WHEN TO REBRAND? 5 important questions to ask when taking the leap.

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Knowing when to rebrand, and then doing it, is a big decision — one that should not be taken lightly.

Because of one very simple fact: no audience, customer, or prospect wants “more of the same please.”

As a result, every business that knows its business knows it’s in the job of introducing something disruptive or new. I cover this fully in my book, Brand Intervention.

So whether you’re a startup just starting out or an established business looking to refresh your image, it’s important to ask yourself a few key questions before taking the leap.

The best branding speaks to timeless narratives your audience loves and cherishes.

In this article, I’ll take a look at the case of a company that I recently rebranded in the challenging space of dog chews.

Most importantly, I raise 5 important questions every company needs to ask when deciding to rebrand your business.

Wondering When to Rebrand? 5 Questions You Need to Answer

You may have observed that there are shifts in your industry and your audience now has more choices. Or you’ve been pigeon-holed and that’s costing you market share. Or copycats have diluted your impact.

Because of this, here are 5 questions you should know to ask when considering a rebrand.

1. What’s specifically driving this rebrand initiative right now?
2. Are we addressing a brand that’s lost relevance or one that is facing a new shift in user experience and expectations?
3. Are there any aspects of “brand baggage” that your brand has that need to be known about and addressed (e.g., reputation, history, or other factors that would impact how we’re perceived)?
4. Are there new opportunities that are being missed (with existing or future customers) due to the current brand and how it’s seen?
5. Can we tap into timeless values of this audience that transcend features and trivial efforts to stay relevant?

The biggest mistake you can make in business is thinking these questions only apply to physical products. This applies to any product or service one can offer whether B2C or B2B.

Something Every Brand Can Chew On

Take what you see above and see how this was implemented to an all-natural chew for dogs made from Yak cheese.

The first key observation: the opportunity to connect to the timeless values of dog owners that wasn’t being tapped into.

That timeless value? The health, happiness, longevity, and safety of dogs are #1 on the list of desires of dog owners.

All other brands in this space simply offered a product: dog chews of one sort or another.

No customer ever buys a product for itself. They buy our product or service for what we help bring about, what we help accelerate, or what inconvenience we eliminate.

So how did this roll out for this company?

First, we surveyed the competitive landscape. Here’s what we found:

The white noise of redundancy was deafening. Too much similarity making it impossible to choose one over another except for the price.

This study made it clear we needed to introduce a new name along with a killer slogan.

The new name? We chose The Safe Dog Chew Company to own the category of dog chews that are safe (because not all of these chews are safe).

Then we added this slogan that is whimsical, fun, and memorable: Chews what’s best for your dog.

How did the new brand compare to the existing design and competitors?

And the whole range (when produced) uses color, bold type, and clan design to differentiate itself online and in the home:

Would this new brand work on merchandise to further connect with customers? Yes.

And lastly how it works in marketing: