The 4 Phases of a Successful Rebrand You Need to Know

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Let's be honest, change isn’t easy. If it were, more people would make the necessary changes in their lives on a more consistent basis. Perhaps the most significant part of making a change—is realizing that a change is needed in the first place. 

The great news is that if you’re reading this, it means that you’re a person that is introspective enough to be open for change. Or at least you’re willing to consider it. Which is awesome!

What could potentially be bad news, is that if you’re interested in rebranding—you likely already have doubts about whether or not you should stay the course or make major changes to your brand (here are 3 signs that your startup needs a rebrand to help with that).

If you’ve already come to the conclusion that your brand could use a makeover, before doing so, these are the four phases you need to know about in order to ensure that your rebrand will be a success. 

1. Identify your “Why”

Author and business consultant, Simon Sinek, released in 2009, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, a book that would not only go on to become a bestseller, but for many CEOs and C-suite executives, serve as a frame of reference as to why their companies may not be as innovative, influential, or profitable as they’d like.  

“Finding WHY is a process of discovery, not invention.” States Sinek in the book. 

It’s true, whether it involves making a major change in your lifestyle, career, or in this case, business, finding your why—as in what ultimately motivates you—isn’t about reinventing the wheel; but rather simply discovering why the wheel was needed in the first place.  

Once you arrive at the conclusion that either your company, commodity, product, collective, or personal brand needs a rebrand, the next step is discovering why you fundamentally want to rebrand it. 

The reason discovering your why is so important, is because it’ll serve as your brand’s north star; for which all parties involved with the brand will ultimately follow. So, be certain that the reason why you want to take on such a significant undertaking like a rebrand, is something that's powerful and meaningful enough to keep your team committed. 

2. Realize who the rebrand is for

After discovering your why, the next phase of a successful rebrand is identifying your who. As in exactly who your brand aspires to attract by undergoing an image change. For example: 

• Is the brand hoping to attract a younger audience?

• Is the brand hoping to attract a more mature audience? 

• Is the brand hoping to appeal to a more diverse audience?

• Is the brand hoping to appeal to a more affluent audience?

Regardless of your target audience, before going about changing any aspect of your brand’s image, pinpoint the audience whose perception of your brand would matter most towards its success. 

3. Ask yourself, what does success look like? 

Amongst the many interesting classes I took during my college years, surprisingly, it was from a Human Resources Management course that I came across a gem which has been one of the more advantageous in my life professionally. 

It was in that class, I discovered that when given the opportunity to ask questions during a job interview, one of the most impressive questions that a job applicant could ask a hiring manager or recruiter is, Ideally, what would success look like for this role? 

What makes this question so endearing to employers is that it shows the candidate is engaged and actually cares about achieving success in the role if given the opportunity. 

A similar question must be asked to complete a successful rebrand. 

You must first have a clear vision of what success would look like for your brand after the rebrand takes place. As in, what would you ultimately look to accomplish by rebranding?

Whether it’s surpassing certain metrics, seeing a sales increase, generating more social media engagement, or simply achieving a change in vibes from your loyal customers; it is absolutely paramount that you have a clear vision of what success would ideally look like after undertaking a rebrand. 

4. Bend it, but don’t break it 

Take a while and reminisce back to when you first had the epiphany to create your brand. Remember that magical feeling that took place when the thought of what your brand would stand for first entered your mind? Makes you feel all warm inside just thinking about it, am I right?

Great! Keep that feeling in mind. Because you’re going to need it. 

To be clear, a rebrand is simply an attempt to change the way your brand will be perceived by the public. Notwithstanding the change in your brand’s public-facing image, always remember to hold dear the notions about what you initially wanted your brand to stand for. Which could be adjusted in time—but should never be broken. 

From my experience of working with various types of brands, what I’ve discovered is that the underlying principles that founders initially established when first launching their brand, are often the most altruistic and benevolent as it pertains to serving their audience.

So, be sure to always keep that initial epiphanic moment top of mind as you embark on an overhaul of your brand.

Rebranding isn’t easy

Changing the way your brand is perceived by the public could be an arduous task. But we’re here to help! At Decryption, we help brands like yours successfully take the actions necessary to influence your customer base to perceive your brand how you want it to be perceived. 

Contact us today and schedule a complimentary client consultation and let’s begin the process of ensuring that your brand Connects via Culture!