A rebranding is the perfect moment to re-establish the brand organisation. All resources need to be converted, usually in an extremely short period of time. This often proves to be the perfect moment to digitize tools and building blocks.
The total process of rebranding requires a considerable budget. Funds are available, and the board of directors is committed. Grab this moment with both hands to embed the brand properly, roll it out on a broad scale and organise the entire process smartly. You will benefit from this later on!
Digitization will not work until both the people and process components have been properly arranged. Whether a new method of operation is enforced at short notice or is introduced slowly depends on the organisation’s structure, culture and objectives. What helps is to continue to communicate clearly why a certain path is being chosen. People simply like to understand why certain choices are being made.
Facilitate the rebranding change process properly
There are all kinds of reasons to rebrand. From a strategic viewpoint (a repositioning for instance) or on account of tactical reasons (the current identity is outdated and no longer appropriate to modern times). What is always the same is the fact that altering the identity has a considerable impact on colleagues. The people component.
Is there a lot of resistance against the new identity? This probably means that people are involved with your organisation. So it is actually very positive. These people are your brand ambassadors. When you get these people on board of the new brand, they can be the foundation to build your Brand Community on.
The power of repetition
The (brand) managers expect people (internally and externally) to act in accordance with the values of the new brand. Still we often forget to explain how it benefits people themselves. Why this is so important. Very specifically: what does the organisation expect from me in my role? What is this new brand value and how does it affect my position? What’s in it for me? Most people would like to cooperate, but they should be facilitated. Furthermore, it is crucial to embed the brand values into the organisation.
The “power of repetition” is crucial in this respect. Realising consistency in all brand communications is one thing. And then there also is promoting coherent behaviour. A symbiosis of these two elements ensures the ultimate brand experience across all touchpoints.
Is the brand a strategic enabler? Is it important for growth? In that case it is necessary to facilitate the rebranding’s change process properly by providing the appropriate information and tools at different levels within the organisation.
Approach, communication & tools
The positioning and design phase are followed by the assessment and implementation phase. Here the focus usually is on the most prominent touchpoints such as converting and adjusting marketing communication tools, signing on buildings, livery and corporate clothing and the implementation of the new identity on, for instance, the website. In addition, the internal communication is initiated.
However, we often see that this is interrupted. Possibly because the focus is aimed at the development of new brand communications. However, we notice that the introduction of the new identity within the organization often concerns the announcement and the explanation of the “why”. Followed by silence. This frequently leads to inadequate adoption of the new identity.
Choose structure and use the following useful list during the rebranding process:
- Make a brand touchpoint matrix. This way you have a good picture of which touchpoints are the most important. Furthermore, it will bring peace of mind in the busy phase of the actual rollout.
- Evaluate the current touchpoints. Are we still printing the range of brochures or will we digitize it? It makes a world of difference if you consider this in advance.
- Define internal target groups and their impact on the rebranding and brand experience. And describe in detail what you expect from them in the rebranding process and when. Neither should you forget external parties such as agencies with which you collaborate.
- Provide these target groups with the proper information; for example, content marketers who must rewrite those texts. What do you expect from them? Draw up a list of do’s and don’ts and make them available in your Brand Portal and repeatedly notify them to the content marketers.
- Check whether you can embed the brand as guiding principle within the existing business processes. Clearly mention the upside when your colleagues set to work with it. Prove that marketing campaigns convert better when they are on-brand? And remember to enjoy these successes.
- Work on a Brand Community with enthusiastic ambassadors. Activating the brand is the task of corporate communications, however, adoption and utilization of the brand are up to the business. The Brand Management department should act as Brand Business Partner. They contribute very concrete ideas on how the brand contributes to the operating income. Similar to an HR Business Partner or Business Controller.
- Deploy tools, enabling people to work on the brand themselves as much as possible. This considerably increases adoption.
Rebranding as starting point for brand community & ultimate brand experience
Facilitating and digitizing the rebranding process properly not only leads to happy board members and employees. It will also save a lot of money during the project and the period thereafter, since you will have laid a solid foundation for Digital Brand Management.
You now have a central Brand Platform on which you inform your colleagues and external parties who collaborate on your brand. A platform on which and where all parties make efficient on-brand content. Where you structurally receive feedback on the (brand) strategy. Where you communicate refinement of the strategy. This is the foundation for an active Brand Community, which jointly ensures consistent communications, coherent behaviour and therefore an ultimate brand experience across all touchpoints.
