At Dixon|James, we believe rebranding is the deliberate and systematic process of creating an inspired, forward-facing organization ready to grasp opportunity through the alignment and dynamic portrayal of your unique differentiators to stakeholders. Rebranding is resetting your core promise to customers, the reason you exist, your brand essence. Through our work with clients we have assembled these 10 simple lessons, of commandments of successful rebranding.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The potential is so promising: a striking new name, a more relevant promise to customers, the greater ability to enter new markets. All these outcomes can be achieved with the rebranding of an outdated or past-its-prime image. We’re seeing an unprecedented number of companies, destinations and even sports teams embarking on efforts to gain this differentiated edge. Our experience with rebranding organizations suggests you follow these 10 fundamental principles if you want to create a forward-facing organization loaded with opportunity:
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Rebranding should be viewed as a strategic growth driver. The ability to reposition your business or organization to better capture new growth, attract better talent or more easily globalize is an investment in your future. Remember, when Steve Jobs returned to Apple Computer in 1977 he renamed the company simply Apple, enabling it to launch other technology advancements for consumers. Now it ranks as the globe’s most valuable brand. But the rebranding process, takes time, lots of energy and investment. Just look to Radio Shack whose valiant efforts to revitalize its retail brand are hampered by its struggling financial performance.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
2. Update your brand promise. True rebranding is not just refreshing your logo or adopting a new name, it’s the all-encompassing process of renewing your promise to customers and stakeholders, updating the core driver of your organization.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
3. Revisit your mission statement and vision too. Every rebranding assignment we’ve led has included the update of the foundational statements of the organization. Refreshed organizational values will also need to align with the desired new brand behaviors that you want employees to embrace and convey in their work.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
4. Give your new brand elasticity. This is the time to give your brand the ability to stretch and grow as the organization requires. Give it room to support your long-term strategic vision.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
5. Engage leadership from the start. Change starts from the top. An aligned management group must communicate the business case for change and carry your new banner forward.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
6. Rebrand from the top down, and inside out. Leadership must first embody the new brand values and demonstrate them for employees who become your most important brand ambassadors. Involve and engage your employees in the process and they’ll more actively evangelize the new positioning. Only announce your rebranding once your internal ambassadors can confidently deliver it externally.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
7. Instill the new brand into your culture. Seize the opportunity to initiate cultural changes that reinforce new on-brand behaviors. Rebranding is also one of the rare times that you can work to banish unproductive cultural dynamics and instill desired new cultural rituals and practices. This all-encompassing change presents the rationale to encourage employees to “let go” of long-held unconscious ways of behaving that limit your company success.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
8. Utilize change management principles to align understanding and support. Businesses don’t change, individuals do. It’s important to use proven processes for gaining understanding, acceptance and participation in your brand change. In their 2008 assessment of rebranded companies, academicians Merrilees and Millers asserted that because rebranding is an incremental change process, as opposed to a radical change, it necessitates the use of change management considerations, especially at the initial design level of the new vision formulation.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
9. Align all communications and actions behind the new brand. Every piece of communications, marketing and visual identify must reflect the new visual identity. Likewise there must be a noticeable link between your products and customer service with the updated brand promise for stakeholders to believe your new positioning. Once you’ve complete that, plan new signature events that uniquely activate your revitalized brand.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
10. Formally launch your new brand. Set a date to flip all branding elements simultaneously for maximum impact. Create a big bang. This helps you build anticipation internally and leaves little doubt that you’ve committed to this exciting, all-encompassing change.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
And the Golden Rule of Rebranding?: Be aspirational, embrace the future. This is your chance to embrace the future, not just bring your organization into the present day. As a strategic growth accelerator, rebranding is your opportunity to strategize growth and new revenue streams. Your new brand should give you the elasticity to experience unrestrained growth. We often say that your new brand essence should be slightly out of reach, at the very tip of your fingers with an outstretched arm. That way it will continue to inspire and motivate you to work harder to deliver this promise to your stakeholders.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Approach the rebranding process with this level of engagement and substantive change and you are more likely to set a solid foundation for future growth and expansion. _____________________________________________________________________ Jim Heininger, founder of Chicago-based Dixon|James Communications, is a 30-year veteran in agency and corporate marketing communications. His firm specializes in comprehensive rebranding initiatives across multiple industries and non-profit organizations. Jim Heininger|Founder Dixon|James Communicatons P: 708.848.8085|C: 312.504.7774 [email protected] www.rebrandingxperts.com
