Is your brand feeling stale these days? Do you feel a disconnect between what your brand should be and what it actually is? There are lots of reasons to invest in a re-brand; some companies feel they've lost their identity and need to re assess while others see a new opportunity in the market and want to adjust what they're currently doing to meet it. There are a few ways that you can find out if your current identity crisis means it's time for a re-brand. 

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When you first dream up your new business, you have an idea of what you want it to be, how you want it to look and feel and how you want it to be perceived by consumers and you do endless research and development to set your sales goals. You create the logo for your new business, the typography and styling look exactly how you wanted it to. Fast forward a few months or years and while it seemed like a good idea at the time or because so much time has passed, your logo just doesn't align with where your business is at now. Your business is an extension of you so it's important that the brand image is true to who you are. A great place to start if this is how you are feeling, is to remember where your original idea surfaced from. Was the business something that was created after a certain life even? Maybe the birth of your first child created a desire in you to start sewing baby clothes, maybe you had a trip to France that sparked a passion to bake and sell pastries. Coming back to your WHY can help you to remember what the decision was for your original branding. 

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Taking a step through memory lane to where you are now, where did your original branding idea come from? Is it something that you didn't think about at all or was it something that came organically? Did you happen to spend months thinking about it, thinking of your customer, where they eat, work, spend their free times? If you find that you spent a lot of time looking into your brand and what it stood for, maybe you just need to reassess what you are feeling. A rebrand might not be what you need but possibly an assessment of where you are. Are you following your mission statement? Are you still trying to hit the same customer you were or have you derailed a little bit while trying to get the business going? This is a really great time to go into your business and reassess what it means to you and if it is still on that same track. Really look into your values and feelings. 

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In the case with the hair salon chain Singletons, they felt their business was missing what was the integral part of them, family. This family owned company was recently taken over by granddaughter, Meagan, and she just wrapped up a full company re-brand. She's changed their a-la-carte menu to be a full service salon, upgraded their product line, gradually doing a full salon revamp and just opened their amazing new flagship store in the Winnipeg Exchange District. Those of you who are familiar with the salon are probably thinking "they are trendy and awesome now?" to which we can attest, yes! The minimalist interior, exposed bricks and wood beams, shop with local goods and selfie wall make this the new go to destination for hair. This re brand wasn't just a face lift, there has been a lot of inner work that had to be done. It started with Megan taking a look at their mission statement, re-evaluating what their company stands for. Did you know Singletons was a family owned business? Neither did we.  Meagan knew she wanted to shift the focus so current and prospective clients knew they are family owned business who has more to offer so the visual space needed to match that family feeling. Knowing what your brand stands for is key. Figure out what you think your business is missing, updating and re-configuring can be the key to your success.  

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Knowing your business, what you stand for and where you want to go, is the best way to work through what you need to do in your rebrand. Thinking it through, doing your research and talking it out is your best bet to make it a rebranding that sticks. Staying true to your roots, like Singletons did, will be the key to your success. 

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Thanks to Meagan at Singletons for the interview. 

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