Dominos seized the lost market with a thoughtful rebranding strategy. Does the company’s rebranding success allure you to the vortex of rebranding? Yes, rebranding indeed has the potential to take your business to new heights. However, it is a boomerang that can backfire if you do not invest your time and mind in it.
In this blog, let’s talk about embarking on a rebranding endeavor in the right direction without losing customers.
What is Rebranding?
Rebranding happens when an enterprise thinks of redefining its marketing strategy with a renewed brand identity. It requires changes in various aspects including logo, name, and design. As a result, the renewed brand identity penetrates the minds of the customers. Thus, rebranding assumes many forms, from renaming the company to establishing a new business model. But the crucial aspect is to never miss out on the customers while rebranding.
How Rebranding Benefits Your Business?
Rebranding holds the potential to propel your business to new heights. It entices new target customers, expands your brand’s reach, and taps the untapped markets. Regardless of its age, rebranding gives a new lease of life to your brand. And, the brand stands relevant and contemporary.
A better understanding of rebranding a business will help you to hold the customers tight while rebranding.
Why Do You Need Rebranding?
It is a pertinent question that needs to be answered before considering rebranding. You should be sure of the intention and motivation that drive the rebranding because it is an investment-intensive process. Let’s explore some scenarios that demand rebranding.
#1. To be in the fray and to compete
Businesses have to evolve attuned to the tides of the dynamic market. Then only, they can remain competitive. In such a scenario, factors like the name and outdated company logo may pose limitations. Consequently, you need to curate a new logo and company name that align with the company values and objectives.
#2. Let go of the generic logo
Nascent businesses in the initial stage may overlook the significance of branding. As a result, they opt for generic templates and designs that have clones in the market. It creates an identical identity for different businesses.
Thus, if your business has such an issue that your existing brand identity struggles to be differentiated from your competitors, it signals the need for a new approach.
#3. Market beyond borders
As your business scales heights, you may expand it to new markets including the international market. If the new market fails to identify with your logo and brand aesthetics, then, rebranding is worth considering.
#4. New vision
When a business reaches a certain point, it may start shifting its vision to a grandeur path. Then, brand decisions should reflect the changed vision. In such contexts, getting a facelift for your brand won’t disappoint you.
Rebranding; Pause, Think, and Then Plan
“ if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail“
– Benjamin Franklin
It goes true for rebranding too. You have to consider several reasons before rebranding. Let’s find out the prominent ones.
#1. Customer-centered reasons
Customer-centered reasons should top the list. Make sure that rebranding is necessary and will accelerate the growth of your business. If it isn’t the solution to your problem, then walk back and explore another option. Or else, you will lose the existing customers and miss out on the prospective customers.
#2. Conduct thorough market research
Before beginning the rebranding of your business, do extensive market research to gauge the pulse of your target audience. Likewise, identify the loopholes and opportunities in the branding strategies of your competitors. Then plan accordingly.
#3. Clear strategy
Rebranding is a complex process that demands your keen attention at every stage. Ensure that it goes as intended, without losing the customers. Accordingly, prepare a comprehensive strategy.
Hence, envision and plan the changes you need to bring through rebranding. Thus, you can make sure that these changes align with your new business and marketing strategies. Consequently, your customers will notice and embrace the rebranded version.
#4. Map out the blueprint
Rebranding can change the direction of your business into a positive trajectory by adding value, customer engagement, and market share. Therefore it demands impeccable research, planning, and strategy. It speaks volumes about the need to have a blueprint.
#5. Talk to your customers
Publicizing the rebranding will garner customer support and enhance growth. Make use of social media to spread the rebranded identity to existing as well as prospective customers. Transparent communication with the customers fosters strong customer-brand relations.
Let’s delve deep into the world of rebranding with a case study of St.Michels Bakery, Trivandrum.
Case Study – St Michels Bread Store
St.Michels Bread Store, a famous bakery in Trivandrum approached us with a proposal for rebranding.
Our Approach
#1. A logo that holds a mirror to the client’s decade-long experience
The task unfolded in front of us in the rebranding journey of St.Michels was to let go of the outdated logo and convey the true essence of the brand to the customers. Their previous logo was created six decades ago and it failed to display the diversity of their products, especially their expertise in cakes.
Further, The logo’s tagline ‘bread store’ created a misconception that the bakery was an exclusive bread store. It overlooked their expertise in cake baking and a variety of other products.
Thus, our main goal was to design a logo that mirrors the bakery’s decades-long experience and popularity in the world of cakes. As the client wanted a logo with a classic touch reflecting their timelessness and decade-long experience, we decided to infuse a vintage charm into the logo.
# The Font
As human beings are visual creatures, anything that captivates them will catch their eyes. Nothing other than an attention-grabbing font can give the first impression. Accordingly, we started brainstorming and moving our mouse on the font. To bring the old classic vintage look, we adopted a vintage font that exudes a classic charm.
#The Tagline
Furthermore, we worked on the tagline and came up with an idea that reflects the prominence of cakes. So, we wrote the tagline ‘Your Favorite Cake Store’ that conceptualizes their upper hand in cake baking and their popularity among cake lovers.
#The Imagery
Additionally, as the products are grain-based, we did not forget to impose wheat-related imagery on the logo. The wheat leaf undoubtedly creates a recognizable brand identity that sets the brand apart from its competitors.
#The Color Palette
To create a premium allure, we adopted shades of gold, white and green. While gold is an attention-grabbing color that symbolizes luxury and premium quality, white emphasizes simplicity and cleanliness. Meanwhile, green aligns with the concept of freshness. Consequently, the branding strategy adopted the same captivating color theme that ignited the senses.
2. Packaging That Mirrors the Renewed Identity
As packaging is the first point of contact between the bakery, and the customers, it plays a pivotal role in creating a unified visual identity across all its products. Though St.Michels has been a prominent player in their turf, they lacked company packaging. As a result, establishing a uniform and consistent brand identity took a backseat.
Therefore, our rebranding strategy brought the concept of packaging to the table and the client agreed. Eventually, we created packaging infused with the new logo and captivating designs. It effortlessly spreads the rebranded brand identity amongst its customers.
3. Basic Collaterals
As part of our rebranding strategy, we gave a facelift to basic collaterals including Letters Head, Business Cards, and T-shirts. They now showcase the rebranded logo and the real essence of the brand. Now, all of them perfectly align with the rebranded image of the brand and exude professionalism.
4. Leaving No Stones Unturned
Rebranding a business cannot leave any stone unturned. Hence, we included cake box designs, cake labels, and stickers in our rebranding effort. Keeping in mind the essence of the brand, we transformed them into professional tools that mirror the brand identity.
Takeaways
-Be sure of the intention and motivation that drives the rebranding because it is an investment-intensive process.
-Have a clear blueprint for the rebranding strategy that you want to pursue.
-Retain the existing customer loyalty. Hence, do not overlook your current customer base, and keep them close
Indeed, rebranding infuses new identity into your brand. However, it comes with a plethora of challenges. Hence your approach plays a pivotal role in rebranding your business. So, do not go for rebranding only because your business walks on a tightrope. Make sure that transformation is for the right reasons.
