Brand Refresh vs Full Rebrand: How to Know Which Approach is Right for Your Service-based Business
When it comes to branding, many business owners face the tough decision of whether to go for a full rebrand or stick with a brand refresh. While both options have pros and cons, the right choice for your business will depend on your specific goals and needs.
LET’S LOOK AT A BRAND REFRESH
A brand refresh involves recalibrating, aligning and updating a company's existing brand without completely overhauling it. This can include updating logos, colour schemes, messaging, and visual assets. It’s more about subtle changes to the logo, harmonizing the colour palette or updating the imagery.
A brand refresh is a great option for businesses with a strong and well-established brand recognized by their target audience but could use a little updating to stay relevant and fresh.
A brand refresh is for you if
You have many business pieces (client experience, offers,…) in place that are working for you, but you would like to boost your brand’s attractiveness by keeping things fresh and exciting.
You want to update specific elements of your brand, such as your logo, colour palette, or messaging, without completely overhauling your brand identity.
You want to recalibrate your brand without completely alienating your existing customer base.
You are looking for a more cost-effective solution to updating your brand.
You want to refresh your brand without losing the equity and recognition you've built up over time.
You want to appeal to a new audience: A brand refresh can help your service business target a new audience or market segment.
You want to increase client loyalty by optimizing specific parts of your client experience.
You want to level up your brand recognition for better brand recall because you know how crucial it is to be remembered.
By updating their branding in targeted and strategic ways, service providers can profit from a brand refresh by attracting new clients, retaining existing ones, turning them into super fans, and increasing their overall brand recognition and value. A brand refresh can also help service providers stay competitive in their industry and position themselves for continued growth and success.
A FULL REBRAND ON THE OTHER HAND
On the other hand, a full rebrand involves a complete overhaul of a business's brand, often including its name, logo, and overall identity. A full rebrand is typically a more drastic and time-intensive process. Still, it can be necessary for businesses that have completely outgrown their current branding or are looking to pivot in a new direction.
Your service business might profit from a full rebrand if
You have completely outgrown your current branding and desire to start fresh. Nothing like the power of tabula rasa and the exciting feeling of endless possibilities.
You are pivoting to a new business model or target audience, and your current branding does not align with your new direction.
You have multiple brands or divisions that are not cohesive and need to be unified under a single, cohesive brand.
You have a confusing or unclear brand identity that is not resonating with your target audience. Tell-tale sign: You keep bumping into not-ideal clients, and it’s time to get rid of them once and for all. Ain’t no one got time for that.
You have low brand recognition and need to start from scratch to build your brand equity.
Your brand is associated with negative connotations or has a damaged reputation that cannot be salvaged with a brand refresh.
WHERE TO GO FROM HERE AND HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT 🎯
Ultimately, pursuing a brand refresh or a full rebrand will depend on your business's specific goals and needs. If you're unsure which approach is right for your business, consider seeking the guidance of a rebranding expert. They can support you in evaluating your current branding and determining the best action to take your brand to the next level.
Don't hesitate to reach out if you're ready to take your branding to the next level. I'll work with you to create a powerful, cohesive brand that represents your business and resonates with your target audience. With the right branding strategy in place, you'll be well on your way to achieving your wildest business goals.
About the author
Meet Jen, your fellow wanderer on the Scenic Route to figuring out this gorgeous thing called life.
BA in Social Sciences and MA in Sociology? You bet.
Certified NLP and EFT practitioner? Check.
Fucked shit up a lot? Been there, didn’t even get a lousy t-shirt.
Empath and HSP? It’s all just peachy.
Jen’s professional background and personal experience make the secret sauce that adds depth to every conversation. She tunes into the frequencies most people skip over. She's on a heartfelt mission to support too-brilliant-to-not-shine humans moving from surviving to thriving.
Together with her clients, she dives deep into the chaos of being human, finding that sweet spot where vulnerability meets badassery to rediscover the thrill of living a life that's as beautifully complex as you are – flaws and all.
