Change o’clock: How do you know when it’s time to rebrand?
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When brands get a makeover, they can do it overnight or slower. And they can do it well or badly. So before you throw out your old font or your iconic logo, there are some things to consider.
As a student I used to wear the same outfit every day: Shirt, trousers and bowtie. My style has since changed, gradually and necessarily.
The associations we create – as a person or as a brand – are the sum of behaviour, delivery and visual identity.
When brands get a makeover, they can do it overnight or slower. And they can do it well or badly. When Google changed their font from old style serif to a new geometric style font in 2015, they kept the core, the colours and the playfulness. The change made sense, both to the company and the users. But when Gap changed their logo in 2010, they threw out all references to the iconic logo from 1990.
So before you throw out your bowtie, your old font or your iconic logo, there are some things to consider.
Visual identity, design and logos are about much more than shapes and colours. Behind every great brand there is thorough strategic work, as well as strong faith in what you do and who you are. It’s easy to get tired of your own voice and wanting to change often, but take time to investigate and discover what’s most important to the company/product/you, then believe in it and dare to repeat it.
We always try to map out what the client stands for. What are their goals, their strategy, future values, and how can we use these to create an honest identity that stands out? And who are we trying to reach?
When this is summed up in a brand platform, we start visualising the essence. The logo is a good place to start, as a visual core and identifier it gathers the wanted associations to a brand.
A logo should be recognisable, no matter the size or the platform. It should communicate a message – but not too blatant. Then we add layers of identifiers and personality. Colour, shape, layout, movement and language. The logo comes alive and adds personality to the brand.
When we say we build brands and solve problems with creativity, rebranding is only one of the things we are talking about. It’s one of the ways we create value and growth for our clients and for ourselves.
