Logo Design Help. Extreme Makeover. The Perks and Perils of Re-branding Your Company

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John Williams, co- founder of LogoYes.com, is featured on Entreprenuer.com as its Branding Columnist. To read more of John's articles on design and branding go to "About Us" and click on a topic. Other publishers of John's articles include:

Does Your Biz Need an Extreme Makeover?
The Perks & Perils of Re-branding Your Company
By John Williams, president of LogoYes.com
Copyright 2007, John Williams

The makeover business is booming – and not just on TV. In today's image-conscious times, everything is judged first by how it looks. Re-branding has become the "cure du jour" for everything from sluggish sales to increased competition and outdated products. So how well do these makeovers work?

It depends. There are times when re-branding is crucial, and times when it is nothing short of perilous. Remember, branding should be a reflection of your company; not just a projection of who you want it to be. You must ensure that the customer experience equals the expectation, or no amount of image re-vamping will work, at least in the long run. Before you re-brand, there really does need to be something different about your business, product or service – unless, of course, your image never accurately reflected your company to begin with.

You should also keep in mind that the more dramatically you change your brand, the more likely you'll lose your current customers. This may be an unpleasant fact, but it's an unavoidable one. For example, if you attract price-sensitive consumers and you change your brand to appeal to upscale trend-setters, your price-sensitive customers are going to run for the hills. Do you care? No, you don't care if you can keep your brand promise to your new, more upscale customers. But if you can't keep this promise, you shouldn't have tried to cast a wider customer net by rebranding. You simply can't be all things to all people.

That's why established companies with market share should always consider adapting their brand before starting from scratch. There is value in your name and image, even if you're tired of it personally. Is your look is out of date? Consider updating it by keeping key design elements that still work, while shedding those that don't. Keep your name or alter it only slightly. The key is to bring your look current without losing its original appeal, and thus customers.

Perhaps a more common problem is the small business whose image never truly reflected its brand in the first place. A poor-quality logo or clunky website does damage to any company, regardless of size. Does your image as projected by your sales materials reflect your product, your mission, and your values? They should. Branding is about using "mind share" to influence "market share" – but if your promise doesn't match your product, it will be all for naught.

Another valid time to consider a brand makeover is if your company is headed in a new direction – either due to new technology, new industry trends, new markets, or a new product launch. If you decide on a ground-floor makeover, work from a sound strategy based on facts related to sales and profits, not fatigue related to marketing consistency.

Re-branding must be conducted carefully and comprehensively. Ideally, you should change everything at once. Re-do your logo (and name if necessary) and brand standards, then apply them to all sales tools – from your business cards and website to your signage and brochures. Of course, this can be expensive, and requires some cost-risk analysis. If you can only afford to change one thing at a time, focus on your customer's typical first point of contact. For example, a retail business might consider its signage and/or ad in the phone book, while a business-to-business firm might concentrate on its website.

If you change the name of your business, know that it is rarely a good idea to substitute the name of one of your products for your company, even when your product is well known within your industry. Doing so can be self-limiting, making it difficult for you to keep pace with future industry changes.

Branding isn't an option today: your business will be perceived in a certain matter either by default or design – you choose. Reinventing your business time and time again is not a good idea but adapting to changing consumer needs and industry direction is crucial. Take control with strategic, relevant branding that differentiates you from the competition

John Williams is president and founder of LogoYes.com, the world's first and largest DIY logo website. In his 25 years in advertising, he has created brand standards for Fortune 100 companies like Mitsubishi and won numerous international awards for his design work.