Most companies will occasionally need to revisit their previous design choices. During that evaluation, some companies will find that their old branding no longer holds up. It’s possible that the old brand feels antiquated and out of touch with modern sensibilities. If that’s the case, we suggest getting assistance from experts who can help you rebrand in a way that reflects your current values. However, rebranding isn’t a straightforward process, and there are a few pitfalls you should stay clear of. To help you avoid any common rookie mistakes, we’ve put together a list of dos and don’ts of successful rebranding.

The Do's of Successful Rebranding

1. (DO) Know Why and When You Want to Rebrand

Something prompted needs rebranding. We recommend looking deeper into what your brand reflects and how it aligns with your company values. If you struggle to express what your new brand should be, you can always turn to your mission and vision statements. They should reflect the core values your entire company stands for. Think about how your current brand could reflect those values better and what you want your new brand to express.

Another critical aspect of rebranding is finding the perfect time to launch your new brand and re-invent your company. Doing things half-heartedly might confuse your customers and cause your rebranding to go unnoticed. Make sure your rebranding is the entire company's focus, and you give it the attention it deserves.

2. (DO) Develop a Brand Bible

You probably won’t be doing everything alone when it is time to rebrand. Outsourcing duties and responsibilities are fine, especially for tasks that require specialized designers. However, the more people you involve in the rebranding process, the higher the chance your vision might get lost in translation. It would help if you took the time to develop a brand bible that will unify the design choices for your entire company. The band bible (sometimes called a style guide) can ensure everyone is on the same page and that your new brand accurately and holistically represents your core values.

3. (DO) Research Your Audience

You’ll need a good idea of who you are rebranding for—research what your audience thinks about your old branding choices and which areas they feel need improvement. You can use that as a baseline when rebranding and testing various iterations to see which resounds with your customers most.

Rebranding can also allow you to reach out to a new audience. Think about who you want to appeal to with your new branding. Create an ideal customer profile and use that information to know what they are looking for in a brand.

4. (DO) Embrace Storytelling

Creative use of storytelling is the best way to get people to care about your brand. As a result, you can design a comprehensive marketing strategy to accompany the launch of your new brand with the help of storytelling. However, remember to keep your marketing customer-centric and avoid getting overly promotional. Creating stories that present a common problem your ideal customers face helps get them engaged and positions your business as the source of the solution.

Storytelling is essential for all customer interactions with your brand. Try to help get everyone on the same page and have your employees understand the importance of creating an emotional connection between customers and your brand. Give them tips for storytelling in sales to make it more effective when interacting with potential customers. Remember that this is another situation where having clear guidelines for employees can help them embrace your brand's message.

5. (DO) Allow for Future Growth

Companies will often outgrow their brand and need a redesign to reflect the business they have become. When attempting a rebranding, we strongly suggest future-proofing your design and leaving room for growth. Being confined by a brand you just redesigned might cause you to go through the same process again very soon. Think about where your company will be in 5 or 10 years and use your rebranding as an inspiration to get there.

The Don'ts of Successful Rebranding

6. (DON'T) Alienate Your Old Customers

Although rebranding is the perfect time to reinvent the image of your company, you shouldn’t stray too far from your old branding. Doing something different can cause your company to lose its identity. If your new brand feels too different, old customers might lose their connection with your company. Try to make your new design look similar to what your audience is familiar with.

7. (DON'T) Rebrand For No Reason

Yes, rebranding is exciting, and it gives you plenty of opportunities to express how you feel about what your company stands for. However, rebranding just for the sake of doing it might cause more harm than good. There are always risks associated with rebranding and how new and old customers react. The adage “if it ain't broke, don't fix it” also holds for brands. On the other hand, this shouldn’t be an excuse to neglect to rebrand when it is overdue. Your best course of action is to know why you want to rebrand and look for obvious signs; it’s time to give your company image a facelift.

8. (DON'T) Embrace Trends That Don’t Reflect Your Brand

You’ll want your brand to align with your company values and current trends. Deciding to neglect what is popular might make your brand feel quaint and outdated. However, the opposite is also true, and embracing a trend rising in popularity can get dated as soon as the trend is over. Your best course of action is to follow modern design guidelines and aim for a timeless and elegant design.

The Bottom Line

Deciding to rebrand can make your company feel fresh and hip. However, rebranding can’t solve other issues your company might be facing. Carefully consider the dos and don’ts of successful rebranding and determine the best strategy for your current situation. Take the time to make a detailed roadmap of how you plan to carry out the rebranding process, and be mindful of the advice we outlined in this article. Once you know how to accurately reflect your company values, you can start developing a rebranding strategy to grow your company.