Rebrand vs. Brand Refresh: Knowing the Difference and Determining When Your Business Needs One

If you’re a business owner and your Head of Marketing says to you, we need a brand refresh, do you know the difference between that and a rebrand? Well, the simple answer is – money and effort. They can both be enormously helpful when a brand is a few years old and needs revisiting, but they can be very different in scope and impact. Typical candidates for a rebrand or a brand refresh tend to be companies who are dissatisfied with their existing branding, but this can be for a variety of reasons and the diagnosis of rebrand vs brand refresh is a nuanced one.  

So to start, let's clarify what we mean by a rebrand and a brand refresh.

Understanding the Basics: Rebrand vs. Brand Refresh

Rebrand: A rebrand involves an overhaul of your brand's identity, including everything from your logo and visual branding to your messaging, values, and maybe even redefining your target audience. It's like hitting the reset button on your brand, signaling a big shift in direction.

An example of a rebrand is our work with Merriman Wealth Management, a wealth management company based in the Pacific Northwest. This involved a complete overhaul of their look and feel, as well new positioning and messaging.

Brand Refresh: On the other hand, a brand refresh is more of a subtle makeover – think of it as a fresh coat of paint rather than a complete renovation. With a brand refresh, you're keeping the essence of your brand but updating certain elements to keep them current and relevant. This could include adjusting your logo, updating your color palette, or tweaking your messaging to better reflect your brand's evolution.

An example of a brand refresh is our work with Second Act Women where we used the existing brand, but created a suite of new colors and patterns to bring it to life.

Signs your business needs a full rebrand:

1. Change in audience or change in your business model: If your business has undergone a significant shift – whether it's a change in your offerings, target market, or overall mission – a rebrand may be necessary to make sure your identity aligns with your new direction.

2. Outdated or ineffective branding: If your current brand identity feels stale, outdated, or no longer resonates with your audience, it might be time for a rebrand to breathe new life into your business.

3. Merger or acquisition: This is a bit of an obvious one, but in the case of mergers or acquisitions, a rebrand can help consolidate different companies’ identities and create a unified brand that reflects the combined company’s values and vision.

4. Negative associations: If your brand has encountered reputational issues or negative associations in the past, a rebrand can offer a fresh start.

Signs your business needs a brand refresh:

1. You want to uplevel your brand: If you developed your brand a while ago and feel like it could benefit from a bit more sophistication, a refresh will help. This could include including more colors on your color palette, or creating some visual elements such as patterns for you to use.

2. Consistency issues: If your brand's visual elements are inconsistent across different platforms or marketing materials (like your website vs Powerpoint decks), a brand refresh can streamline your branding and create a cohesive, unified look and feel.

3. Lack of Differentiation: If your brand is struggling to stand out in a crowded marketplace, a brand refresh can help you refine your messaging and visual identity to better communicate your unique value proposition.

4. Feedback from Customers or Employees: If you've received feedback from customers or employees indicating that certain aspects of your brand could use improvement, a brand refresh can address these concerns without needing a complete overhaul.

Making the Decision: Rebrand or Refresh?

So, how do you know whether your business needs a rebrand or a brand refresh? The key is to assess your current brand identity, market position, and business objectives honestly. Ask yourself:

• What are my business goals, and how does my current brand identity support or hinder them?

• Is my brand attractive to my audience?

• Does my brand accurately reflect who we are as a business and what we stand for?

• What feedback have we received from customers, employees, and stakeholders about our brand?

• How has our industry evolved, and does our brand need to evolve with it?

• Do we need a minor update to keep up with changing trends, or is a more significant overhaul necessary to realign our brand with our vision and values?

Once you have determined where the weaknesses in your brand lie, you can get the help you need.

•  If your audience has changed, your business model, or some of the intrinsic parts of your brand like your mission – then you need the help of a brand strategist.

• If your written messaging needs evolving - enlist a brand strategist or copywriter.

• If your visual branding is outdated - seek the expertise of a graphic designer.

Luckily for you, here at The Alkimie Collective, we are a one-stop shop for all of this.

So, if you have a brand or rebranding project in mind for this year, let’s start the conversation!