Alright, let’s talk about keeping your brand fresh without making your audience feel like they’ve walked into the wrong house. You know, like Jaguar did recently. They swapped their iconic, sleek, leaping jaguar for a vibe so cold it felt like the animal had gone extinct.
Jaguar missed one important aspect with their recent brand overhaul…
Refresh, Don’t Reinvent!
Think of your brand like a cool old pair of jeans. There are some couple ways to make them feel fresh without destroying them completely.
1. You can stitch some awesome patches to make them stylish.
2. You can sand them and make them rugged for modern standards and
3. If you want to make a bold statement, you can cut them in half and make cool, trendy shorts.
Let’s not forget that every brand has that one thing that makes people stick around.
Some love your heroic slogan with everything they’ve got (hello Nike), others can’t get over your mouthwatering colors (McDonald, how are you doing), others go crazy upon hearing your bold tone (what’s up Rolex) and here’s a good one, some can’t wait to tattoo your logo on their bums (hello Harley-Davidson).
Before you change, ask yourself: “If I tweak this, will I be messing with the magic?” Jaguar’s fans felt Jag lost the spark here, which is the mix of luxury and thrill that made them… well, Jaguar.
No matter what you do, always remember what people love about you before you change it.
Another thing: tell your tribe what’s going on!
Fact is, nobody likes being blindsided. If you’re changing something big your fans care about, make sure you take them on the journey with you. Share the story. Why the change? And why now?
When Instagram updated its logo, they explained the thought process. People might not have loved it at first, but at least they got the memo.
Invite your people to the table if you want to know how they will react to your new look. Ask them how they like it before shoving it down their throats. Share sneak peeks, run polls or host a little feedback party.
It’s like trying on an outfit before your big date; better get opinions beforehand than to regret it later when everyone’s laughing at you.
News Flash: If It Is Not Broken, Don’t Fix It!
We get it. Trends are tempting. Minimalism, gradients, lowercase logos and, everyone’s doing it. However, trends are like avocado toast; not everyone needs it on their menu.
If your brand has something that works, an iconic brandmark maybe, a beloved mascot or a killer tagline in particular- keep it. You can tweak it, but don’t toss it. Also read: How to make your brand Stand Out! –
Before you jump all in, dip a toe. Test the Waters. Roll out the change slowly, maybe on one product line or platform. See how people react. In this regard, if they hate it, you can backpedal gracefully.
At the end of the day, your brand refresh should still feel like you. Think of it like a haircut. Sure, you can go from long hair to a short cut, but people should still recognize you when they see you.
So, What’s The Big Deal?
Updating your brand should feel like giving it a little glow-up, not a complete makeover where your mom doesn’t recognize you.
When done right, it keeps you relevant and exciting. But lose the plot, and you might end up like Jaguar- getting roasted by fans and experts alike left, right and center.
Your turn: Are you thinking about a brand refresh? What’s the one thing you’d never change about your brand? Let’s have a discussion in the comments. Cheers!
