Its hard to believe that just over 40 days ago, I was meeting with my team to discuss the concept for the rebrand of my first clinic. My baby (the ‘makeover clinic’ where it all started) was about to get its own makeover!
Whether you’re a big or small business, your brand plays an important role in the portrayal of your vision and purpose to the public. In this post, I thought I would share some of my tips to successfully rebrand your business.
Have a clear and specific brand name:
Not all brands spell out their services or products in their name (eg. Nike, Apple or Pandora) but when it comes to your business branding, I recommend choosing a name that explains the services you provide.
For example, the new clinics name, ‘Ultimate Skin & Body Clinic’ clearly identifies us as a brand for skin and body care. It’s easy to understand which means it will be easy to remember and recommend to others.
You don’t need to create an obscure business name to stand out.
Use consistency to build trust:
Even though there are many things you want to change during the rebranding process, it’s important to maintain some consistency for your clients.
This can include the color scheme, tagline, product packaging etc. It’s also important to remember to not rebrand so much that it’s completely unfamiliar.
If you go for an entirely new look and feel, your clients may not recognize your company in your new brand. The best way to go about it is to have a recognizable transition between your old branding and your new one.
Take them along the journey from the old to the new.
Be creative and stand out from your competitors:
Creativity is key in order to stand out amongst the masses.
Each day we are exposed to endless campaigns and advertisements in an attempt to sell a product or service.
Rebranding is an opportunity to experiment and try out new strategies, whether it is marketing or ad copy. You can compare metrics before and after to see what works and what needs to be improved.
Announce your business rebrand to your clients:
Once your rebranding project is complete, make sure you announce it to your clients and the public.
This also shows your current clients that you care enough and value their loyalty.
Advertise your changes on your social media channels, create personalized hashtags or launch an event to spread awareness of your new brand.
The more the rebranding is made prominent, the more successful you will be.
Finally, do not underestimate the time it can take for your customers to get up to speed with changes in your business. I once moved a large city medical centre just 2km down the road. The new centre was on the same busy street but in a building three times the size of the original with bigger and better signage.
We had many stories in the local press as there were some controversial elements to the move. We had a petition running for several months to enlist the support of the local population and we covered the move with radio adverts, newsletters and even had all the local pharmacists give information out on our behalf.
Six months after the grand opening people were still ringing us from outside of the old building asking “where are you”. Your rebrand or major news may take longer to spread than you expect.
