I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Rebranding can be a daunting task, but it's also one of the most exciting things a business owner can do. It's an opportunity to refresh and modernize your image, and, if done right, it can bring in a whole new level of customers and revenue.
By done right, I mean that it's important to plan ahead and execute the changes in the right way. In this post, I’m sharing some tips and a timeline for announcing a new logo and brand for your small business. Clear communication and collaboration can help to ensure a smooth transition and maintain a positive relationship with your partners and existing clients as well.
Plan Ahead
One of the first steps in rebranding your small business is to give yourself enough time to properly design and develop a brand guide. Don’t plan for the announcement until you have a final logo, colors, font family and other stylized visual standards in place. This process may take 2 weeks to 16 weeks depending on if you DIY or if you hire someone to help you bring a visual brand to life. Because of time, it's important to plan ahead and start early if you want to roll out a new brand look by a specific date or season.
Roll Out the Changes All at Once
When it comes to announcing your new logo and brand, it's best to roll out the changes ALL AT ONCE across all platforms and materials, including your website, social media, business cards, uniforms, and other collateral. This approach creates a cohesive and consistent image for your business and makes it clear that the change is official and permanent. However, it's important to make sure that all materials and platforms are updated and ready for launch before announcing the new brand, so it will take a little planning to determine what date you plan to make the switch live. This is a powerful move and an unstoppable way to gain momentum and get eyes on your brand.
Create a Social Media Post
Once all the materials are ready, it's time to announce the new logo and brand to your followers. Create a social media post that explains the changes, and include a visual of the new logo. This is a great way to generate buzz and excitement about the rebranding and set the standard for what you stand for and how you want people to perceive you. In our client packets, we recommend sharing your anchor words of how you want to be known, your promise of value to your clients, and a description of why you made the choices you did because all visuals, both color, font and iconography have deep psychological meaning that will resonate with your ideal client if approached strategically.
Send an Email
Much like the social media post, I recommend you email all of your business colleagues and clients letting them know of the change.
Example email would look like:
Subject: Introducing [Business Name]’s New Logo and Brand!
Dear friends, partners and clients!
We are excited to announce that we have undergone a full rebrand and have a new logo [and/or website] and brand for our business to better showcase our [value], [attention to detail], [creative perspective] in our first impressions. We believe that this new look, approached strategically, will do a better job representing our end-product, quality and service moving forward, and we are thrilled to share it with all of you and have it represent the face of our business in the many years to come.
We hope our visual brand [and website] will make you proud to align with us, and we are so thrilled to show you the end result.
[Photo of new primary logo]
Thank you for your continued support and we hope you enjoy our new look!
Best regards,
[Your name]
(It's important to personalize the email and make it sound more like a real email. Also, you can add images of your new logo in the email to give a visual representation of the change.)
Rebranding your small business can be a big step, but with proper planning and execution, it can be a great way to refresh and modernize your business. By following these tips and timeline, you can ensure a smooth and successful rebranding process.
Cheers to rebranding and making momentum in business with visuals!
If you feel like you could benefit from a rebrand, or are debating your options, check out my logo offerings, and feel free to book a free 15 min call with me to chat through options!