Do You Need a “Brand Refresh?”
Every once in a while, everyone needs to add a little spice to their lives. Whether it be a new hairstyle, a change in wardrobe, or colored contact lenses, there are little changes we all make from time to time that help us feel more centered in who we are and what we do. Branding, really, is no different.
Especially in the e-commerce age of hyper-pronounced brand personalities, making sure you’re regularly tidying up the edges around your brand isn’t anything to be ashamed of, it’s important.
Some of the biggest brands in the world have undergone full rebrands in order to keep up with the times, so a little brand refresh shouldn’t be something to be scared of. That being said, how can you be sure that a brand refresh is the right move for you?
Let’s take a closer look at a few tell-tale signs.
Plateauing
Many e-commerce brands, along with e-commerce in general, have experienced quite a bit of growth during these last two years. The pandemic presented plenty of challenges across the board, but the push into social distancing and onto virtual platforms was certainly fuel for the virtual commerce scene. Coming off of that growth spurt and hitting a wall is something no brand wants to see.
Unfortunately, plateauing happens. It happens to small brands that were enjoying a well-deserved spike of growth, and it happens to some of the biggest brands in the world. Either way, the most important step to solving this problem is realizing and accepting that it’s happening—denial isn’t going to do anyone any favors here. The next step? A deep dive into company trends and data. The truth is, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to plateauing, it’s important to be able to identify your problem points and respond accordingly.
That being said, a bit of a brand refresh can be and often is a major part of addressing a plateau. Unless there’s a specific major issue in something like fulfillment, addressing the problem(s) is likely going to take a bit of tidying up in your company’s branding from presentation to personality and company values.
Missed target audience
Your target audience, of course, is a huge part of your branding. When it comes to successful branding, navigating your target audience happens in essentially two main steps: before and after launching.
While you’re still at the drawing board for your business-to-be, a crucial thing to keep in mind is who is going to care about your brand. As much as we’d love to be able to say that you can make your brand attractive to everyone, the truth is, this is never the case.
Once you launch, the next part of navigating your target audience is just as important. Data analysis needs to go into seeing exactly who it is you’re reaching, and whether or not this lines up with your target audience. If these two groups don’t line up, then it’s time to make a choice.
One way or another, your branding could improve. You could refresh to retarget your original plan, or you could double down on the audience you’re reaching. If the two groups are similar enough, you might be able to expand to include both. The decision you take will depend on your specific brand and data, but one way or another a refresh is in order.
Outdated branding
It might be one of the most painful signs you’re in need of a refresh, but it’s a common culprit nonetheless: your branding is outdated. This can be a wide variety of things, from an obsolete online platform to messaging that hasn’t quite aged well.
In the incredibly dynamic and constantly changing world of e-commerce, this also doesn’t necessarily mean you’re stuck in the ’90s (although that would be a red flag). Missing a subtle but important infrastructure update or two could be enough to affect performance.
Keeping up with everything from social trends to updating software and important politics can be fundamental factors in making sure your branding doesn’t fall out of vogue. One of the most important parts of being able to do this is realizing that the market just moves a lot more quickly than it used to.
Degrees and experience are still important, but there weren’t exactly a lot of e-commerce programs in even the best business schools just a decade or two ago. Making sure your team is full of young and fresh talent is a great way of making sure your brand stays young and fresh.
The last thing to reiterate is that a refresh is not something to be afraid of. Whereas a full rebranding is an expensive and course-changing commitment, refreshing is something you should consider doing routinely anyway.
Some say good things come to those who wait, but in e-commerce, good things come to those who study their data, analyze trends, and react accordingly!