Your brand will get stale and need an update after a while, but it's not always a good idea to rebuild from the ground up.
Brands are organic. It takes time to create one worthy of your company, but by the time you launch it takes on a motivation and an existence of its own. The brand becomes bigger than the company itself, or any individual within the company.
But brands also decay. Colors, fonts, styles, and voices come and go like fashions over the years, and what was relevant for your brand ten years ago may no longer be worth pursuing. Still, complete rebrands are painstaking endeavors, and may alienate your current audience.
If your brand needs a facelift but you aren't ready to overhaul your entire vision, try one of these refreshing strategies:
1.Build a new website. One of the easiest ways to breathe life into your brand is to redesign your website. It will appeal to old and new customers alike without making you change your core identity.
2.Keep the name and the colors, ditch the rest. Your customers should recognize your name and core brand colors easily, but at the same time you'll gain the flexibility to play with your font choices and other minor brand attributes.
3.Add a new segment of your business. If you want to step into a new space with a new target audience, consider making a sub-brand specifically for it.
4.Get social. Your social media voice will differ from your core brand voice, so take the opportunity to liven up your conversations and find a new angle.
5.Experiment with a new tagline. Taglines can make a big impact. Try one that better reflects your current goals and motives.
6.Simplify what you have. If your branding is overly detailed, try a simpler version. Abbreviate your name. Minimize the design of your logo.
Of course, if it's been more than ten years, it may be time for something more radical. Your decision should ultimately depend on your budget, your current customer base, and your own gut instincts.
Jose Vasquez is a serial entrepreneur and tech enthusiast dedicated to helping startup technology companies get the direction and momentum they need to succeed. As the founder of Build. Brand. Blast., Jose has established a collective resource for tech entrepreneurs to consult when brainstorming, creating, launching, or expanding a new business. Jose is also the founder and CEO of Quez Media Marketing, a marketing firm that combines technology and creativity to help new and growing companies get the results they need.
Jose graduated from Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Businesses program. Goldman Sachs is a partner of the What Is Working: Small Businesses section.
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