How to un-bland your brand the right way

Your hair changes. Your wardrobe changes. Your thinking changes.

Everything changes, so why wouldn’t your brand change too?

If you are considering upgrading your website, or rebranding your business in any way, read on.

We’ll deep dive everything you need to know if this is the right time, what kind of rebrand would serve your business best, and what steps you can take to relaunch a brand you are proud to share.

But first, why rebrand your business at all?

On the surface, a brand can look like a logo, a bunch of colours and a website. But dig deeper. 

Winning brands give so much more. 

Its vibe, a personality, an expression. 

Your brand is your story, and it’s a real made-from-scratch secret sauce of who you are, what you stand for and how you do it out in the big wide world. 

And this impacts how others see your brand. 

Because, without branding, Adidas would only be running shoes and Louis Vuitton just luggage. 

How would people feel wearing those shoes or carrying those bags compared to how they feel carrying the brand name. 

Where would Taylor Swift be without reinvention? Ask her fans…

Your brand is your story, and it’s a real made-from-scratch secret sauce of who you are, what you stand for and how you do it out in the big wide world.

So, who are you now, and where are you headed?

When is the Right Time to Rebrand?

Well, hey, there are lots of good reasons to give your brand a boost. 

Usually, you are side-skipping away from an old dream, or racing towards a new one. Either way, change is a-coming!

One client recently came to me in a panic. Her business had been doing great, until it wasn’t. Her referral business was running dry, and she needed to put herself out there. 

Only thing was? Her website was so outdated. After spending so long crafting impactful pitches to people she seriously wanted to impress, her website was a let down. Sharing it made her cringe.

Or picture another scenario. The coach who began their business when they were single, loved a juicy steak and explicitly worked one-on-one with clients. Now, they’re married with kids, veggie, give group talks and workshops, and have published a book. 

Top reasons for rebranding your business

• You’ve evolved into a whole different field or level of expertise or your mission has completely changed
• There’s a big launch coming up and now’s the time to make a big splash with your branding
• Competing brands have tapped into your aesthetic and it’s time to tap a new era
• Original branding never captured who you really are or what you wanted to project
• Wait a minute. Your industry shifted right out from under you – pivot to keep up. 
• Who you are attracting and who you want to attract is a complete mismatch. Where’s those dream clients?
• Courses or services you offer feel out of sync or inauthentic
• Yah! You are so bored! Things feel stale and repetitive. 
• Whoa! You are doing so many different things for so many clients. Rebrand to reset your focus. 
• Trends changed but your brand never did. Instead, your website is still partying like it’s 2011. (And it’s not impressing anyone, you or your potential clients. Ouch!)

And in most cases? You guessed it – it’s a mixture of these! 

Wait! You know rebranding your business makes sense, but you’re stalling? So common. 

Running a business day-to-day already takes so much headspace. It can be tough even thinking about adding something new to the to-do list.

Plus, an identity is like the Rachel-cut. So good at the moment! If you loved your original look, replacing it can tug at the heartstrings. It takes some deep-thinking, soul-searching and bravery to embrace a new stage.

But rebranding your business doesn’t have to give you headaches. Done well, it can be a thrilling way to shape your vision, mark how your business is evolving, and lead it to a place where you can make a bigger impact.

What’s Not A Good Time For Rebranding A Business?

Or, maybe now is really just not the right time to rebrand.

Run your eye over the next list. Do any of these resonate?

There’s three times you want to second guess a rebrand. 

1. You’ve been in business a year or less. 

So much changes in the first few years of business and like spaghetti sauce it all tastes better cooked for a good long time. 

Simmer over this:

• Who you are and what you do, 
• How you want to sound
• What you offer
• Ideal clients and why
• Best ways to reach your ideal clients. 

Chances are these elements will all shift many times in your first year or two of business. Have a simple website that’s easy to update and when you settle, invest in a rebrand.

2. No proven way to attract clients

So many people think a fancy new website will attract leads. It won’t. Good websites convert leads. If marketing isn’t bringing traffic to a site, a website can’t magic up buyers. 

But if you are actively networking, getting referrals, and have leads coming in? Fire up pinterest – it’s time to dream up your new brand. 

3. New Launch Incoming Yesterday

Wah! Panic mode hitting? You wanted a new look in time for your launch, but that date is looming large – and it’s SOON. 

Don’t bog yourself down with another new project if launch projects are overwhelming your calendar. Obviously if you can’t live with your website another day, give it a quick refresh for now but save the rebrand for post-launch.

