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4 Mistakes Companies Make with (Re)Brand Launches
Most growth companies that care about overall perception will complete a full brand exercise at some point. This could include an initial launch or a rebrand/refresh to move the needle for next-level growth. The larger the company, the more strategic this undertaking should be; however, some companies still get a few things wrong. Those mistakes that seem small could have a big impact on the influence and effectiveness of the brand:
Lack of clarity and distinction about what changed and why
Is the business case compelling? Are the company’s purpose, personality, and values clear and distinctive? Is the brand exercise actually going to influence perception for the better? No one wants to launch a rebrand just for people to ask, “What was the point?”
Brand guidelines not thorough enough
I cannot tell you how many brand guidelines I have read that are too vague, providing basics but not the necessary nuances to create the critical consistency that a rebrand needs to hold strong. Color codes, fonts, graphics, logo use, etc. are listed but there aren’t enough use cases displayed on how to use those elements together. Of course, the build-out of new visual collateral is most likely still in progress, but a few scenarios of print and digital application should be included. This is especially important if the visual identity has a complex set of elements.
In addition to the visual identity rules, it’s so helpful to add the core messaging and messaging guidelines as well. This includes, but is not limited to elements like:
- mission
- vision
- positioning statement
- brand archetype
- brand promise
- brand story
- brand attributes
- tone of voice
- messaging guidelines/do’s and dont’s
- helpful boilerplates (short vs longer summaries for various use cases)
These elements give both employees and vendors insight and clarity into the identity of the company and help solidify how visual elements support that identity. It’s hard to…
