In the last article, I described the logotype design process for a new project or company. However, what can be done when your company has been on the market for some time and has elements of visual identification, but you feel that the logotype needs to be improved or completely changed, and the marketing materials are not consistent? Then we are speaking about rebranding.

Why rebranding?

Rebranding is introducing changes to the brand image. It can range from the correction of graphic materials to the change of the entire method of communication with the client.

First of all, a company that wants to change its image has a reason. It may be, for example, a decrease in interest in a brand, actions taken by competitors, or changes in the company’s management. The person responsible for the brand image in his company must share this information with the people who will change it.

Who to work with?

The entire rebranding process should be carried out by a team of specialists. The graphic designer is able to develop graphic materials, but it is not enough just to design a new logo, change the colors of the brand and redesign all kinds of company gadgets. The most important thing is the way of introducing new things to the company and customers. In addition to the visual aspect, rebranding often involves changing the way of communication, which is the competence of marketing specialist. In the case of large companies, it is equally important to make employees aware of why these processes occur, and even to include them in creating a new brand image. A brand manager (a person responsible for the conscious creation of the image of a company or a given product) will also be useful.

If you have marketing specialists in your company – you can try to cooperate with a freelance graphic designer. Otherwise, to carry out rebranding, you can choose an agency and trust its experts. Only efficient marketing activities, i.e. appropriate messages addressed to your clients, will eliminate the risk of a negative reaction to changes that are taking place in the image.

Where to start?

The entire design process should be preceded by brand image research (which will answer questions about how people perceive it) and benchmarking (an analysis showing how the competition does it).

Workshops with a client (most often with the management or employees of the company) who want to change the image can also bring great value. During such workshops, you can realize what values ​​the company identifies with, what is important to it, and what is its identity that should be emphasized. You may be asked to actively participate and be creative in finding solutions. Expect to work with design thinking tools (i.e. methods of creative problem solving) e.g. cards based on values, building a ladder of problems, etc.

After getting to know the profile and needs of the company and on the basis of conclusions from research and workshops, the range of rebranding and a schedule of activities should be defined.

Finally, I would also like to emphasize the role of research during the design process. It is worth monitoring where the creative process leads us. Sketches for experiments may appear throughout the process – to be shown to the owner of the brand and its audience for their opinion. If you want to reach new recipients, you should be careful and remember not to disappoint the trust of people who knows the brand in some way. It’s important to balance all of this and look at the company in long term.