3 Signs You Need To Re-Brand

When not to re-brand

Scenario ... You have been in business for 5/6 years and a thought trickles into your mind that maybe you should re-brand, and get a new fresh look that will set you up for the next 5-10 years... right?

When someone messages or calls mentioning they are looking to re-brand, my first thought is not to sign them up but rather to establish whether re-branding is in fact the right move for that business, and to what extent?

So, if you are thinking of re-branding, ask yourself this question...

WHY do we want to re-brand?

Fusion Dental is a recent Re-Brand that has been completed. Fusion Dental Lab needed a re-brand because they were tired of attracting the wrong ‘type’ of client while they also had a new direction they wanted to move the business into. We needed to transform Fusion from a middle class brand into a high-end brand within their industry.

If your answer is - because we feel it is time for a new look, then some extensive conversations need to happen to establish if a re-brand is even needed.

The reality is, sometimes a re-brand can be more damaging than productive.

Here are my 3 key signs you need a re-brand.

1. You can’t trademark/own your name and/or logo.

If you cannot "own" your own name or logo, a re-brand is likely on the cards. If you discover it is very similar to another business, or worst case, someone has contacted you saying you can no longer use that logo/name as it impedes on their trademark, then a re-brand is your next step.

To avoid this ever happening, ensure you do your research and/or employ a brand strategist that can establish this for you.

2. Negative feedback/ Association

I recently had a meeting with a local business who had just purchased the business and were toying with the idea of re-branding. Through our conversation I discovered that the business they had just acquired has a negative reputation for being unreliable.

This is, to me, a solid reason to re-brand and potentially re-name the business. Launching with a new name and brand sends a very clear message to the potential market that we are new, and allows room to start building a new perception.

3. Confusion

Similar to negative association, if your are receiving comments of confusion or a misinterpretation of your name and what you do, then your brand is clearly not doing a great job at communicating what you stand for and the service you provide.

A lot of the re-branding work I do is actually re aligning the perception of ‘quality’. These clients deliver a high standard quality service, however their brand elements say otherwise. This finds them in price wars and attracting the wrong clients.

So, if this is happening to you then a re-brand may just be what you need.