After you have been in business long enough, there will come a time where the brand that accurately represented your company’s vision and mission in the beginning now feels a little outdated and off-focus. Often, businesses will make the mistake of thinking they need to scrap their entire brand identity and start new to gain a fresh look. A complete re-branding of your business requires a lot of time and resources, plus it works against any brand value you may have already created.

Instead, we recommend giving your brand a “refresh” as the first step. What does it really mean to refresh your brand and what are the steps for accomplishing this? We’re happy to weigh in with some insight to help you fall in love with your brand all over again. Take a look!

Revisit your mission and vision statements

If you feel like your current brand is no longer connecting with your target audience, begin by revisiting your mission and vision statements. It’s likely these are also outdated and no longer reflect your business objectives. Rewrite your mission and vision statements, as necessary, and use these as a starting point for what your refreshed brand should communicate.

List significant changes that have taken place within your business

Next, think about any significant changes that have taken place within your business over the last few years. Have you restructured, changed your pricing model, added new services or focused on a specific niche. Such changes should be considered in your brand refresh. The colors and fonts in your logo, on your website and on any other marketing materials should reflect your new direction. Most importantly, your tagline or slogan should also reflect these changes!

Gain a clear understanding of your current target audience

Another important consideration is whether your target audience has changed since the creation of your original brand. For example, when you first started your business, maybe you had envisioned targeting millennials, but instead your biggest consumers have proven to be the Gen Z market. You will want to refresh your brand so that it is more appealing to your current target audience.

Do some A/B testing

If you’re torn between two different logos or taglines, try A/B testing your options. Essentially, you will show one random group of viewers one version and another group the other version. Then you can track how well it performs. An easy way to do this is through email marketing campaigns where you can track opens, clicks and more.

Make some changes, while keeping the essence of your original brand

Again, we want to stress that a brand refresh is NOT a complete rebranding. Don’t scrap your entire original brand, especially if there are components that are working just fine. Rather, keep the essence of your original brand so that your brand refresh still looks and feels like the brand you have always had – just fresher.

Be sure any changes are made consistently throughout your business

Once you’re ready to implement changes, be sure to do so consistently. This means your new logo, fonts, colors and tagline should be updated on all marketing materials. Think business cards, web site, social media, email signatures, apparel and more. Ditch that old letterhead and update that too! You’ve got to be “all in” to make your refreshed brand stick.

Use your brand refresh as a reason to promote your business in a new way

Finally, be sure to use your refreshed brand as a newsworthy moment to call some attention to your business. “Unveil” your new logo or tagline as a promoted announcement on social media. Make it the homepage banner on your website. Send out an e-blast. And even issue a press release. The most excitement you create over your refreshed brand, the more attention it will draw from your target audience.

Does your brand need a fresh look? Which piece of advice did you find to be most helpful? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment!