What has been the biggest change in your business the last 12 months? 6 months? Is it a change that has improved your business or one that has been detrimental in some way?
How do you look at your business?
Changes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, don’t they? We see it ourselves here at NuMedia Marketing and in our clients’ businesses, too. And each little – or big – element of change affects the general health of the business. In fact, each adjustment affects almost everything else. Some think of it as growth, some think of it as evolution, some think of it as just the way business goes.
However you think of it in your business, one thing has to come out of the changes – you have to acknowledge them and make conscious adjustments. That sounds awfully theoretical or academic, so let me give you some concrete, practical application that will make sense.
First, let’s talk about some of the changes that can occur, through design or default:
- You add new products or services to your company’s offerings
- Your clientele shifts from one niche market into another
- You add staff (and they do or don’t meld into a team)
- You lose key members of your team
- Your sales soar (or decline)
- You relocate your headquarters or open new locations
- You take on a marketing partner
- You engage in strategic partnership with other businesses and professionals
- You engage in online marketing, a store, or social media
Of course, this is just a small sampling of what can happen in a business over a few months. You can see how each one of the above listed things will impact the rest of the business – the adjustments you have to make. Sometimes it seems that the business you had on Day One no longer resembles the business you have today. It’s when you see such a difference that you have to think about your branding – and ask a few important questions, including the following four:
- Does my business’s brand reflect what my business currently IS?
- Is my brand targeted at the market I now serve, or the markets I want to serve?
- Is my branding still fresh and current, or looking a little tired or dated?
- Where does my branding look like it is going? Is it forward looking?
The answers might surprise you. As a business owner you are constantly on the move. When you don’t take the time to stop and look closely, everything looks OK as it is. Being OK doesn’t mean it is necessarily performing optimally, does it? That applies to branding, too.
What is your brand saying right now?
First thing everyone thinks about is LOGO colors and design. That’s the easiest – and in the mind of many, the only thing they need to consider, but they are wrong. What else must be considered? Here are a few things:
- Is your website mobile responsive?
- Is your website easy to navigate and use?
- Does your website reflect the products and services you offer? (The new ones have been added and the old ones have been eliminated.)
- Does the message a visitor gets reflect your company values and the direction your company is headed?
- Are you blogging? Sharing your knowledge, educating your clients and prospects, and adding content for search engines on a regular basis?
- Are you present on social media? Do the messages you publish reflect your company and personnel?
- Do your employees perform and behave in a manner that is consistent with your company message?
- Does employee appearance reflect your brand? Color, design, embroidered, neat, crisp, and clean?
- Are you proud when clients come into your office or business?
You know when you meet someone or enter a business for the first time you get an impression of them immediately. Those who interact with you, your employees, and your business do the same. And that’s fair.
Do you need a rebrand or a refresh?
If you stop and closely observe all the facets of your business branding and don’t feel blown away with how cohesive, telling, and accurate the message is, it’s time to make some conscious changes. For our part, you could be looking at a rebranding or a brand refresh.
Most often, all a business needs is a refresh. That entails tweaks and modifications to make sure everything is aligned and consistent in appearance and message. Perhaps changes to the website; structure and navigation, cleaning up the website content, making sure it is mobile responsive for all devices, and security in place.
You will want to review you’re the content for consistency in messaging, tone, and flavor – as well as where you have a presence. Could be a billboard advertisement would serve you as well as a Facebook page. Are you interested in a direct mail campaign or an email campaign, or ads on social media platforms? Keeping the style and message consistent means you create a presence on- and off-line that calls your business to mind when seen or heard.
While a refresh is kind of like a new haircut and style, a rebrand is much more extensive and intensive – and more difficult. It is a complete overhaul of your brand. That doesn’t mean you change who you are, but some see it as a re-launch with a bigger, better you. A complete makeover.
Just like the old saying reminds us to “Dress for Success,” you have to dress your business for success, too. Branding is the way you do that. Take the time to really review what your business is saying in the marketplace. If you want help in doing that, contact us at NuMedia Marketing via our website or by calling 317-563-7235. We have lots of experience in branding, and updating branding, too, whatever it takes. Consistency is the underlying principle to everything we do for our clients. We truly feel that your success is our success.
