How to Know When It’s Time to Update Your Brand

Your branding is your business’s packaging - it’s what conveys all your messaging to the outside world at a glance. If your branding no longer accurately represents your brand, you’re going to be either making inaccurate promises or attracting the wrong audience.

The needs of your brand, and often your customers, evolve over time, so you need to revisit your branding regularly to make sure it’s still effective and aligned with your brand’s goals. But how do you know when it’s time for a refresh or overhaul? Keep reading to find out whether your brand needs an update.

You can listen to the audio version of this article here or read on instead.

How to Know When It’s Time to Update Your Brand

You’re Serving a Different Market

Most businesses find their ideal customer changes a little over time, and even a slight change can cause your branding to no longer be aligned with what they’re looking for. If your favourite clients are those you’ve been working with for years and most new leads aren’t quite such a good fit, it’s time to take a look at your branding.

Your Customers Have Evolved

Sometimes your ideal client isn’t someone different, but they have evolved. Perhaps you started serving people in their mid-twenties who are now closer to forty and don’t relate to your branding as well anymore, despite your brand refreshes. It may be time for an overhaul to adjust to your “new” market.

You’re Under New Leadership

Whether you’ve got a new CEO or have been acquired by a new company, new leadership is a good reason to take a look at your branding and see if it still reflects the goals and values of the company.

Your Competition Has Changed

When you got into this industry you may have been one of the only businesses serving your ideal customer, but if your competition has since grown or started seriously competing with you, it’s likely time for an overhaul. You need only look back at the history of big brands to see that those who don’t evolve with the times get left behind, so a brand refresh is a great way to re-establish your brand in the marketplace.

Your Primary Offering Has Changed

Are you still offering the same central product or service you were when you created your branding? If not, or if it has substantially changed, it’s time to take a good look at your branding and see if it’s making the right promises to anyone who comes across it. If it doesn’t accurately reflect what you offer your customers, you need an overhaul, and soon. If your customers feel like you’re being deceitful, they’ll quickly look elsewhere. (Learn more about building brand integrity here.)

You’re Attracting the Wrong Customers

Take a few minutes to analyse the leads you’re getting in your business, especially those that seemingly come out of the blue when a customer finds you as their solution online. Are they a good reflection of your ideal customer? If not, it’s a sign that your branding is attracting the wrong customer and needs a refresh or overhaul to attract the customers you want to serve.

It Looks Outdated

Compare your branding with your competitors or brands you look up to. Do you look like you’re in the same league? You may love your branding, but there will come a time when it looks outdated. Refreshing your branding doesn’t mean you have to start over from scratch - in fact, your new branding should remain recognisable to your loyal customers, but it should look modern and fresh.

Allowing your brand to languish is a mistake - an outdated or mismatched brand can lead you to attract the wrong customers, lose leads to competitors, or find your customers are unhappy because you set incorrect expectations about what you offer. While your long-standing customers likely don’t pay much attention to your branding, your new customers will. And, should a current customer have any doubts about continuing to work with you, an off-putting brand may be all the excuse they need to try your well-branded competitor.

If your brand needs a refresh or overhaul but you aren’t sure where to start, we’re here to help. You can find out more about our branding services here or learn more about the branding mistakes you may be making here.