If there is a time and a season for everything, then it stands to reason that at some point you may need to take a long look at your brand and decide to make a change. Although rebranding is never a decision to take lightly, when your organization or its surrounding environment experiences change, a reinvention of your identity could be exactly what’s needed.
Google announced earlier this summer that Blogger and Picasa, two of their most popular sites and very strong stand-alone brands, would soon be rebranded to take on the Google name. Most of us know that Google already owns much of the online world, but more and more they’re attaching their name in as many places as possible.
Other acquired platforms have taken on the Google brand in the past (Google Voice & Google Sites have maiden names of their own) but none who have been as independently popular as the would-be-named “Google Blogs” and “Google Photos”.
So, why now? Why go through all the pain and expense for such a significant rebrand? The easiest answer is simply that Google believes the time is right. With Google+ taking on the social media world, Google’s new strategy seems to be to position “Google Everything” as all you need.
If you believe it may be time to consider rebranding your organization, here are a few questions to consider:
1) Are your basics weak?
Perhaps when you first started you didn’t have the marketing savvy that you do now. Now you have grown and have more experience and knowledge under your belt. If you’re looking back at your basics and see mistakes that make you cringe, it could be time for a fresh start. A brand should be clear, accurate, and appealing to your target. Is yours?
2) Do you have a new addition?
Here’s where the Google scenario fits in. Have you recently merged with or taken over another business, website, project, ministry, etc? You’ll need to decide how your newly expanded self will be identified. If the acquired piece has a long history and a strong response you may want to keep things as they are with individually branded entities. If that’s not the case you can consider adopting it under your current brand, or if your goals and research recommend, it may be an entirely new persona is in order.
3) Has there been a major change?
When major internal changes take place there’s no cut and dry answer to whether your brand should reflect it, but this should definitely raise a flag that it’s time to reflect. Is your mission the same? Is your audience the same? Is the deliverable the same? If new leadership is changing your course or the way you fundamentally operate is adjusted, you may need to consider if your brand is still an accurate reflection.
4) Who is in control?
Are you managing your brand or is it managing you? Your brand should reflect the goals and uniqueness of who you are and what you do; what you do shouldn’t be shaped solely by the brand. For example: If 10 years ago you clearly defined that your organization creates A, B, and C. But with changes in technology the market now demands X, Y, and Z are you being limited by your brand? It might be time for rebranding with your updated parameters.
5) Do you have negative brand Equity?
If you have experienced significant setbacks, bad press, negative reviews, etc, it may be worth cashing out and starting from ground zero. It may be better to start from the bottom than to try to recover painfully lost ground.
Keep in mind that not every brand needs to be rebuilt from the ground up and the inside-out. It is a significant and somewhat expensive process that requires the full commitment of your entire team. It may be possible to tweak and refresh your existing brand to meet your goals.
Rebranding is a major decision and should never be a knee-jerk reaction to change, but when the time is right it could be your best investment.
