Blog
March
25
7 Tips to Help with Unexpected Requests When Rebranding
Rebranding can be an exciting time for your organization. From logo redesigns to overhauled mission statements and recast visions, there’s something inherently invigorating about redefining your identity as an organization.
On the other hand, the process can be anxiety-inducing. Suddenly a lot of people have opinions about what your company should look and sound like. You may find yourself wondering if you’ve made the right decisions – does the rebrand truly represent your aspirations as a business?
Having an idea of what to expect during the process can help you remain focused on big-picture goals as well as sort through the smaller day-to-day issues as they arrive.
You’ve rebranded, now what?
Once a company rebrands, requests come out of the woodwork for the first 2-3 months. We’re talking about the things you didn’t consider having to rebrand such as forms, presentations, meeting binders, and the headquarters city’s local ballpark sign. These are legitimate needs that may not have a great impact on your big-picture goals, but they are important to the admin arranging meetings and the salesperson coaching the little league team.
The first step is to recognize the need and empathize with the inquirer. The second step is recognizing that dismissing them will hurt you in the end as well.
These folks need an outlet in the rebranding process for a few reasons: 1) people can become resentful of the new brand if they can’t get what they need, and 2) they will continue to use old materials to accomplish their goals, thus diluting your efforts, and 3) these smaller items will endlessly distract you from your major goals if you do not take care of them. Consider these steps for a remedy:
Audit
Conduct an audit of anything and everything that faces the public or has your logo. Ask department heads to submit files or screenshots to specific shared folders by a reasonable date. Give them time and a convenient method for submission.
Direct
Control access to your agency – make sure it’s clear to your team who to go to and how to request branded materials.
Prioritize
Give people a way to communicate the importance of their needs. Many will still feel that their need is a five-alarm fire, and in the end, you will have to prioritize what you spend the company’s time and money on.
Once you do these things, you still need to figure out how to solve these requests. Here are some quick tips:
Create Policies and Procedures
All things lead to money. Write policies and procedures for spending the marketing budget. Who signs off on expenses and at what dollar amount? Do you need to structure your budget and allocate by department or location? Set parameters that protect your brand yet enable your team to function and express the brand.
Offer Simple Solutions for Lower Priorities
Offer pre-determined solutions where possible. For example, if local or regional offices need commonly sized ads, billboards or promotional items your agency can pre-produce high-quality versions or produce an approved library.
Create Systems
If emailing you is the only avenue to getting something done, then you are going to run into issues. Instead, create a reservation system for utilizing branded resources in your company such as trade show booths, or an order form for business cards that goes straight to your agency and charges the correct cost center.
Have an Upfront Understanding
Work with your agency to understand how to handle requests they may receive from other departments or how to report retainer usage.
Get Excited
Rebranding can be an incredibly rejuvenating experience for your business if you approach it with the right mindset and systems in place. While a lot of unexpected requests may pop up, these tips will help you channel that energy and turn potential distractions into production.