A new logo, a completely different color palette, a brand new website, even a new name.
Everything looks vastly different ‘round these parts after our rebrand to honeybebold (née Honeyman Creative).
All that’s to say, we’re in a pretty unique position right now. Not only are we branding and web design experts, but we can now talk about rebranding from an insider’s perspective.
Hoo boy… It’s a way bigger deal from the inside than it is from the outside!
So, before you start a rebranding project for your company or decide to revamp your website, let me warn you from personal experience: you’d better be sure it’s the right time to make this move, and that you’re doing so as strategically and thoughtfully as possible. Let’s dive in.
5 questions to ask yourself before a rebrand
How did I know it was time to go through this massive rebrand?
The primary culprit: I was feeling misaligned, and like my former brand didn’t fully represent who I am, the kind of company I’m trying to build, and—most importantly—the types of clients I want to reach.
Every rebrand is a unique situation, but this thought exercise should help you evaluate if it’s time to embark on this big, bold process. Ask yourself:
1. Does my brand feel like “me”?
“Your brand is so you!” — I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard something along these lines since launching my rebrand. While I heard that often about my old brand, too, something about it just didn’t sit right with me. My previous brand — focused all around magic — simply didn’t feel like me, even though I strongly believe we all have magic within us that’s waiting to come out.
So much of this question comes down to that subjective, gut feeling.
When you see your brand out in the world or talk about it at dinner parties, does it feel like it fully captures your essence? If you’re a solopreneur or run a very small company, it’s vitally important that your brand represents you well. If you run a larger company, then the question may be more about whether your brand feels like the company you’re trying to build.
If the answer is no, it may be time for a rebrand.
2. Is my brand a clear representation of my values?
When you think about what you stand for as a company, does that come through in your visual brand and messaging?
Many of my clients haven’t really thought through their brand’s identity pillars in any level of depth, so that’s the first place to start — defining what you stand for. Then, you can evaluate whether your brand reflects those values.
Since I know how hard it is to see these things clearly when you’re so close to them, I called on my friend Steph Thompson from PodXL to take me through her PodXcelerator Blueprint process (a very similar process to what I take my clients through with my Bold Foundation).
Just like I help my clients uncover in my Bold Foundation, Steph helped me understand my core values (all of which ladder up to female empowerment). And when I looked at my previous brand, it just didn’t feel like it captured those values. That’s when I knew it was time for a thoughtful, values-driven rebrand.
3. Are my visual identity and messaging consistent?
There’s no nicer way to say this: some brands are hot. bloody. messes.
They’ve got 17 different versions of their logos plastered throughout their online and offline branding. Their messaging is all over the place, with their voice and tone ping-ponging between casual and friendly, to formal and detached. Their image styling is confusing and inconsistent between their website and social media.
If you’re cringing reading that description because it’s hitting too close to home, it’s probably time for a rebrand (or, at the very least, an audit and clear plan for creating consistency).
My brand and messaging were actually pretty damn consistent before, but everything feels fully aligned now with what I’m trying to build here.
4. Am I attracting the right people?
What kinds of customers do you want to attract into your orbit, and are they the people banging down your door? If not, there’s a good chance your brand isn’t speaking to the right people.
If you love working with nonprofits, but you find you’re attracting large corporations, there’s a clear mismatch between your goals and your branding, messaging, and overall marketing. Likewise, if you’re simply not getting enough people banging down your door in the first place.
Personally, like many business owners, I avoided niching down for a long time. I love working with lots of different industries, and didn’t want to limit myself to one arena.
But after going through my values exercise with Steph, it hit me like a lightbulb: If female empowerment is the core value that runs through my life, doesn’t it make the most sense for me to focus on working with female business owners?
Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t work with male business owners (if their values align with my mission, the more the merrier!). I just wanted to make sure my brand would speak directly to the heart of my ideal customers — women who want to kick ass in their businesses.
5. Do my brand and website feel stale?
I’m putting this one last for a reason. Far too many people decide it’s time to rebrand their company simply because, “our logo is old” or “our website is outdated.”
Of course you want your logo and website to stand out, and something that looks like it was built on MS Paint ain’t gonna cut it.
But frankly, an outdated logo and website just aren’t good enough reasons to go through a full rebrand. If you answered yes to all of the above questions and your company is doing well, there’s no need to rock the boat. (And yes, I recognize how insane that must sound coming from someone who makes a living off of people doing a rebrand and website redesign, but I’m not here to swindle you!)
With that said, more often than not, if your logo and website feel “outdated,” there’s usually a deeper issue at play.
For most of my clients who come to me for this reason, when we dig a little deeper, it becomes clear that what they really mean by “outdated” is that their brand and website no longer feel representative of their values and ideal audience. Something has shifted and it’s time for their visual brand and website to catch up.
So, is it time for a rebrand?
Going through a company rebranding is a big deal, and should only be done if it really makes sense for your business.
If you answered “no” to any of the questions above, there’s a good chance it’s time for a rebrand. If you’re not sure, set up a free vibe check with us to see if our Bold Foundation is right for you.