Maintaining Brand Consistency After a Rebrand

Brand consistency is of pivotal importance for brand recognition, awareness, and loyalty. Customers connect with brands on several different levels, and sometimes just a single wrong step can alienate them and ruin a carefully built brand reputation and image. Before the digital and social media revolution, it was much easier for companies to maintain their brand consistency and messaging. In today’s landscape, with the influx of channels and consumer demands it’s much more difficult for companies to maintain consistency across their advertising and messaging. It can be particularly challenging to maintain brand consistency after rebranding, so here are a few tips on how to do that.

 

Brand building is an evolution

Don’t think of rebranding as the process which will completely alter the image or personality of your brand. Instead, consider introducing new or old brand elements that gradually alter the look and feel of your brand. This will allow you to stay relevant and keep up to date with the latest trends and demands of the market with less disruption.  However, before you change or update your brand’s identity carefully consider how it might impact your distinctive brand assets, that is the positive elements that customers associate with your brand. Consider investing in a creative production partner who can help protect and maintain your brands distinctiveness across channels and markets with consistent use of your core elements.

Live and breath your brand  

Your people can be your greatest asset if given the right tools and direction. In order to stay true to your brands core values and build brand advocacy and loyalty with your people, prospects and clients, introduce clear brand guidelines and governance. All your employees need to get acquainted with brand guidelines in order to make sure that different departments are on the same page regarding the use of your logo, color palette, fonts, messaging, and tone of voice. This will prevent misunderstandings and different interpretations of your new branding. In other words,  if you’ve moved towards a more serious and professional messaging, your social media posts and announcements shouldn’t include slang or funny memes. These guidelines should be officially announced and easily accessible to everyone.

Rebranding doesn’t apply only to the logo and visual identity. It’s a process which goes deep and it has a profound impact on your target audience. So, once you go with this change, don’t just stick to visuals but fine-tune your messaging, style, and the way you interact with your prospects. It’s important to highlight that while rebranding does help to show your brand in a new, fresh light, you still need to be faithful to your unique value proposition and your company’s true character, vision, and mission.

Update your existing resources and materials

After you’ve established your branding guidelines, don’t forget to update all your resources and make sure that everything is in line with the latest changes. Your website should be redesigned to match the new color palette, tagline, and visual identity. Change your email templates so that they include your new messaging. The same goes for your social media channels, brochures, business cards, and stationery. All details matter, so if you have a brick-and-mortar store, refresh its interiors as well as your employees’ uniforms. All this makes a big difference when it comes to maintaining brand consistency.

Take emotional appeal into consideration

Your customers form an emotional connection with your brand, which means that you need to be very careful after rebranding process in order to help them adjust to this change. First of all, it’s a good idea to explain why you rebranded. This message should be an introduction to a slightly updated narrative, and it should contain relevant points such as how customers will benefit from your rebrand and what new options and services are available to them. One of the most famous examples of rebranding done right belongs to McDonald’s. The fast-food chain suffered some harsh blows during the 90s when it was accused of selling meals packed with sugar and fat, and that set in motion their comprehensive rebranding campaign. The company started promoting a healthier lifestyle and included salads and fresh ingredients on their menus, thus joining the battle against global obesity.

Leverage internal branding

Internal branding is equally important, for different reasons. You need to have all your employees on your side because they’re your best brand ambassadors. This means that they have to understand your brand inside out and believe in it. Different workshops and team building activities are extremely useful for helping employees develop a strong emotional bond with the brand as well as among themselves. Only employees who are confident about the quality of your brand will be able to promote it sincerely and authentically and turn your prospects into paying and loyal brand customers.

Although keeping the right course after a rebrand can be challenging, these tips can help you stay on top of things.