Most people start a business with the mindset that slapping a slick logo design on something means everything automagically falls into place sooner than later. This mindset can easily result in failure without a strategy to build brand recognition. As I tell everyone who's considering doing their own advertising; "If brand marketing was so easy, thousands of marketing experts would be unemployed." Hiring a pro means you don't inadvertently impact your brand in a negative way.
- Blind advertising expenses due to poor market research.
- Mistakes that are difficult or impossible to fix because you don't know what they are.
- Sloppy details that ultimately damage your brand credibility.
Ironically any of these issues will ultimately result in you hiring a pro at an even higher expense to not only fix your mistakes, but bring your brand back to a reputable state. The overall message is, if you feel your brand is getting stale, hire someone with brand marketing and graphic design experience - the benefits will quickly outweigh the expense.
Real life Rebranding
When Korean automaker Kia moved away from their lackluster oval logo, it was mostly due the fact many customers disliked it so much that they were resorting to painting over it or simply removing it from their cars.
Kia's change didn't just include the logo, but a slick new slogan and mission statement: "Kia introduces its new brand positioning: Movement that inspires. The concept behind it is that whatever Kia does, every consumer touchpoint, and every product it creates is there to inspire you."
Kia did a 180 on basically everything...
- Brand Purpose
- Corporate Mission
- Business Direction
- Design Philosophy
- Working Culture
So what can other companies learn from this? #Stop-being-stale.
When your business realizes it needs to pivot in order to remain relevant and fresh, there's nothing wrong with investing in a rebrand. As with anything, if it's done right your customers will better appreciate your motives, and it will energize your entire brand.
