go through it again and that were happy to share here (not that we know more about rebranding but just because ours was challenging in so many ways).
1. Be aware of the emotion (Re-branding PMSing)
When it’s your own brainchild it is so hard to let go! Even if you know you need to and that it’s time. Rationally you will be convinced but oh my god emotionally there will still be so much silent resistance…so silent that you yourself might miss that it exists!
Know that it will inevitably exist despite how hard you are rationally convinced; this awareness in itself should clarify certain reactions and attitudes you or your partners might exhibit at this time.
Yes we human get emotional over our own brands!
2. Co-creating your own brand
We’re a company that believes in co-creation and collective work so we’ve embraced the same attitude to our rebranding. We invited our friends who as always were generous with their time and mind to join the process over and over and over again then added some more people; Oh that’s not enough? then let’s have the opinion of three designers and add some more people to. Untill this becomes a bigger and bigger pool of wonderful, talented people and an even bigger pool of options, confusions and contradicting opinions. You know the saying “Too many cooks spoil the broth,”?
Well that was meant for re-branding not cooking!
Consult yet have a red line that ends that phase (no more than 2 weeks) and starts a new one where a few people will lead and take the decision and allow trust.
3. It costs money!
There are a lot of hidden costs in the process.
When you rebrand, you need to factor in research costs, creative costs, rollout costs, marketing costs, and more and above all the cost of time invested in the process. Remember, even your business cards need to change and Oh yes the Company Name on top of your office door, maybe some legal documents too …Oh and a new website?
Factor in all of those costs to ensure you can afford to do an adequate rebranding before you make any decisions.
4. Let go …It’s not such a big deal as it seems
Don’t cling so tightly to the past that you can’t embrace the future.
You’ve run it in your mind several times and collectively have decided to move on then let go!
Your heritage is good and important but don’t magnify the decision in your own mind that it scares you from moving.
Consider your heritage and try to include it but definitely embrace change when your intuition and business sense tells you it’s time.