A brand refresh is when a company decides to freshen up messaging and visuals, while maintaining its identity. This can be for a variety of reasons, but regardless of the motivation, the change should reflect how your company and customers are constantly evolving and growing.
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A Brand ‘Refresh’: What It Is, What It Isn’t, And Why You May Need One
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A brand refresh should not be confused with a rebrand.
According to HubSpot, a rebrand is a complete overhaul of the brand's identity and strategy, typically enacted when the current brand strategy fails. We’ve seen examples of successful and not-so-successful rebrands.
For example, DUNKIN’, previously known as DUNKIN’ DONUTS, dropped ‘donuts’ from its logo and its packaging. This change resonated with consumers easily because of the already established tagline ‘American Runs on DUNKIN.’
However, Tropicana orange juice is an example of a not-so-successful rebrand. According to Klint Marketing, Tropicana, decided to try rebranding all elements of their well-known product and packaging at once, including:
Simpler Packaging
Logo design and new color pallet
New marketing campaigns
The result: bad branding and ultimate logo fail. Consumers admitted that the new design was so drastically different they didn’t realize it was Tropicana. So they bought whatever recognizable brand of orange juice they saw available. Tropicana’s estimated sales dropped as much as 20% before they decided to revert back to their familiar design.
A brand refresh is a simpler process that requires strategy and market research. Check out the following reasons of why you should do a brand refresh, and if you can relate, it may be time to talk with your marketing team ASAP.
Change of Look and Feel
As humans, we often want to change up our look, whether that’s cutting our hair or getting a new piercing. Business owners may feel the same about their company’s branding. After years of the same logo, colors, and messaging, a brand refresh is a nice way to start the next phase of your business.
For example, in 2016 Taco Bell gave their company a branding refresh. Although the bell still remains, the change in color and font-style gave the classic logo a more modern look. This was a very strategic approach considering that the target audience is consumers between the ages of 18 and 34. These bright colors and more-legible font paired with trendy messaging attracted more customers and provided space for the brand to evolve with the times.
Reposition yourself in the marketplace
As your company matures you may look up one day and realize a lot has changed. The once humble beginnings of taking clients at the local coffee shop have turned into a million-dollar company with employees, interns, and company shirts. But how do you stay true to your brand while not forgetting where you came from?
A great start is determining where you stand in the marketplace. If you realize what you once offered is no longer your bread and butter, it may be time to reflect that in your branding. And it’s not personal. Mom and Pop shops turned big corporations have to do the same, and although change can be hard, it is necessary for potential audiences to know who you are, what you do, and why they need your services. Something only your branding can convey.
Create a Compelling Reason to Join Your Team
The next generation of digital marketers, accountants, lawyers, doctors, and more, are from Gen Z. The generation that prides themselves on looking aesthetically pleasing, being up-to-date on trends, and are obsessed with all things social media. So the companies they’re interested in working for must reflect at least some of the same things.
And it’s more than just providing free coffee. The overall feel of your brand must be attractive enough for the next generation to even want to apply. According to Deloitte, while salary is the most important factor in deciding on a job, Generation Z values salary less than every other generation: If given the choice of accepting a better-paying but boring job versus work that was more interesting but didn’t pay as well, Gen Z was fairly evenly split over the choice.
To put it plainly, a hefty salary is not enough and the next generation must relate to your brand and actually believe in it.
In Conclusion
If you’re thinking of changing some of your branding elements consider starting with a brand refresh as it is a simpler challenge when compared to a total rebrand.
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