Rebranding Is an Excuse to Party in Your Business

Rebranding Is an Excuse to Party in Your Business
I lived in the dormitories for the first two years I was in
college. Life on campus tended to be a bit boring, though.
But there was one building down the hill that was known for
providing entertainment. The inhabitants tended to throw
parties for pretty much any reason—not just end-of-finals
parties, but the-power's-gone-out parties, and even
the-cafeteria-served-something-gross parties. Any excuse
was enough of an excuse to party.

Redesigning your business brand is a big to-do. You have to
do a lot of soul-searching, answering hard questions, to
figure out the story that your brand needs to tell your
target audience.

Then, there's the design process itself—working with a
designer, looking at rounds and rounds of sketches to
finalize the logo, and deciding on a Visual Vocabulary with
the spark and subtlety to communicate your story.

Finally, you need to design all the supporting materials
you market your business with. That means designing and
printing stationery, creating a website, updating your HTML
newsletter template, changing your brochures... The list
goes on and on.

And, after it's all over, your new brand gets launched in
"stealth mode."

Once the redesign is done, many small businesses launch it
silently. They change their logos, business cards, and
websites one day—sometimes without so much as an
announcement or a "By the way... " to their customers. Not
only are they potentially confusing and alienating them,
but they're also missing out on a great excuse to party!

Do you mean to literally throw a party?

If you like to host parties, then sure, go ahead! You can
throw an in-person party at your offices or at another
location like a restaurant or bar if you work out of your
home or if your offices are too small. You can also throw a
party in an "open house" format, which can take some of the
pressure off you and your space. Or, if your clients are
located far from your offices, you can throw a virtual
networking party on a teleconference.

If throwing an actual party isn't your speed, there are
still plenty of things you can do to celebrate your new
brand and to make sure you're not launching in stealth mode.

Make an announcement on your website about the new brand.
Consider posting your old brand for reference and to
reassure customers that they're in the right spot.

Write a press release—and send it to your trade journals
and local newspapers. Your small business may not get
rebranding coverage in the Wall Street Journal, but your
local newspaper will be likely to run at least a blurb
about the change. You may even catch a journalist's eye and
get a longer write-up.

Send a letter to your past clients about the new brand.
This will ensure that they feel included, and it will also
give you a chance to connect with people you may not have
spoken to in a while. If you offer a free check-up or
consultation with the letter, you may even rekindle some
old relationships.

Feature some of the story of your new brand in your
newsletter. Tell your customers and prospects what it took
to get there.

Put your brand story on your website. Not only will this
give you a way to celebrate your new brand, but it will
also give you an opportunity to explain your company's
personality right there in the "About" section.

Tell your employees about the details of the change. This
is another great excuse for a party—even a simple
cake-and-ice cream affair can go a long way towards
generating employee goodwill. And it will give you an
opportunity to tell them about the new brand and its
meaning and get them involved in the change.

Send a present to your customers and contacts. Print—and
give out—new promotional items, such as pens, flashlights,
or blinky toys. This can give them something to get excited
about. And giving them something with the new logo on it
can help them remember your business more quickly, which is
essential to any brand.

Run a special promotion, offer or giveaway in conjunction
with the new brand announcement. If you really want people
to notice your new brand, giving something away might be
just the ticket.

Rebranding your business may not be as obvious a reason to
party as the end of college finals, but it's still a reason
to celebrate. At the very least, you'll help to avoid
alienating your customers. At the very best, you can get
positive exposure for your business—and have a good time
while doing it!

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Erin Ferree is a brand identity designer who creates big
visibility for small businesses. As the owner of elf
design, Erin is passionate about helping her clients stand
out in front of their competition and attract more clients.
Her "Define Your Difference Branding Workbook" will help
you with your brand definition - the most important step in
the logo design process.
http://www.elf-design.com/products-define.html