Rebranding a Company Step by Step: A Checklist

22 Jul 2024

Rebranding a company is about more than just changing the name and logo. It’s about realizing the very essence of your business: what it sells, who it sells to, and how it treats its customers.

Your brand is a part of your heritage and aims to be a part of your customers’ future. But there are some very good reasons why it might need to adapt.

Perhaps you’re expanding, maybe you’re launching a whole new product range – or it could be there’s a key new brand vision you can’t wait to communicate.

If something essential about your brand has changed, or is going to change, there are some key rebranding steps you might want to consider. But doing so, while still maintaining your brand identity and relationship with customers, can create some difficult obstacles.

That’s why we’ve put together this handy rebranding checklist. Read on to find out how you can ensure as smooth a process as possible – and get the results you need.

Figure Out Why You Want to Rebrand

As with any major business decision, you probably shouldn’t make the decision to rebrand on a whim. Instead, your reasons should ideally be based on a solid set of findings within your target market, and among competitors.

If your reasons for rebranding are purely revenue-based, perhaps it isn’t your brand that needs some focus, but your marketing instead. A full rebrand can also be very costly, it only makes sense to rebrand if there’s a strong commercial reason to do so. Some examples might include:

With these costs and complexities in mind, it only makes sense to rebrand if there’s a strong commercial reason to do so. Some examples might include:

New markets or products. If your business is going national, or international, you might want to consider looking at evolving your branding to ensure that nothing about your core values could be “lost in translation”, so to speak. If you’re changing your product or service offering, meanwhile, it also makes good business sense to rebrand to show just where your company is going.
Change of values. Your company’s core values are effectively your “mission statement”. If that changes, or if you find yourself adopting a fresh perspective, your brand may need to be refreshed alongside it. Microsoft’s famous mission statement, “a computer on every desk and in every home”, had pretty much come to pass by the time the tech giant switched focus to mobile enterprise¹ in the early 2010s. So it’s important to move with the times.
Structural overhaul. A restructure, merger or acquisition will dramatically change the makeup of your company, as well as its potential shift in strategy and customer base. Rebranding to reflect these changes is your first – and best – opportunity to signal a renewed focus.

Do you wan to attract more loyal customers and increase your brand awareness? Find out how.

Work Out How Far You Need to Go

Whether you think a complete overhaul of your business is in order, or you simply want to reinvigorate the way it looks to customers, there are several different types of rebranding you can consider.

Full rebrand. A root-and-branch refresh of everything that makes your company tick, from tone of voice to the name itself.
Visual rebrand. Creating a new logo, brand colors and/or visuals to freshen up your look, while retaining other brand essentials.
Brand refresh. This could potentially involve re-working your website, or some re-adjustment of your company’s communications, but doesn’t necessarily have to uproot your whole identity.

It’s important to remember that rebranding a company doesn’t mean changing everything about your business. You might simply want to update how people perceive you by modifying the language you use to speak to customers, or the way your business targets areas like social media.

Define Your Target Market

Investing in market research is a good way to confirm, challenge, or build upon expectations about your target audiences – and even uncover new ones.

Basing your conclusions on evidence and data should help you evolve your brand in a way that increases your customer base.

When Old Spice discovered that almost two-thirds of their men’s body wash products were being bought by women, they pivoted their marketing strategy to reach them. The brand’s YouTube subscribers doubled from the previous year, as viewers checked in regularly with “The Man Your Man Can Smell Like”² campaign.

Remember What Makes Your Company Unique

Once you’ve figured out where your business stands in relation to its customers, you should also consider where your competitors are positioned.

Market research and competitor analysis can determine how your customers see you compared to your rivals. It can also guide you in determining what makes your business a unique proposition.

Once that’s complete, you should have a much better idea of how to truly stand out from the crowd.

Build Your Brand Identity

Now, for probably the most crucial step along the rebranding journey. It’s time to start putting these things together and thinking about the full package.

Depending on whether you opt for the Full, Visual, or Refresh model, there are several factors to consider that ultimately communicate what you stand for.

Brand name. Is it time to change your company’s most unique identifying aspect? Perhaps people find it confusing, unmemorable, or it no longer truly aligns with the products and services you sell. If there’s a real case for change based on your competitor and market analysis, then it may be the right thing to do.
Slogan. Your catch-all messaging is forever associated with your brand, so make sure it addresses the right audience in the right way. Does the current slogan speak to their values and needs?
Logo. The immediate visual impact you make is arguably as important as your company name. Is it appealing, and a true representation of what you offer? Refreshing your logo in a way that respects your company’s past while embracing the future can be difficult – and potentially expensive – so be sure to consider all the angles.
Color palette. Everything from websites to menus to brochures require a color scheme that’s sufficiently distinct from your competitors, and consistent across your brand. Color consultants do exist – and they can help you choose a combination of shades that are psychologically effective for your intended audience.
Typography. Fonts, serifs, and typefaces are all part of a compelling visual identity – whether displayed on a storefront, van, or billboard. The style of lettering you choose can have a genuine impact on conversions, ³ and say as much about you as what you’re writing

Consistency Is Key

Once you’ve settled on all the above styles and formats, you should develop a style guide that sums up the individual ingredients that make your brand unique. Use it across your different marketing channels to ensure your customers get the same experience across all touchpoints.

Plan Your Rebrand Launch

This is no time for half measures. Your rebranded relaunch should be a full-on cross-platform push to maximize impact.

Plan a campaign that reaches every corner of relevant media, including:

Your website – where bold and engaging visuals meet your new style of customer messaging.
Radio and audio streaming advertising – where your new voice can quite literally be heard.
Newspapers, magazines and display advertising – places to make a real impact with visuals.
Social channels – including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Television – mixing sound and vision to present your bold new direction to a large audience.

Market research should also have helped you narrow down which of these potential avenues are most widely and consistently used by your audiences, helping you to distribute your budgets accordingly. Another key thing to tick off your rebranding checklist.

If you’re considering a rebrand for your small business and want to share it with a growing audience, sign up today to become a Groupon Merchant and help give your new marketing push the edge it needs.