Rebranding can be a cathartic experience.  It can revive what was beginning to feel stale, open new doors for press, partnerships, clients… But how do you know when is really the best time to invest in a re-brand?  

These are our studio’s guidelines.

When to Consider a Custom Brand or Rebrand:

01. You are starting to pursue press

You are established in your industry and want to share your knowledge while increasing your visibility by becoming a thought leader. You are ready to pitch podcasts, news outlets, magazines… and want to feel confident in your digital footprint as you direct them and their audiences to your website and/or socials.

02. You are pitching high-level partnerships

You’d like to expand your reach and credibility by teaching in masterclasses, building referral partnerships with industry leaders, and want to be perceived as a high-caliber asset to their brand.  You want instant “yes”-es from people who see and align with the best version of you and your business. 

03. You are ready to take on less clients, at a higher price point

No more juggling 17 low ticket projects – you’re ready to truly immerse yourself in each project, and serve people who value and trust you.  

You are craving time freedom, financial freedom, and freedom to be selective in who you work with. 

04. You are an established entrepreneur looking to build your next business without the same learning curve as your first.

You’ve been through the brand-building process before and know how much it changed your business.  You want to start off fast and strong with your next venture and have clarity of who it’s for, how you want to build it, and what it will become in 5-10 years.  You are pre-launch and need a truly collaborative partnership to bring the strategy, messaging, UX, and visual identity to life. 

When Not to Rebrand:

• You are already aligning with the press/partnerships/clients you want – but personally are feeling bored/are seeing trends that you like and want to incorporate.
  • The choice to re-brand should be strategic – and requires an adjustment period for your audience – if done out of alignment, it can actually hurt your bottom line and your reputation. 
  • An alternative: try adding some fresh elements to your existing brand via social media, a limited merch collection, or even add a limited product/service to your suite to freshen things up and breathe new life into your business without abandoning the brand recognition you’ve built over time. 

When to Consider a DIY Brand:

• You are not ready for the investment of a professionally designed brand. Great things happen outside of comfort zones, but it is important to understand your finances as a business and choose your investments wisely.  Branding has an ROI that is difficult to measure.  It is not a get-rich-quick solution – it is an investment in the long-term success of your brand.  It may take 12-18 months to see a full return. 

• You are not ready to trust a designer to collaborate with you on your brand.  Our businesses are our babies. But if you are going to invest in a designer, it is important that you allow them to do their job & trust the training and experience they have as a design professional.  If you’d rather be more involved/make design choices independently, join the waitlist for our DIY branding course where you can not only walk away with a beautiful brand and website, but also learn the process so that you may be more comfortable collaborating with a designer in the future.  

• You are a brand new business
  • If you are brand new to entrepreneurship, branding is an incredible asset.  BUT.  I strongly recommend starting with a DIY brand.  It is common to grow/change immensely in your first few years, requiring re-investments in professional brand identities.  However, having a professional-looking brand will absolutely help your new venture be taken seriously not only by your first customers/clients, but by partners stocking your products, referring your services, or providing VC funding.  
  • Bonus: by taking a DIY course – you will be equipped to pivot and adjust your brand as needed throughout the infancy of your business – on your own schedule, with no recurring investment.

A brand is a powerful asset – and so is knowing when to invest in education, professional help, or something in between.  If you’re not sure if it’s the right time for your business, inquire with us and we’ll set up a free call to help you look at the options – no pressure.