It’s tough to stay competitive in the marketplace. It seems every week there’s a brand new trend and it’s impossible to keep up with them all. Eventually though, you might find that your brand doesn’t quite seem as contemporary as it once was. At that point, it’s time for a revamp! This can be a really fresh and exciting time, but there are lots of logistical stuff to work out too. So what should you look for when thinking about rebranding your business?
When rebranding, one of the biggest things you’ll need to think about is your name. Not exactly about how catchy or recognisable it is – though that’s important, too. What you need to consider carefully is the effect a name change might affect your immediate business dealings. For example, if your contracts or credit lines are linked to your company name, you’ll need to ensure they’re not disrupted when you change over.
Another thing to think about is how relevant your name is to your sector or clients in the changing market. Take, for example, London Computers – in a time when the industry is branching out to all kinds of new technologies, the name can start to feel a bit antiquated. When selecting a new brand, you should consider where your sector is headed so that the name stays relevant for longer.
As well as this, consider your domain names and social media accounts. Really, this needs to be something you do before selecting a name, as you might not be able to procure the ones you want. This is one of the biggest challenges of branding in the digital age; the perfect name might be picked up by a business in a completely different country. Or worse, someone squatting on it who wants an outrageous sum before handing it over.
On top of this, over time your previous name will have garnered a digital footprint that helps to get it noticed on search engines. This is search-engine optimisation, or SEO, and is an important strategy in getting your brand noticed above the competition. The problem is, search engines are biased towards results that are familiar and often clicked upon. Therefore, by changing names you can risk your digital footprint being lost and demotion in the search ranking. However, this can be offset by ensuring your new name improves upon the last and is able to stand out much more.
You still shouldn’t forget to trademark, too. Having the right social media handles is important, but more important is the ability to trade legally under your chosen name. You want to make sure the name and brand stand out and are properly protected by the law. If you’re rebranding, it’s probably a process you went through the first time around, but of course trademarks from old names won’t carry over to the new ones.
Once this is sorted out, the only thing left on the business side is allowing for enough transition time. It’s going to take a while to get everything in order and you won’t want it to affect your ability to keep your money coming in.
But after all that, a rebrand is a call for celebration. When everything’s prepared why not organise a Brand Launch Event to get everyone ready for a fresh new start? Bring the staff along and enjoy yourself since the hard work of rebuilding your business is finally over. With a great event, it will mark the beginning of a new era for you and your business.
If you need to rebrand your business, why not consider Design JD for a truly bespoke and creative service?