The Art of Reinvention: Why Small Businesses Should Embrace a Rebrand

From Apple’s facelift of 1997 to Facebook’s shift to Meta, rebranding can be a powerful tool to realign your business to its audience and its current products and services. That’s all good for international mega-corps, but is there value in it for your small business? The answer is a definite yes.

An incredible 74% of the S&P 100 companies have rebranded their business in the first seven years. But for small business owners, keeping costs to a minimum can sometimes mean that branding is considered a one-and-done exercise, to the detriment of customer acquisition and professionalism. Today, we’re looking at what a rebrand might entail for your business and why you may want to move it up your priority list.

Why Small Businesses Should Consider a Rebrand

The world we live in is a rapidly changing marketplace. Nearly 90% of Canadian businesses are now online in some form, so standing out is becoming an increasing challenge. As a group, small business owners are putting in more and more time for digital marketing, concentrating on their websites, social media and PPC advertising. Yet, they aren’t all seeing results. Sound familiar?

If your business isn’t appealing to the right people or doesn’t seem as polished and professional as it should, you are pouring time and resources into marketing without getting results.

Rebranding your small businesses can increase your visibility, improve brand perception, expand your target audience, enhance your trust and credibility, and ultimately, increase the value of your business. A well-executed rebrand can boost customer confidence, signalling growth and evolution and demonstrating a commitment to quality and innovation.

Real-Life Examples of Rebrands

We are all familiar with the rebrands of Apple, Meta, or even Canada Games and CIBC, but sometimes, we don’t notice the smaller rebrands that are taking place. Here are a few examples we were involved with, why they happened and how they have impacted the business.

• Cyber PR Army Solutions Inc.. Yes, we gave our own brand a refresh a few years back. Having grown from a solopreneurship to a thriving team of multi-talented staff, it was time to upgrade our aesthetic to show how our skills had grown. We upgraded our logo, social media aesthetic, and website elements too. Now it feels more in line with the feel and ethos of our business.
• Eurocentres Canada, now Atlantic Canada Language Academy. Coming out of a franchise situation is always tricky, but ACLA made the switch with style. During the refresh, we helped with a new logo, website, social media posts, and PDF downloads.
• Business Bee Services. Our Client Services Manager, Zoey, runs a separate business as well. When she started her business, she created a logo in Canva to keep costs small. As the company developed, her audience became more high-end, so her clientele weren’t resonating with the branding. She decided it needed an upgrade. Our Graphic Designer took the same idea and reworked it to something more in keeping with the business needs.

Successful Rebranding for Your Small Business

First and foremost, you will need to consider how deep you want to go. Are you looking to upgrade your existing elements, or are you looking for a complete refresh?

Do you need or want a new logo? Does your business name need an adjustment at the same time? People will react better to a sudden and complete overhaul than if you drip-feed changes over weeks or months, so you will need a clearly defined list of what you are looking to change.

Most of the time, if you are adjusting your logo, your brand sheet or moodboard will also need upgrading. A website redesign and new social media templates will ensure you are running with a new but cohesive brand across all platforms.

Steps to Rebrand Your Small Business

The key to successfully rebranding your business is preparation. Determine what it is you don’t like about your current branding. Then research other brands to find elements you like. You might find them in similar businesses, but don’t be afraid to look at a wide variety of completely unrelated businesses. Yes, there will be trends within your industry, but sometimes, standing out can make all the difference.

Once you know what you do and don’t like, it’s time for a solid plan and strategic execution. That’s where we can help you make it a success. We can help you list the elements you want to change, develop the ideas into professionally designed assets, and launch it all with a warmed-up audience excited about your rebrand.

Small Business Rebranding Summary

It’s true to say that you can trickle on without adapting your branding, but the results will often pay for themselves. Keeping your brand current and looking professional will help to enhance trust and likeability with your potential customers, which can have a hefty impact on your success. There are two key reasons to rebrand. Firstly, if you originally created your assets, a graphic designer could bring your brand to a new level. Secondly, if your industry, your business, or your audience has shifted, responding to this in such a visible way will show how invested you are in the future of your business.

From logo tweaks to a full refresh, rebranding a business doesn’t have to be a headache. Take the next step to unlock your brand’s potential; book a call with us today for a free consultation.

Cyber PR Army Solutions Inc..
Digital Marketing Made Easy.