Your brand is the face you show the world. It’s the persona you present when people come to know you, your trustworthiness and your reliability as a business. It’s your voice when you speak with your customers and potential investors. And it’s the way you represent yourself to your team members, colleagues and vendors.
An updated brand is more than a logo redesign or a few new taglines. It’s a reflection of your company’s values, goals, strategies and culture. It’s a sign that you care about your image and business practices. And it’s something you can do at any time, especially if you want to retain your customers and attract new ones.
If you’re ready to up your brand game, check out these five reasons you need to update your brand.
You Need to Be Receptive to Change
As the world becomes more digital, the way people interact with brands changes, too. In order to stay relevant, you need to stay receptive to change. For example, take a look at a company like Uber. The company has been in operation for less than 10 years and it’s already changed its logo three times, as well as its tagline (“Everyone’s Private Driver”).
It may seem like constant changes are unnecessary, but it’s important for companies to be willing to grow and evolve with their customers. If you don’t keep up with the changing times, your business could lose relevance. And relevance can lead to lost profits and a lack of growth opportunities.
You Need to Showcase Your Brand Values
Your brand represents everything you stand for. It’s your values and how you want to be perceived. If you take pride in your company culture and want to show that off, it’s time to update your brand. You may want to start by considering what you represent as a business owner and how you want others to perceive that.
Do you want people to think of your company as creative? Or professional? Do you want people to feel like they can trust the information they’re getting from your website? Whatever your values are, updating your brand will allow you to reflect those beliefs in a clear way.
You Need to Showcase Your Company Culture
A brand is more than your logo. It’s the voice of your company. And it can be used to showcase your company culture and what you value as a company.
Many brands—especially larger ones with multiple offices or locations—choose to create a design language that can be used in all of their communications and branding materials. Your brand should reflect your values and show off the best parts of your business. If you’re looking for ways to update your brand, think about how you might want to change the way you show yourself to others.
You Need to Showcase Your Core Competencies
If you have a strong brand identity, customers are going to know what you stand for and what makes you unique. With a clear message about your business’s core competencies, your brand becomes more valuable. If customers know immediately what your company can do for them, they’ll be more inclined to do business with you.
To develop this clear message, ask yourself: What do I want people to think when they hear my company name? What problem am I solving? What sets me apart from the competition?
You Need to Showcase Your Mission and Values
Your branding should reflect the values and mission of your organization. It’s important to ensure that the way you interact with your customers and potential clients reflects who you are as a company. If you have a goal to offer premium products and services, your branding should show that.
For instance, if you have a social cause or mission, your branding should be able to represent that as well. For example, if you have a vegan brand, it should be obvious in everything from logos to slogan.
You also need to consider how people perceive your brand – both internally and externally. How do employees feel about the company? Do they believe in what they’re selling? What is their perception of the company’s values? Is it an honest business or one that will take advantage of consumers? These are all questions worth considering when updating your brand.