How Often Do You Need To Refresh Your Brand And Website?

The battery on your smoke alarm begins to run out and makes an incessant beeping noise. The light bulb above the kitchen sink begins to flicker every time you turn it on to make your morning cup of coffee. The oil light comes on in your car. There are certain things in life that give obvious signs they need to be changed. However, knowing when it is time to refresh your brand and website can be a trickier task.

How To Know If It Is Time To Refresh Your Brand?

Like going in for those yearly health check-ups, refreshing your brand is a task that shouldn’t be put off indefinitely. In fact, refreshing your brand doesn’t mean that you have to create something new from the ground up (come to think of it, an entire rebranding project can be a bit unsettling for your customers, unless your company has gone through a monumental change). Speaking of changes, let’s look at a few of the reasons why you might want to refresh your brand.

• Redesign When You Need To Reach A Wider Audience. — You don’t want to redesign your brand simply because you are tired of having the same look. Instead, this should be a business decision that is approached with a strategic purpose, such as reaching a wider audience. Don’t forget to support your brand update efforts with email marketing campaigns that announce the exciting new changes to your current customers, while simultaneously introducing your new look to new prospects.
• New Brand For A New Company. — Whether your company has recently acquired another business or branched off from a larger corporation, you should have an updated look for your new company. Creating a fresh brand image doesn’t mean that you have to change everything; in fact, you might want to keep a few similarities that help your customers and business partners feel comfortable with the change. For example, you might keep the same company colors, but choose to change the logo.
• A Refreshed Brand For An Evolving Company. — If your company is rapidly evolving, then you need to ensure that your brand’s image also changes. Keep your brand fresh so that your customers and business partners recognize that your brand is a thought-leader and industry innovator who perfectly blends a mixture of proven concepts with the latest trends and insights.

What Should You Change During A Brand Update?

Like packing for a trip, a brand update doesn’t mean that you have to adjust everything, or pack the kitchen sink, so to speak. In fact, your update might only affect one or two aspects of your image. So, before you panic and think that your brand refresh means that you have to change every aspect of your company, let’s look at a few of the components that can be addressed during an update.

1. Changing Your Logo. — With the exception of a few rare instances (here’s looking at you Nike swoosh), most companies often go through slight logo changes every few years. From Google to Shell, Amazon to Piper Jaffray, and even Starbucks, logos are one of the components that companies often refresh during a brand update. If you choose to update your logo, don’t forget to update it across in-print and digital publications, including your social media pages, website, blog, email signatures, billboards, building sign, etc.
2. Business Cards. — Whether your company changed location, adjusted its name (or associated acronym), or updated its logo, new business cards are a great way to give your brand the fresh look it needs to appeal to your customers and business partners. Before you refresh your business cards, be sure to ask your sales and marketing teams for their feedback. Do they think the paper needs to be changed? Is there a new trend that people like (for example using a QR code or putting social media handles as part of the contact section)? A fresh business card can help your sales associates increase their memorability factor after an in-person meeting or networking event.
3. Company Colors. — Color is an important visual media that can instantaneously connect your company with an awaiting audience. In fact, according to Leslie Harrington, Executive Director of The Color Association, “The first point of interaction is shaped by the color, and color is the most memorable sense.” With this insight in mind, changing your company colors is not something that should be entered into lightly; however, with a slight change in hue you might be able to give your brand the refreshed look that it needs.
4. Your Blog. — For many companies their blog is the backbone of their digital marketing efforts and a strong representation of their brand. While your blog should be updated with high quality on a regular basis, it is often easy to forget to update the visual aspects. Remember that your blog should be a user-friendly entity that is in keeping current (and proven) design trends. For example, you might decide to take a minimalist approach that leverages categories to make it easier for users to find the content they want to read. Conversely, you might choose to take a page out of Microsoft’s book by creating stories that help to establish an emotional connection with your intended audience before they even read your words of wisdom. No matter what design you choose to use, make sure that it is user-friendly and visually appealing across devices.
5. Your Website. — Refreshing your website is a great way to give your brand a new, more appealing look. Perhaps you have changed your logo or your company colors? Maybe your site is not performing well and suffers from high bounce rates? Or maybe your business has grown and you need to add new product or services pages? No matter the reason, like an update to your blog, your website refresh doesn’t mean that you have to rebuild the site from the ground-up. Instead, you can adjust a few simple factors to create the maximum effect. For example, you might add a search bar, adjust the navigation to streamline user research efforts, update the photos, change the header, or rearrange the content so that it is easier to interact with on a mobile device. Once your website has received its fresh new look, it will be time to let your customers and business partners know via an email blast or social media update.

Change Can Be A Great Thing

Throughout our lives we often balk at the idea of change. But just like the crimped hair of the 1980’s or the keyword stuffing era of the early 2000’s, sometimes we need to change if we want to adapt to the needs and trends of the times. Refreshing your brand to reach a wider audience, accommodate a large company change, or support the evolving needs of your business is a great way to ensure that you continue to appeal to your customers and business partners.