Impactful Brand Refresh: is the time for Optimization now?

A Chinese Proverb reads “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” The same rings true of branding. Every dollar spent on a brand that isn’t optimized is money spent building a brand not made to last. 

Impact 

Some brand refreshes can be impactful without making grand alterations. Think about optimizing a brand tone of voice, key messages, or reasons to believe. These strategies may not alert the presses, but these small optimizations could enable conversion for potential customers in the least. 

When the decision is made to make a bigger shift, work to garner attention for all the right reasons – new names and visual identities can quickly come under fire if they are not properly vetted. There will always be nay-sayers about a new name or different color palette – but the driving force of awareness should be the strategic impact desired from a brand change. 

Investment 

Adjusting a brand direction can come with a wide range of investment – both time and dollars. The first budget teams tend to look at is advertising to tell their audience about the change. But our experience shows that investing in team members and brand champions can optimize all touchpoints for the future brand – both internal and external. 

Action 

You don’t have to know every answer or action step to build a robust, lasting brand. Sometimes it can be as simple as starting the process and asking the right questions to propel the growth of your brand. Asking things like, “Does my brand strategy align with the larger business strategy and goals?”, or “What is next brand element that is important to achieve our business goals?”, ensure that the two will develop together. Using brand as a lever is a strong strategy to help achieve business goals in a collective system. 

Keys to Success 

Brands are built to develop relationships with audiences both internal and external – so there is a natural, emotional connection to branding. Having a trusted, external partner to help navigate brand development more objectively can be helpful, if not critical. If engaged properly, and given strong rationale, the biggest advocates for status quo can become the greatest champions of change. 

From the top down, brand changes must be championed and supported so each touchpoint contributes to the overall goal of the brand. As a leader, ask yourself, is my brand working as hard as it needs to drive business success?  

To learn more about our brand optimization services, visit our services page here. To speak with one of our branding experts, contact us.