Everyone has heard of Coca Cola, T-Mobile, Yetti and hundreds of other well-branded large businesses. Unfortunately, most of us forget these were once small businesses struggling to gain market share. Today’s giants developed a brand and a strategy and built a loyal following. They thoughtfully considered how to set themselves apart, how to build trust and grow a loyal customer base.

Branding is much more than an appealing graphic and bold colors. If done right, it’s the culmination of a fundamental exercise in understanding how your business wants to be seen in the marketplace.

A NEW BRAND FOR AN OLD BUSINESS

Brands get tired and should be refreshed periodically. You’ll note that even the most popular brands tweak their colors, logo, layout, etc. It is generally not advised to throw out a brand and start all over because you’ll have to rebuild brand awareness with your customers and prospects and this can hinder growth.

However, updating a brand can be very powerful. It’s not about getting a new logo. Moreover, it’s about the opportunity to tighten and refine the business message, its services and refocus the staff on new shared goals.

We recently had the privilege of working with a large fire protection business, Cherokey Fire Protection in Houston who had not updated their brand in many years. The exercise of working through all the steps of rebranding from a competitive analysis to developing their brand story, to a refreshed logo and marketing materials brought new life to their business.

Including their staff in the rebranding process built camaraderie as everyone came together to study where they had come from, what changes had taken place in the market over the past 40 years and what new products and services might spur future growth. The staff as a whole learned the history of the business and helped craft a new, more powerful message that they are proud to introduce for the future.