Brand Refresh Versus a Rebrand: Which One Do You Need?

This month, we are talking about branding. If you missed our first blog about the foundations of a cohesive brand, make sure to check it out. Now, we are going to dive into something a bit more nuanced … a brand refresh versus a rebrand. At some point in the life of a business, one or the other is necessary. How to choose? 

What is a brand refresh versus a rebrand? 

When clients come to us as an established business, but they have shifted their offerings, we consider rebranding or refreshing the brand. Research into the evolution of their specific business as well as changes among competition begin the process. Ensuring their brand message, promise and pillars align with these new developments is a second step that leads to a revised visual brand. A new logo will often be prescribed, especially if they are hoping to capture a different market segment. A new brand messaging guide as well as a style guide will help them to disseminate information to their team, so they can begin to send out the new, cohesive message to consumers.  

While a rebrand can feel like wiping things clean and starting from scratch, a refresh is more of an invigorating breeze that brings a tad bit of newness to a brand. We won’t overhaul anything, but we may help a client tweak pillars or messaging to ensure everything is streamlined. Sometimes, refreshing also requires a tweak to the original logo, colors or fonts … and sometimes it doesn’t. A refresh takes quite a bit less time than a full rebrand, obviously, but the payoff is big in repositioning the brand and ensuing growth. 

Times, they are a changin’ 

As much as some of our clients would love to hold onto their logo and brand message for dear life, the reality is that we live in a rapidly changing world. Regardless of the industry, you are sure to see change taking place right before your eyes. A rebrand or a refresh helps our clients to keep up with the flow of their industry so they don’t get left behind. Customers may love the security blanket that is predictability, but they also love when a business delivers on its promises. If your brand promises and pillars don’t align with your capacity or business strategy, you will need to revisit the drawing board.  

How do you know when you need a rebrand or refresh?

You may need a REBRAND if: Your core values are now out of line with the values of your target market, your company’s branding is outdated, or your brand messaging and logo provide no competitive edge. 

You may need a REFRESH if: You want to maintain your core brand messaging and pillars, but you want to enter into new markets or attract new audiences. You may also want to update your messaging and logo or need support to remain a recognizable brand in today’s world.  

We are here to support you!

Check out our website for more information about what we do, including client case studies in branding. Then, head over to our Entrepreneurial Path page to see if you need to launch, refresh or expand your brand. And follow us on social for more marketing fun! 

So, What’s the Deal With Branding?

If you think that branding is all about pretty colors and cool logos, this blog is for you. The importance of strategic branding gets lost in the dazzle of starting a new business, but it is one of the key components to ensuring successful communication with your target market. And without customers, well, you can pretty much call your business dead on arrival. 

Branding is everything 

A strong brand is built around a coherent and consistent message. This will be captured through your brand message and promise as well as your pillars and will be heard by your consumers through everything you do, including services, products, marketing campaigns, social media interactions and more. The three components of a strong brand include: 

Brand message: The way your brand communicates its unique value and personality through both verbal and nonverbal messaging. It is the reason why your brand has a relationship to its consumers. 

Brand promise: This is the unique value or experience a consumer can expect to receive every time they interact with your brand. 

Brand pillars: These combine your message and promise to create the foundation on which your brand is built.  

We call them “pillars” for a reason 

Your brand’s pillars act as a support for your brand message and promise, therefore guiding all of your decisions. When you aren’t sure what to say, for example, all you need to do is consult your pillars, which are everything that make your brand tick. And when you are trying to align your customer service with your values, consult those pillars to make sure you are delivering! 

Perhaps you are beginning to see why establishing a cohesive message is important before creating that show-stopping logo? Because everything, even your logo, will need to report to your brand’s message and the pillars on which you have built your business. And, best of all, your brand’s message will tell your consumers why they should choose your business over others. (All the more reason to make it a strategic one, you see.) 

So, how do we find your brand message, promise and pillars?

Here at P&A, we believe in a hefty amount of research. We offer our clients a full spectrum of strategic marketing practices that will help them to build the brand message, promise and pillars they need to create a cohesive message. We collaboratively deep dive with clients to define the target persona of customers — not just a label or one-liner, but specifically identifying their lives, from hobbies to social media habits to daily routines. We meet clients where they are on this entrepreneurial path and help build the scaffolding that will support the growth of their business.  

Once we have a clear understanding of a client’s messaging, we create a Brand Message Guide, a document for internal reference that is to be the starting point for everything, from graphics to news releases. With marketing support staff working from the same guide, it creates a common voice that consumers can begin to see easily when interacting with that brand. And then, yes, logos, colors, fonts, and other visuals are developed to support the brand voice.  

Consumers trust brands with consistent messaging 

With today’s throngs of new businesses, marketing, campaigns, scams and more, consumers are weary of anything that seems confusing. In fact, they want ease and some predictability. By doing the research and then creating a cohesive message, promise and pillars for your brand, you will be able to relate better to your target market and they will, in turn, become important long-term customers! 

From our new Entrepreneurial Path to our Biz Squad, we are here to help ensure the success of your brand (and answer all of your burning questions)! Contact us to find out more.  

5 Tools for DIY Video Marketing

Your Biz Squad Professional: Carolyn Case

You don’t have to be a professional in videography to create fun, enticing and engaging videos for your business or organization. Telling your story through videography is crucial in the social media realm today. There are many tools that most of us already have access to that can help to create compelling videos. Here are five tools that will help you on your video journey:

Smart Phone

Most of us have access to a smart phone on a regular basis and most smart phones have incredible cameras and video capabilities today. You can use your phone to shoot amazing videos and download many different apps to aid in editing and coloring your footage.

Tripod or Stabilizer

You will need a tripod or stabilizer for your phone or video camera so that your footage will be usable and not too shaky and blurry. You can purchase small tripods specifically for smart phones or use objects around you to stabilize your phone as you shoot.

Wireless Microphone

Find a wireless microphone that will work with your smart phone or video camera. This will usually take form in something small and inconspicuous that will attach to the person speaking in the video and the other part will be plugged into the phone or camera. It is important to have clear, usable and understandable audio in your videos.

Ring Light or Light Panel

Have a ring light or light panel to help your subject look soft and beautiful as is appropriate for your subject matter. This will help to avoid intense shadows and underlit subjects or spaces.

Editing Software/App

Download a video editing software or app to use to create beautiful videos. You can download Adobe Premiere pro both on mobile or as a desktop app, or utilize other apps such as Capcut, Final Cut Pro, and Splice.

Carolyn Case is a multimedia production professional and owner of Media 37 Indy with over 15 years of professional experience. Media 37 Indy is a full-service media house that seeks to serve the needs of small businesses, entrepreneurs, non-profits, and companies throughout Central Indiana. Media 37 Indy offers a variety of videography, photography, editing, and multimedia marketing services. Learn more at media37indy.com.