We live in a rapidly changing world.

News stories and trends come and go in minutes it seems. As soon as we get used to the update on our phone we just installed, the next one is ready to confuse us all over again. One minute you and your business may be on top of the world and the next, someone else is sitting comfortably on your throne because they found a way to show your market that they’re bigger, faster, stronger, prettier, edgier…you get the idea.

So how do you keep up? Is it even possible?

Only if you commit to learning endlessly and evolving with the times.

As a graphic designer, I’ve had to do this myself quite a bit over the years. When I got out of college in 2008, logos, websites, and branding looked very different from what you see today. Colors and textures were popular then that you’d never see today. Website and e-commerce systems and features moved wildly different from todays’. And don’t even get me started on social media! When I was first starting out in design, Myspace was still king, and Instagram wasn’t even a glimmer in our eyes yet. I’ve had to evolve in order to stay sharp, relevant and top of mind to my target audience.

What does evolving look for you? How do you stay relevant in our fast-paced world?

One way to do so is consider a brand refresh, AKA a rebrand. It used to be that companies would look at rebranding every 10 or so years. Now, its much more normal and expected to do it every 3-5 years! Blame our ever-shortening attention spans on that one.

The reason a brand needs to evolve is because your customer base is constantly evolving and growing. They’re being turned on to new ideas, new technology, new ways of making and spending money, culture shifts, etc. so in order to not be left behind and thought of as yesterday’s news, you need to evolve along with them.

Here are some things to keep in mind when thinking of a brand refresh:

1. How are you different? Why should anyone choose you over your competitor who’s cheaper? If you’re not different enough, your almost-customer won’t think twice about going with the cheaper option. Or maybe the will spend more on someone else because they think they’ll offer them a better service than you. So think hard about what makes you different, and tell that story with your branding and marketing.
2. Get to know your target customer, and don’t confuse what you want with what they want. Don’t just think about who they are now—think about how they grew up. Think about their hopes and dreams, and what they’ll be doing 5 or 10 years from now. Will they still want to use your product? Will they recommend you to their friend? You’ll only find the answers to these questions by getting out into the world and learning from the people you wish to serve.
3. What’s NOT working for your current brand? What’s holding you back? Maybe your website sucks, or no one can find you when they google search for your product. This is a difficult question to answer and often a hard pill to swallow. Consider hiring a business coach to help you with this one, or working with a designer to tell you how your current branding isn’t drawing customers in.
4. What story is your brand telling, and how does it make your customers feel? When someone works with you, do they get services for cash rendered, or do they get an experience? Make sure your values are solid and show through in everything you do. If you’re going to talk the talk, you better walk the walk too, meaning you do what you promise your customers, every single time. If each client feels like they’re special, you’ll get much farther than if you treat them like a number or dollar sign.
5. Cover your bases, be everywhere, and never miss an opportunity. Don’t you hate it when you look up a business, and they don’t have a responsive website? Or maybe they have a good website, but they’re not on social media so you cant tell what they’re all about. Maybe their online reviews are non-existent so you can’t see what others are saying. If you’re going to rebrand, do it right and utilize all the resources you can to get yourself and your new brand out there.

Every business I’ve worked with on a rebrand has always come out on top and ahead from where they started. I work with your business by downloading all the necessary intel from you, then me and my team does our own research so when we get to things like naming, colors, logo styles, and overall brand identity we have a solid base to build upon and find your new direction.

What’s the next step for YOUR rebrand? Click here to download my branding checklist and see how many of these must-have brand elements you currently nail.