Why Rebranding is Much like Moving House
I've recently moved house, and it occurred to me that there are a lot of similarities between a move and a rebrand. Both involve planning (packing), change and letting things go - and both can have a major impact. I've consulted on and managed branding, rebranding and refreshing exercises for over 30 brands across a broad range of sectors and have seen how scary it can seem to make a big change, so I wanted to share my tips. Please indulge me in this analogy and let me know now if you find it helpful!
Packing
When packing for a move, you often come to realise that much of what you have isn't really being used. Whether you're downsizing or even moving to a bigger place, you don't want to clutter your new place so only take the things you use and love.
This is much like the process of discovery at the beginning of a rebrand - we discuss the things that are important to your brand and the things that aren't working as well. A rebrand isn't just about giving your business a shiny new logo, it's an opportunity to make the changes you need to make the business stronger. As with moving, you have to let some things go to make room for new things and to really enjoy the things you most love having.
Faff
Image: Fantastic Removals
Moving house isn't fun. People use words like 'exciting' to you, and politely you'll try to seem positive, but you also know that you'll be saying goodbye to your social life while you pack, move and unpack your life from boxes. With all that and the cost of the van, tying up bills and changing your address on everything, it's fair to say moving house is a massive faff.
But is it worth it? Of course. The new space you have, or the new area, or both! The new chance to put your stamp on a place, to design your space for your lifestyle or a new shorter commute? Long after the 'faff' of the move is over, you can enjoy the outcome.
This is exactly the same with branding. Set aside 2-3 months to work on an effective rebrand, and you'll see an improvement in your business for years to come. Your rebrand may help you reach a new type of customer, launch a new product or charge more - these are huge results that are well worth the initial time you take for the process.
Change
This seems to be the biggest one that affects clients who are going through a rebrand. They start out game for changing whatever needs to change to better fit with their customers and keep ahead of competition, then during the process cave into the fear that too much is changing.
I see it again and again, and I completely understand - it's hard to let go of something you've always had, whether it's in your business or your home, and sentimental attachment can cause you to cling to things you don't really need - from an outdated tagline to a broken lamp.
Remember that change needs to take place in order to create a more engaging and relevant brand - the more your compromise how open you can be to this change, the more you also compromise the result. You decided to have a rebrand for a reason, focus on that and where you want to be, and you'll find the process runs much more smoothly. Yes, change is scary, but as with moving house, you wouldn't have decided to move in the first place if you wanted to stay just where you were.
Rebranding and moving house can have a wonderful effect on life - they both give you a new perspective and the chance for a fresh start; and unlike moving house, you won't be surrounded with boxes after your rebrand.