When Do You Need a Brand Refresh?
Your branding — logo, color palette, fonts, etc. — helps you communicate who you are and what you’re about to your target audience. If you’re like most companies, you’ve put a lot of time and effort into pulling it all together. As one of the leading branding and marketing agencies in the Denver-metro area, we advise our clients that once you’ve rolled it out, it’s important not to do a brand refresh too often, as you risk confusing your customers and prospects.
That said, even the most well-crafted branding eventually starts to show its age. Ultimately, you will need to update your brand identity. And you’re not alone — even the most iconic brands have evolved over the years. But how will you know when it’s time to make a change?
Telltale Signs Your Brand Needs a Revamp
Here are some indicators that it would be wise to revisit your visual identity:
- It doesn’t stack up. Your competitor’s new branding is getting rave reviews in your industry. Your decades-old branding is starting to get chuckles. No question there… it’s time for a refresh.
- It’s gone rogue. When you find yourself at a point where your logo exists in every unauthorized color under the sun and nobody can remember whether titles are supposed to be in Arial or Calibri, it’s probably best to regroup.
- It says too much or not enough. Sometimes organizations try to cram too much information into their branding and end up with visual chaos. This is common with startups that feel they need to describe themselves to a target market that isn’t familiar with them. On the flip side, companies sometimes try to be hip by going minimalist and settle on a logo that’s so simple it’s meaningless. A brand refresh can help you find the perfect middle ground between the two.
- It’s acquired baggage. A very public lawsuit… a series of disastrous product launches… an epic social media fail that has angered the masses… If your company finds itself with a dark cloud hanging over it, revising your branding can signal the world that you’re looking to make a fresh start.
- It’s no longer accurate. In some cases, a brand is still aesthetically pleasing, but changes to your company (new markets, new products, new mission) make it obsolete. When your branding no longer represents who you are, it’s time to make a change.
- People don’t get it. When you created your branding, you were convinced its meaning was clear and unequivocal. Over time, you’ve come to realize that your customers and prospects really don’t understand it. It’s time for an update that ensures they do.
Branding Assistance from A-Train Marketing
If you’re starting to see the signs that your visual identity could use a shot in the arm, give us a call. From brand discovery and assessment to verbal and graphic identity development, we’re known as one of the most creative marketing agencies in Denver and Colorado, and we can help you breathe new life into your branding.