Not every business needs a rebrand. Many just need a tidy-up. These six signs tell you which. If two or three sound familiar, it’s worth a conversation.
1. You’ve outgrown it
The logo you made yourself, or had done quickly at the start, did its job. Now you have staff, bigger clients and better work, and the brand still looks like day one.
2. Your business has changed
You’ve added services, dropped others or moved into a new market. If your name, logo or strapline describes what you used to do, new customers get the wrong idea.
3. You look like everyone else
Put your logo next to your competitors’ logos. If you could swap the names and nobody would notice, you’re relying on price to stand out.
4. You’re attracting the wrong customers
If most enquiries want the cheapest option, your brand may be telling them that’s what you are. More on this in why branding sets your price level.
5. Nothing matches
The website says one thing, the van another and the socials something else. It looks like three businesses.
6. You’re embarrassed by it
If you hesitate before handing over a card or sharing your website, you already know.
What a rebrand looks like
Drag the sliders to see two of ours, before and after.
Colbea
BeforeAfterSee the full Colbea project.
Beaulieu Wills
BeforeAfterSee the full Beaulieu Wills project.
Refresh or rebrand?
- A refresh keeps your name and the core of your logo, and tidies the colours, fonts and how they’re used. It suits signs 5 and 6.
- A rebrand rethinks the lot, sometimes the name too. It suits signs 1 to 4, where the business itself has changed.
Sometimes the answer is smaller still: a new logo and nothing else. Logo or brand identity explains which you need.
“Chris has been fantastic with my recent artwork, taking an existing brand and bringing it to life again – not only great with the detail, but wanted to know about me and my business, and wanted to make sure that his work hit my brief and strategy.”
Justin Moy★★★★★ Google review
Questions people ask
How long does a rebrand take?
It depends on the size of the job. A focused refresh can be done in as little as two weeks. A full rebrand, with the whole identity worked through, takes six to eight weeks.
Will customers still recognise us?
A good rebrand carries forward what people already know you for. A refresh keeps your name and the core of your logo, so recognition stays with you.
Do we have to change our name?
Rarely. Most rebrands keep the name. It only changes when it describes something you no longer do, or it’s holding you back.
Free mini brand audit
Rebrand, refresh or leave it? We’ll tell you.
Tell us about your business in five minutes. We’ll send back your brand score, how you compare with a competitor and the three changes that would make the biggest difference.
Get my free mini auditOr take the 10-point brand check first, see our branding services, or get in touch.
