It’s natural to be a little bit nervous about changing your branding. Looking around your office or website and seeing the same colors, fonts, and logo can be comforting. It’s your brand, and it feels like home to you.

We’ve put together a list of things you should consider when you’re making the decision to rebrand.

Rebranding 101

1) Changing your brand does not mean your business is failing

In fact, often the opposite is true. Rebranding can be a very proactive choice to modernize your brand to match changing consumer expectations. For example, look how the Shell logo has changed over the years:

Shell station logo over the years

2) Rebranding can be major or minor

Entire web communities are dedicated to typography, because of how enormous the visual impact can be with some basic font changes.

A brand overhaul can mean something as simple as switching a heavy font in a design to something fresher, or it can mean rebuilding your entire image from the ground up. We’re here to advise, whether or not it means reinventing the wheel.

3) Rebranding Can Fix a RipoffReport or Yelp Review

Let’s say you messed up. Or, let’s say you didn’t, but an enraged former employee went on an online rampage about you. Your online reputation can be tarnished by this type of thing. It can be harming when a customer types your business name into Google, only to find your website side-by-side with people ranting and raving.

A new look and feel, a new website, and sometimes even a new brand name can leave these old issues in the dust. Of course, you should treat your new brand like a new baby, and protected from these issues in the future!

4) Brand Updates Can Compete with Grand Openings

When a new competitor emerges in your market, they are likely to be watching you like a hawk. If you’re putting out one email newsletter a month, they’ll put out two. So give them a run for their money! Announce your grand re-opening, share new products, and really get engaged on social media. Your loyal customers will love to tell their friends and family all about the new and improved business.

5) Rebranding Pushes Healthy Reevaluation

When you’re getting ready to rebrand, your marketing agency will ask a variety of questions to try to get to the heart of what you feel your business is. What adjectives describe it? What do people feel when they walk in? What do they feel when they call? If you are using the word “cozy” for your business, you probably don’t also want the word “trendy”. Figuring out exactly what you want to describe your business often means time spent assessing what is truly at the heart of your business – and that’s always a good thing.