Deciding if your company needs a brand refresh sounds like an easy task and it’s certainly doable with a clear mindset and an unbiased view. However, getting that unbiased view can be a challenging obstacle.
If you think you’re impartial (I hate to break it to you) you probably aren’t. For example, as a parent, my children are brilliant, ultra talented, and all-round super stars. No bias there right? Not to worry, there are several ways to overcome a one sided perspective. Have a look;
Hire a creative consultant.
Find a professional with an expert opinion – someone who can look at your brand with a fresh pair of eyes. The right consultant has an abundance of experience and is worth the short term cost to ensure your business is having the right impact. If it isn't you might be losing customers and perception is out of your control. That is a huge risk.
Ask a family member.
This may seem a bit off-the-cuff but consider how forthright family members are. They are the most likely people to give you an honest opinion without fear of retribution. You might just hear an insight that has never been thought of before. Of course; they aren’t the expert and you’ll need to remember to take opinions with a grain of salt. Just remember that listening to all opinions may uncover a gem of an idea.
Have an internal committee review.
Internal employees, from all levels, are the best brand ambassadors. Try not to only involve senior leadership since they already have the inside goods, and have had a seat the table. Employees are eager to contribute and have the word on the street that the C Suite may not be aware of. When the opinions are collected and recommendations made then it’s time to bring in the big guns for a thorough evaluation.
Conduct competitive research.
I can’t understate the importance of this. We all know it. Without research how would you know where you stack against the competition? Maybe you want to appear different, better, or similar. To do any of those things you have to know where you stand. This step is crucial and surprisingly the most overlooked. It’s so easy to focus on completing projects that we forget to come up for air to look at what everyone else is doing. Keep your head up and see where you stand. Then plan your moves.
Lay it all on the line.
This is the big one and here's how to do it. Lay out the entire year’s marketing collateral on a table, in a powerpoint, or even on the floor. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just get it all in one place. Then step back and take a bird’s eye view. Look at it sideways, upside down, or in black and white. Now use the evaluation list below to find out if your brand needs a complete refresh or maybe just some modifications.
1. Consistency. Does all the collateral look like it’s from the same company? It should. If not consider it a loss, trash it, or update it. Great content doesn’t serve a company well if no one knows who it belongs too.
2. Is it clean? Less is more.
3. Make it modern. Looking like a 1990s powerpoint just isn’t in the cards for a successful brand. I hinted at this with the clean comment above because in the business world clean equals modern. This is where an unbiased opinion pays dividends. It might hurt a bit but getting an outside expert to evaluate and tell you the truth is invaluable.
4. Will they respond? It’s imperative that the response device is easy to find. If the viewer is interested they need to take the next step and contact you. A phone number, a website address, or a clickable link are a few examples. Don't bury this information – highlight it.
5. Get the message. Featuring one main message is the key to being remembered. It should always be paramount, simple, and easy to understand.
If your company is due for a brand refresh send me a note and we can have a look at it together. Let's put your best brand forward.
joannechow@brandcreekcreative.com