Three Types of Rebrand

Okay, so you’ve made the hardest decision: You’re ready to rebrand. But on what level?

There’s three levels of rebrand to consider. 

The Refresh: 

A quick sweep of your key assets that keeps copy, offers, and design in good shape. You might add one or two offers or services and subtract a few things to keep your business current and in-check. Forward-thinking businesses refresh like this every 6-12 months. 

Or, just refresh one area of your business. Are you targeting a new sector where refining your look or message would make a better impact? Is your social or podcast demanding a glow up?

The Rebrand:

Ready to reinvent? Happens in a rebrand. 

Firstly, you’ll review your business philosophy and goals and work from there. Considerations include pivoting your offers or services in a new direction, refining your voice, defining your key messages and maybe a brand shoot for new photos. 

Remember when Dunkin lost their donuts? That’s an example of a refresh. They lost the word donuts because they sell other stuff and wanted everyone to know. But they kept a lot of their visual identity, including the vivid orange and pink lettering because it still worked with the new direction. 

The Reboot:

This is a total overhaul that can involve a name change, which means signage, domains, logos, lettering, email addresses all get switched up.

How To Mastermind Your Rebrand For Success

Rebranding your business means a lot of moving pieces. It can also mean digging deep into your goals. Dreaming big. Yay for you, your growth and success!

But how do you plan your rebrand so that it’s the best, shiniest example of your dreams and desires?

Most people hit Pinterest and start a moodboard or dreaming up a new logo. But hold on! That’s actually one of the last pieces of the puzzle.

Rather, every well-planned rebrand has three distinct stages.

Clarify –> Audit → Identity

Firstly, stage one, Clarify, is all about getting clear on where you are now and where you are going in the next 1-3 years. It’s thinking what you want to be most known for and how you want to own that.

Stage two, Audit, is choosing what stays and what goes in your business. It’s based on how well your current look, feel and business represents everything you clarified in stage one.

Lastly, stage three, Identity, brings everything together with words, design and images.

Rebrand Recipe: Stage 1: Dreaming Big + Getting Clear

When I work with clients on rebranding their business, we create brand recipes for each stage.

This Stage One Recipe gets them clear – and excited – about where they are headed. 

First, grab these four key ingredients:

1. Your Mission:

Has this changed or do you expect it to soon? How so? If you went to dinner and your host introduced you, what would you want them to say? This is the direction to move towards. 

Now answer the question: Why? What’s driving you? What would achieving that status give you?

2. Who You Serve:

Let’s get dreamy. Are you set on growing your current crowd, or you want to attract different clients? Are you serving them anything different? Which leads to…

3. What You Speak About: 

What are three pillars you will come back to again and again. On social, in summits, on podcasts? 

Ideally, your pillars will answer these questions:

1. What is your target audience’s #1 biggest challenge today?
2. What are their three biggest fears related to that challenge?
3. What does your client desperately want more than ANYTHING?

How will you speak to these challenges?

Naturally, these pillars should also be topics you are excited to be known for!  

4. Own How You Say It:

Guess what? You are the secret sauce that your clients will come back for. 

You are unique, and your brand should speak to that. Know what makes you you, and own it.

1. How would your friends describe you? 
2. What words or phrases do you love?
3. What makes you different? Own that story and bring it to your brand. 
4. Do you want your brand personality to be inspirational, playful, serious, smart, sassy, or something else?

Take a bold hold of your personality and let it shine seamlessly through all you do.

Next, Pair Your Offers

We’re looking for a match between who you are, what you say, and what you offer. This “match” creates a seamless way for clients to get to know you, buy into you and become buyers. 

List your current offers, and check each one for alignment:

1. Will the offer help the clients you identified above? 
2. How well is the offer an extension of what you speak about? For instance, if you are going to talk regularly about overcoming money mindblocks, does the offer give your clients a practical way to achieve it?
3. Does it reflect your current vision and mission? 
4. Are you known for your offer or have a steady stream of sign-ups? 
5. Are you still passionate about it being in your offer library?

If you can answer yes to most of these, keep an offer. They pair together like coffee and cookies. 

Stage one is all about honouring your journey, your new vision and getting you business strategically aligned. 

In Stage two, you’ll look at all that’s working (or not) right now, to decide what to take with you and what to toss.

And in Stage three, we look at how to work all this visionary magic into your visuals and story. Walkthrough every stage in this free guide.

Rebranding Your Business? Download The Ultimate Guide

Steal my exact process I use with clients to deliver a smooth-as-silk and stress free rebrand with this 50+ Ultimate Rebrand Recipe. Grab it here.