Nathan Yerian
As a society we have become obsessed with change. Change CAN be a great motivator, a positive new beginning, and a first step toward an improved product or service. Change CAN also result in a disastrous, brand damaging reaction from your existing client base & the community as a whole.
Let’s take a quick look at why brands change.
3 Reasons Companies Change Their Brand Image:
1. Because of a change in their product, service, or the way they go to market. It happens. Companies both large & small alter their ideologies and offerings to keep up with ever changing customer expectations & demands. This is a great reason to implement a change. After all, giving your customers what they want is the name of the game. By altering your image to better align with your customers, you open up to new opportunities and increased market share.
2. Because the branded components were not correctly formulated the first time. Many companies, especially start-ups are guilty of this. You have a new company, new product, or new service and you are so anxious to place it on the market that you allow branding, & design to take a back seat. Now that you have it out there, and sales are becoming stagnant, you want a “fresh look” to boost sales. Where would you be if you had presented the market with this “fresh look” (relevant, targeted, brand image) in the first run? Ok, so you didn’t spend the proper time/money the first go round. Make sure you do it right this time, or very soon, you will be in the same boat.
3. Because there is a perceived “need” for a new image (change for the sake of change). Of the three, this is by far the most dangerous. The danger is a result of a lack of planning. When a company changes for the sake of change, they open themselves up to separating themselves from their current customer base, and potentially turning “would be” customers away from the brand. Many companies that do this will end up reverting back to their initial brand components (logos, websites, packaging, etc.), but at what cost? Yes the changeover was expensive, but that is only a portion of the true cost. The real costs come from lost customers, potential customers that may have been alienated away from your brand, and in some extreme cases community backlash (which is especially prevalent in the social media age).
Regardless of your reason, any change in a brand requires planning, strategy, testing, and finally execution. By devoting the proper amount of time & resources to each of these categories, you can not only prevent mistakes, but this process also enables you to formulate a desired outcome to measure your success (or lack of success) against. By adhering to your plan, you will be able to determine the true value of your CHANGE and in the process determine if this change is really the correct move for your brand.
A few questions to ask before you begin (All companies are different, but this will get you started):
1. Why do I need to change?
2. How will this change benefit my brand?
3. What do my current customers think of my proposed change?
4. How will this change alter how I am perceived in the market?
5. Is this change sustainable? (Does it account for your brand’s needs now & in the future?)
Hopefully you find this to be helpful! My motivation for writing this was based on a question that was posted on an Inc Magazine Q&A page. Good luck with all of your potential changes to your brands. Be sure to leave comments & questions!