5 things you must do to successfully re-brand your business

Photo courtesy of Morguefile user  ronnieb

Photo courtesy of Morguefile user ronnieb

Establishing a brand for your business is very important. Your company’s brand greatly impacts how people feel about your business emotionally and how it’s valued in the eyes of your customers.

Take, for instance, some of the major U.S. brands like Apple and Starbucks. When most people think of Apple, they associate the company with having dependable and high-quality products that last forever.

Apple was able to establish their brand by creating an “experience” for their users by designing a beautiful and innovative line of products such as the iPod and iPad.

Starbucks is another example of a company that transformed a regular grocery store item (coffee) into a product that people don’t mind paying upwards of $5 for – per cup!

There may come a certain point and time in your business where you will want to re-brand your company’s image. Here are a few tips for doing so:

  1. Create a plan of action and strategy for re-branding your business. In your plan, you should include the following items:

    • Why your company is re-branding
    • The costs associated with re-branding your business
    • How you will make the transition

  2. Update all of your company’s marketing and branding collateral
    This includes your logo, your company’s color schemes, and slogan or tagline. You should also be sure to update your website, brochures, business cards and any additional marketing resources that you use in your business.
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  4. Run a poll with your current customers, business partners and associates–ask them what they like most about your company
    It’s a good idea to talk with your customers, peers, and business partners to find out what their opinions are about your company. Gathering this information will be helpful in your plan for moving forward and will also help you focus and build a new core brand message for your company – based on the feedback you receive.
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  6. Outsource and hire freelancers where necessary. Can’t afford to hire a branding expert to help you re-brand your company? No problem. Opt to hire freelancers instead to help you re-brand your company’s image. Outsourcing websites such as oDesk.com and Elance.com are perfect resources that you can use to find and hire freelancers. With these sites you can outsource tasks such as graphic design, web design, logo design and more at a fraction of the cost that you would pay large firms.
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  8. Spread the word about your company’s updated brand.
    Your customers and business associates may want to know why you’re changing everything, so you’ll want to let them know in a way that is tactful and makes sense. You can share the news on your social media platforms, your blog if you have one, or send out press releases about changes to your brand.

Regardless of the size of your business, you more than likely spend a good deal of time thinking about what type of image you’re presenting to the public. Keeping your brand fresh and relevant is imperative, and by using the above tips, you can work on re-branding in a structured and organized way.

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Guest bloggers for the TDS Business Blog.

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  1. Rebranding Essentials: 5 Tips for Rebranding a Small Business |Small Business Sense - September 18, 2014

    […] note:  This blog post was originally shared on the TDS Business Blog – a company that I write for a regular […]

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