Once you choose to change up your brand, there is a pretty clear order in which things need to happen. One thing leads to another and trying to jump to step 10 before you finish step 1 or 2 will only result in frustration, rework, and wasted money.
Here’s the path I took when I decided to rebrand.
- Got clear on what I wanted my brand to reflect. What purpose and core values drove Lone Orange? What kind of impact did I want Lone Orange to have on the world? What really set us apart from other branding agencies? And how did we best deliver that?
- Defined who I could best serve. Ideal client criteria helps me get into their head so I know how to talk to them in a way they know I can help them. This is who I can have the best success with, who can experience a profound transformation by working with me, and who I will love working with. Oh, and these ideal clients are also willing to pay me what I’m worth!
- What do I want people to experience from my company? The brand becomes an extension of the company when I’m not around. As the primary vision holder, the Lone Orange brand is closely related to me. So what kind of personality did I want my company to have? What did I want people to say about Lone Orange after interacting with our brand?
The above three questions were not easily answered in a two-hour sit down at Starbucks. It took months. Lots of introspection, several conversations with people I trusted, journaling, and even prayer. I had to trust the process, but I will admit, I was impatient and anxious to get moving faster! Once I finally felt comfortable in the foundation of the first three steps, it was time to implement–to take the essence of who Lone Orange was and translate it into visual and verbal communication. - Implementing is the tangible stuff of branding–and likely what you think of when you want to develop your brand. But without the understanding of what’s behind your brand, creating a logo and website are difficult and much less effective. Plus, this stage is still very difficult. Even as a person who helps other clients with their visual and verbal messaging, I had a heck of a time doing it for myself. I was too close to it, so I hired several trusted authorities to help me create my new visual identity and verbal material. Thanks to Daley Design, Cori Nations Photography, Shelby Blanchard Stogner, Marissa Ricciardi, Laura Darkstar, Ann Hein, Steve Smart, and Pirate Pictures for your help delivering my new brand in all my brand and marketing material! I am forever grateful!
Here’s the order I developed my material. Some of it was able to be worked on simultaneously, but we definitely needed certain components before we could move on.
- Logo refresh (NOTHING else could be created until we had this part down)
- Business card
- Email signature image
- Name badge
- Letterhead
- Website
- Video
- Social media images
Then came the integration phase–which I’m still in and will be for the life of my business. A company can be undermined and destroyed when the client experience doesn’t match the expectation you’ve created through your well-thought-out and well-communicated brand.
So I set upon creating systems and tools for my team and I to daily deliver on who we said we were. We have a solid library of documented procedures to make sure our clients have a positive and predictable experience, no matter who they are working with.
This stage also required a strong marketing plan. I had to think through what I really wanted to accomplish and how I was going to do that. I had to be very truthful with myself about what I could and couldn’t commit to. There are a lot of marketing gurus saying things like “you MUST do X to be successful,” or “if you aren’t monetizing Y platform, you are doomed to fail.” I call shenanigans on that. There are oodles of marketing tactics out there for you to use. The only thing you MUST do is choose the ones that fit your goals, your clients, and your capacity.
Sorry to burst your bubble if you thought rebranding would be quick and easy. But for the sake of your business and your own well-being, it may just be time. If this all seems overwhelming, let’s chat and see if I can’t help alleviate some of the confusion and overwhelm. Schedule an appointment today!
