Are you wondering if it’s time for a brand revision? You might have a strong product or service and still struggle with effective marketing if your brand isn’t solid. Branding trends also change, so your brand might have started strong and now isn’t aging well. Here are nine signs your brand needs a facelift.
Your Look and Services Don’t Align
What you offer should go hand in hand with how your brand looks to your audience. Your logo, colors, fonts, images and messaging all give off vibes about your company and what you offer. If your brand falls short, it will cause a disconnect that can hurt your ability to convert your leads. Updating your look to align your brand with the value you offer will help make a better first impression with your ideal customers.
You’re Changing Directions
Over time, companies change, and their brands need to change with them. If your company is shifting goals or changing markets, you probably need to update your branding. Sometimes, branding changes happen slowly over the years. So, if your company is not where it was back when your brand was first created, it’s probably time for an upgrade.
Your Audience Has Changed (Or Expanded)
As you grow, you may choose to target different audiences or grow to reach new ones. Your brand should be in-line with what attracts and motivates your audience. You need a brand that creates a sense of trust, comradery and excitement from your audience. If your branding was made with a different audience in mind, then it’s time to reconsider your approach.
It’s Hard to Tell Your Brand from the Competitor
Maybe your competitors tried to look like you when they came into a market you already had a stake in. Or, maybe you didn’t really do a lot of brand research before you chose your look—with the result looking too much like other companies. Maybe you look like a company in a completely different industry. Whatever the reason, you don’t want to cause brand confusion.
If your look is too similar to another company, you will get mentally lumped in with that company. You will struggle to differentiate yourself and could lose business because of that confusion. You want to create a look that helps you stand out as a leader in the industry and not a knock-off version of something else.
Your Look is Amateur or Follows Old Trends
If you were growing your brand from the ground up, then you may not have had a lot of cash to put into your initial branding. A cheap startup solution might have been to have an amateur, friend or relative do your designs and branding guides relatively cheap. However, as your brand scales, it will likely outgrow that old design.
A professional can help you create a more timeless look that won’t need a major overhaul in the next few years. Ideally, you want to hire an expert designer who can help you come up with the perfect brand to match your company and your audience.
You Aren’t Drawing a Crowd
Do peoples’ eyes glaze over when they see your branding? If you aren’t engaging your audience with your look, then you need to make some changes. Business branding is a commodity and asset when done correctly. Your brand should bring in sales and encourage loyalty.
Think about what makes someone gravitate towards Starbucks, Apple or Nike over their competitors. Top brands are desirable because of how their branding and visuals make people feel, not just because of the products they sell.
It’s Been Years Since a Refresh
A clear indicator of an old brand is quite literally age itself. If you created your company years ago, you probably need an update to your look. Over time, it’s very hard to keep your look cohesive. For example, you might have started your company before websites were popular and social media was expected. As you’ve adapted to the expectations for companies, you’ve added new content and visual tools that probably differ slightly from your original look.
Plus, over time, your company look will simply age. Your look may age well but still need a minor refresh to look a little more modern and polished to today’s audience. If you’ve gone years without a change, you probably should consider what parts of your logo or design are now considered an old design fad.
You Don’t Have a Cohesive Brand
Is your brand image scattered and confusing? It might be time for a refresh if you have a lot of different things going on at different customer touchpoints. Your messaging, imagery, logo and deliverables should all be on the same page.
It can be hard to keep a brand focused over time—especially if you never had clear brand guidelines to start with. Unfocused brands typically end up with outdated websites, email campaigns, marketing materials and other tools that just don’t quite match up.
The Current Look is Boxing You In
Are you feeling trapped by your current look? Certain branding restrictions can make it hard to think outside the box. Maybe you want a more eye-catching color to add a pop to your packaging. Perhaps you are tired of feeling stuck with a font that is harder to read. Or, it might be that your logo is too complicated to look good as an app icon on a smaller device screen or social media profile. There are plenty of ways a design can limit your ability to create effective marketing.
If you are in need of a brand refresh, it’s time to reach out to the professionals. At Vinci Digital, we’ve been doing this since 2004. We are familiar with the current demands companies like yours face, but we also know where you came from. Talk to our team today about what a branding refresh could look like for your company. We’re here to help! Let’s chat.
