Signs It’s Time For a Brand Refresh
With an increasingly competitive market and the concept of brand loyalty constantly evolving, staying top-of-mind with your audience can be a challenge. Maybe your current branding isn’t packing a punch anymore, your Marketing Director left and took the high-quality logo files with them, or you’re simply struggling to maintain visual consistency across your digital and printed materials. Any of this sound familiar? It’s the right time to make a change.
What is a Brand Refresh?
A refresh is a touch-up of your current branding materials — think of it as a way to breathe new life into your brand. This can include:
- Creating a new tagline or mission statement
- Creating (or refining) brand voice
- Making tweaks to your current logo to ensure it’s legible, high-quality and easy to use for printed and digital brand materials
- Updating (or standardizing) your color scheme
- Updating (or standardizing) your typography
- Updating (or standardizing) your social media assets, such as profile pictures, recurring graphics, and copy content
- Ensuring your brand standards are laid out correctly and your file types are in order
No brand is immune to needing a refresh. Even some of the most ‘time-tested’ brands, such as Coca-Cola and Apple, have a history of consistent brand refreshes. If your brand no longer appeals to your target market, it’s likely a good time to refresh and put your brand back in front.
Dawson Hirt, Smirk Graphic Designer
Refresh vs. Rebrand
While many outside of the creative world may get the terms “refresh” and “rebrand” confused, they’re starkly different. A rebrand is a more extensive process that may involve a wide-scale review of graphic assets, inventory and possibly even a new brand name. A brand refresh allows you to realign your brand voice and supporting assets without the cost or time that a rebranding might require.
When Is It Time For a Brand Refresh?
Take a critical look at your current brand appearance and messaging. If it falls in line with one or more of the items on our list below, it might be time for a refresh:
- Your branding hasn’t been updated in several years
- Your branding isn’t adapted for digital use
- You’re not attracting your desired audience or want to target a new group of people
- Your branding is inconsistent across platforms, website and/or printed materials
- You don’t have a single resource, like a brand style guide, to reference internally
- Your current branding doesn’t reflect your brand’s values, purpose and/or mission
- Your business is growing or your services have changed
- Your branding materials are unorganized or not in the appropriate format
Consistency is Key
Branding is much more than just your logo. It’s your digital assets, website, printed materials and more — it’s how your audience recognizes your brand. Lacking a cohesive, credible and memorable visual identity harms your business.
Brand consistency fosters credibility, recognizability and — most importantly — the trust of your audience. Consistency within your brand ensures your company mission, values, and story are communicated to your audience in a way that will resonate.
Rachel Wilcox, Smirk Creative Director
Take Initiative
Regardless of the size of your company, it’s important to ensure your branding is working for you. A refresh can work to correct a few loose threads or serve as a blueprint for the next season of growth for your brand.
There’s never a wrong time to look at a refresh, whether it’s been long overdue or you just want to ensure your brand is proofed for the future. Change is a constant, not a threat, and brands can benefit from how they anticipate and act in the here and now.
Looking to refresh and standardize your branding? We currently have client openings for Q4 2022 — schedule a time to chat with our team!
