When companies face a significant slump in their sales, it feels as if a brand refresh is in order. Many businesses look at the brand refresh like their company's brand is entirely up to them. But the truth is, the packaging you place, the font you had a whole meeting about, and the colors that go into your email are just tiny parts of what we all call branding.
The bad news is, branding is not entirely up to us. We can't totally control the reputation of our business. The good news is, we can improve our brand image to influence our brand or reputation with our customers.
In this article, we're going to look at when a brand refresh is necessary, how you can improve your marketing materials with clear messages, and a framework that can help rebuild your brand identity to engage your ideal customers.
When Is a Brand Refresh Necessary?
If you notice a drop in your sales numbers, one of the first things you should do is take a look at your brand. If everything looks to be in order and it's not because of something like a natural disaster or another huge event that causes the sudden change, then there may be a problem with your branding.
The best way to figure out if your brand needs a refresh is to ask your customers for their honest opinion. You can do this by asking questions in person, or you can take advantage of online surveys and apps that allow you to get feedback from the people who have bought from you before. If there's a common theme to the feedback you get and it shows a disconnect between your goals for your company and their expectations, then it may be time for a brand refresh.
Before we get into how to improve your marketing materials with clear messages and rebuild your brand identity, let's talk about crisis communications and why they're important.
In Case of Brand Crises
When a crisis strikes your business, you might worry about how it will affect your company's reputation. But before you stress yourself too much and risk ruining your brand refresh, remember that a crisis is an opportunity for your brand to shine.
Problems like this give your team the chance to show up in the right way for the people you serve - it's these kinds of efforts that greatly influence your brand identity. Crises that endanger your brand's reputation can also be an opportunity to turn things around for your brand. As soon as a brand crisis shows itself, make sure to get the help your company needs.
A crisis is not the time to look inward, but to reach out to experts who can help turn things around for your brand. Remember, you took the leap and established a business, which is in no way an easy feat. You owe it to your past self to press on and find the solutions you need to do a brand refresh to keep your company from sinking due to a bad reputation.
How Stories Can Re-Establish Your Brand Identity
Whether you're just starting a new brand or looking for a refresh, one good way to build your brand identity is to look at how you're communicating with your customers. We're not just talking about the visual identity of your brand, your brand refresh process encompasses all aspects of your marketing strategy.
Start by telling a story. Donald Miller's book, Building a StoryBrand teaches us that stories capture the attention of the human mind unlike any type of information out there. With a clear and simple story, your company can look and feel like a new brand. The book also tells us that the story shouldn't be about us.
Create a story about your target audience and invite them into a journey of transformation. How can they get from where they are right now to where they want to be through the solutions you're offering?
In this new story you're writing for your current brand, your customer is the main character and you are the guide. Let them know how your company can help solve their problems. Most importantly, do it using clear and easy-to-understand language. The narrative you end up writing can even influence the refreshed visual identity you want to achieve for your brand.
You can use any of the following questions to help you start writing your brand's story:
- Who is my target audience?
- What are their pains and fears? Their problems and worries?
- How have they become aware of this piece of information that led them to me?
- What do they currently do to solve this problem?
- Who is my competition, and how am I different from them?
- Why should they buy my product or service over the competitors'?
- What are three things my ideal customer can expect when buying from me?
Questions like these can help bring you clarity about how you can communicate your brand better. Clarity gives you a chance to reconsider what your brand values are, review your brand guidelines, and enrich brand equity.
Staying clear about what your company does for the people you serve can greatly help smoothen the rebranding process.
The Impact of Clear Messaging on Brand Image
Brand voice and image go hand-in-hand. When you show up for the people you serve, you gain brand recognition through the message and signals you send to them. A brand refresh doesn't end with a new logo, bringing in new customers and keeping the ones that supported you since the beginning is a fight that you can't win with style points.
When you communicate with your customers with a clear message, you're letting your customers know that they are working with a brand that cares enough to make things easier for them.
In Donald Miller's book, Building a StoryBrand, he introduces us to the StoryBrand Framework, a marketing message roadmap based on the greatest stories ever told. Miller suggests that this framework can help your brand, not only to engage new customers but make your brand message clearer so you can pull off a successful rebranding strategy easier.
Using stories as a rebranding strategy gives your business the chance to make new impressions about your brand.
Why Any Existing Brand Can Benefit From The StoryBrand Framework
The StoryBrand Framework can give your company a complete brand overhaul and create an impact more effectively than a new logo can ever do. This framework follows seven elements:
- Hero - Your customer, the main character in the story
- Problem - The literal obstacle standing in your hero's way, what their problem makes them feel, and the reasons why it's unfair for them to go through such challenges.
- Guide - Your company and the solution you're offering
- Plan - A three-step objective that would make it easier for your hero to achieve his/her goals
- Call To Action - The hero's chance to respond
- Success - The end result of your hero's interaction with your company (the true essence of branding)
- Failure - The alternate ending if your hero rejects your brand's solutions
This framework will surely come in handy when you plan your brand refresh strategy.
Start Refreshing Your Brand
Whether you're planning a complete rebrand or looking to take on a new market, the best way to lay the best foundation is through the StoryBrand Workshop.
This two-day, interactive workshop gives you and your team the chance to create a fresh, new brand image for your customers through the power of stories. StoryBrand has helped hundreds of companies stand out through the competition and cut through the noise, all with a clear message that resonates with their customers. Click on the button below to make this happen for your brand!
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