Three, two, one… liftoff! Brands get launched — and relaunched — every single day. Sometimes a “re-brand” might be so subtle or seamless that it nearly goes unnoticed; sometimes it’s a slow burn of transformation — a soft launch; and other times, it comes with all the figurative fireworks and flashing lights.
Maybe you’re working on building your own brand reveal — or re-branding your company to better align with a new and updated mission, capabilities, or client portfolio. It can be a challenge!
We get it, because it’s something we do EVERY.SINGLE.DAY for our clients, as they develop, recreate, or expand their brand and digital footprint across every channel you can imagine. We’ve also done it for OURSELVES. Yes, we walked through every step of it when we fully re-branded our company from Lowcountry Media Solutions to CRANK Digital Marketing Authority.
This may seem obvious. But, a plan has to be STEP ONE. Do not pass go without this one. A real, fully baked project roadmap — not just a few notes on a page — sets a timeline for every element and asset that needs to be completed right up until launch day. This will likely be a full and exhaustive — possibly overwhelming — list of big and small things. That is okay. This means you’re like EVERY SINGLE OTHER PERSON AND COMPANY who has done this. It’s a lot. But, it’s important to really invest the time to identify all of the areas where your brand is visible — or where you want it to be visible at launch — and plan when and how you will execute to make it so.
Tip: This type of planning should also indicate timing and cadence of communications by audience and by channel. You may want to consider aligning your official launch date with an event, conference, or promotion to increase awareness and traffic.
Who is your current audience? Who is your target audience? Who aren’t you reaching that you want to reach. All of these questions must be considered as you’re building out your brand —and even as you’re re-launching your brand. There must be brand consistency for your company. But there are different ways to say the same thing — and different channels to use to say it — depending on who you’re trying to reach.
Setting up a transitional brand that teases something new is coming — or that gives you a placeholder while you work towards the re-launch — can be helpful in some cases, especially if you’re in that “re-brand” category. It can release the pressure valve of having everything done RIGHT NOW. You’re communicating that a change is coming and this gives you the benefit of some time to do it and the opportunity to tell your audiences why.
Tip: If you do go this route, remember to keep your message positive and, most importantly, keep it HUMAN. This is not the time to get too technical. You also aren’t obligated to provide all the answers or details. Let the tease of a bigger, brighter, better, or fill-in-the-blank brand be enough.
We alluded to this in step one with that grand checklist. But, your brand’s launch needs to encompass multiple communication touchpoints and show up everywhere your audiences are. This looks like: website, blog, social media, digital marketing and ads, press releases, loyalty programs, incentive programs, virtual and live events, and likely much more.
What do you really want to say with your brand? Identify all the different materials you’ll need branded — or rebranded — to do just that. With our CRANK re-brand, we started with our logo and website. We also needed a new capabilities deck, marketing one-sheets, client questionnaires, email templates, tip sheets and the list goes one. Maybe your needs are similar. Maybe you also need ebooks, sales collateral, white papers, training materials, landing pages, presentation templates, letterhead, swag… you get the picture.
Tip: Consider a brand standards guide or kit. This is a helpful resource for both internal and external use that offer a quick 4-1-1 on your brand. It generally includes important visual elements of your brand — like your logo, fonts, color palette, and imagery — as well as explanations for appropriate uses. It can also include basic company info as well as a mission statement.
Social media might be one of the first ways people experience your brand — so don’t forget to focus on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more. Especially with a rebrand, it can be easy to overlook updating all those profile photos, page headers, “About” sections, descriptions, handles, etc.
Tip: Some social platforms can be finicky about how you go about changing your profile — some don’t allow a name change and require a new page to be created. So, make sure you look into the ever-changing rules and also apply to transfer any existing audiences over to your new pages (if necessary!).
You have your dream team in place, but do they know how to speak your new brand language and answer questions from your clients or audiences? It’s important to educate every single person in your company — no matter their role — so there is consistency that starts from within and then spreads outward.
Tip: This internal education process is often helpful training ground for refining your external communications!
It takes money to get the brand quality, exposure, and presence you want (and need). Consumer brands often have different requirements than B2B brands, but be just sure to budget accurately so you can create the high-profile, high-value visibility you need to have in your industry.
It is an investment, but it’s worth it.
At CRANK, we know firsthand — we made the investment when we did our own rebrand. Even if it would have been easier (and less expensive) to cut some corners, we knew that the results would pay off in the long term.
Tip: Be prepared to continue supporting your brand even after launch with a monthly budget set aside for this. This might mean an ongoing digital marketing program, working with freelance writers for your blog, and/or general security and site maintenance. There’s nothing worse than launching a brand and then failing to support it.
These goals will look different for every brand, but they could encompass one of more categories on this list:
A good rule of thumb is to use your existing reach, audience, and sales (if you have them!), and then add 20% for a tangible goal.
Don’t forget to track — and celebrate — your success. Success metrics vary, just like goals. But whether it’s sales numbers, brand perception in the marketplace, client interest forms, new audiences, or page views, it’s worth a toast or three.
For more information and inspiration, check out our case study on CRANK Digital Marketing Authority’s own re-brand, where we went from Lowcountry Media Solutions to CRANK. Yes, we’re talking TOTAL makeover here.
We’ve been there, done that, and we can help you launch your brand (or re-brand) to success —fireworks and flashing lights, included.
Branding
Three, two, one… liftoff! Brands get launched — and relaunched — every single day. Sometimes a “re-brand” might be so subtle or seamless that it nearly goes unnoticed; sometimes it’s a slow…
Branding
Three, two, one… liftoff! Brands get launched — and relaunched — every single day. Sometimes a “re-brand” might be so subtle or seamless that it nearly goes unnoticed; sometimes it’s a slow…