Autumn is here and the leaves are starting to change from green to red, orange and even purple. Like the leaves are changing we have also seen changes in big brands such as Google, Uber or local brands like our client Miles Real Estate who have recently refreshed or inverted their colours to further rejuvenate and bring to life their brand meaning.
The Brand life cycle - Refreshing your brand is an important part of the brand life cycle, just like the life cycle of a leaf. When a brand is visually refreshed, there is a process that businesses needs to embrace before going to a designer, to reap the full benefits of a refresh. Otherwise you can be simply conducting a costly window dressing exercise as your potential customer will soon realise that their expectations aren’t being met and or nothing else has changed. Then you won’t benefit from either a repeat purchase or a referral – which is the end game. Right?
Here are six critical and simple steps to consider before you go to a creative designer to refresh your brand.
Step 1. Acknowledge the signs that a refresh maybe in order and start planning resources
Step 2. Start mapping out the brand strategy
Step 3. Know your brands difference and position in the market
Step 4. Make a promise you can deliver
Step 5. Create customer profiles for your target audience
Step 6. Write a brief for the creative agency
Over the coming months, the Sodablog will look at each of these steps in detail so look out for the release of each step. Once you have gone through the process and your business directors are in line with the brand strategy you are ready to brief a creative to develop a visual brand system that brings the above strategy to life. This is the fun bit and usually the bit most go straight to do and forget the process required prior.
Businesses today need to consider the brand refresh process approximately every 5 years. But, how does a business know if it is time or not to invest in this process? As mentioned here is a checklist of questions that we ask when we meet with our clients to determine if a brand refresh is required.
We hope you have found this quick download helpful and if you have any queries please don’t hesitate to send us an email hello@sodablue.com.au we would love to help you and your brand.