Got Competitor Envy? Signs Your Brand Needs a Refresh

Do you feel like your competitors speak to your market, present themselves professionally and succinctly, and garner the attention of the clients you want? If you’re finding yourself envious of your competitors’ branding, it is time to look into your own. Step up to the playing field with a brand refresh.

A brand refresh takes elements that already exist – such as your logo, website, and look and feel of your brand – and reimagines them. Finessing these existing elements to create something that reflects your brand’s ethos, services, and more allows you to approach clients professionally, giving them a clear idea of who you are and what you offer.

Here are a few telltale signs you may need to refresh your brand:

Embarrassment

Do your brand’s business cards or website not reflect your forward-thinking, cutting-edge brand? If you’re embarrassed to hand out your business collateral because it looks tired and dated, you likely need a brand refresh. You shouldn’t “set and forget” your branding – it’s the kind of thing that can evolve over time and grow with your business. Embarrassment can hold you back from chasing bigger clients and projects, denying you the confidence you need to advance your business to the next level.

Blending In

Do you and your competitors’ brands look similar? While it’s common for branding in the same industry to adopt similar elements, they shouldn’t look the same. Yours can still stand out while following best practice guidelines.

If you feel like you’re blending into the crowd, it’s time to look at how your brand can differentiate itself in the market. Using similar colours, logos, or copy to competitors makes it difficult for potential customers to remember your brand — or worse, to find you at all. Defining what sets you apart and making sure that reflects in your branding prevents you from blending into a sea of sameness.

Organisation and Cohesion

Cohesion in brand tone of voice, imagery, and logos is essential for brand recognition. If you look around at all your marketing collateral — your website, brochures, emails, etc — and notice an unclear message, it’s time for a brand refresh.

Clients feel confident with brands that are consistent and organised. Brands that are all over the show — using multiple logos, different messaging, or have a website that doesn’t reflect their offering — appear disorganised and untrustworthy.

Organisation within your business is also important. If you don’t have access to original logo files, imagery, and other collateral, it may be time for an update. A refresh allows you to take ownership of your collateral and ensures that you have the correct files where you need them.

Pitching for Work

Even if you’re able to overcome the embarrassment of your branding and send the pitch, you run the risk of a bad first impression. Pitching, especially cold, is your brand’s first introduction to a new client, so you want it to reflect your business. Emails that include logos or links to portfolios and websites can let you down immediately — showcasing your brand as tired, disjointed, and unprofessional. Mis-aligned branding can be detrimental to winning work.

Social Media Stagnation

Branding isn’t just about logos, colour palettes, and website copy. It’s the whole marketing mix, which includes your social media game. Social media accounts are often started with gusto only to be neglected after the realisation of the effort it takes to properly run one sets in. It’s important to have a well executed social media account, complete with proper logos, imagery, and copy, in your brand refresh. These accounts can act as a first impression to potential new clients and neglected or disjointed accounts can signal that your business isn’t professional.  

If you’re finding your social media is stagnant and lacking engagement and direction, a brand refresh can help reignite this fire.

Okay, I’m convinced. So what’s involved in a brand refresh?

Depending on the issues you identify with your brand, a brand refresh can include everything from refreshing a logo, making significant changes to your current website, and re-evaluating existing marketing strategies. A brand refresh is easier to achieve than a full rebrand, which includes repositioning your brand in the market and changing your brand’s core values, functions, and propositions.

Many businesses put off brand refreshes due to time and budget constraints. While there’s an upfront cost to refresh, the cost of a negatively viewed brand is much higher. Think of a brand refresh as an investment in your business’s future — it’s a chance to take your brand to the next level.

Brand refreshes evolve a current logo and core identity into something that more accurately reflects your brand. Sometimes this is as simple as updating logos and colour palettes or re-evaluating clunky website copy to refine your offering.

Ultimately, it’s about re-defining your brand clearly and cohesively with comprehensive brand guidelines, giving your brand a playbook on how to interact with customers at every touchpoint.

If you’re ready to refresh your brand, we’re here to help. Get in touch with us via email to discuss your brand refresh today.