Congratulations, your company has a new brand which will attract customers for years to come. But applying it well is just as important as designing it. Here is a checklist to ensure your rebrand is a smooth transition.
No matter which elements of the list you use or do not use, timing is everything. Do you want a gradual rebrand, or everything at once? You’ll need to plan ahead and co-ordinate with your creative director, graphic designer, brand and marketing managers, website developer and printer, to get this right.
Website graphics
Changing your website graphics is either going to be the fastest or slowest aspect of this process, depending if your rebrand includes a new website.
Social media graphics
Changing social media graphics is an easy win and can be done rapidly. However they are one of the most noticeable adjustments, so get your timing right here.
Business cards
If you have business cards, getting a new set designed and printed can be done in around a week. Consider customisation such as gold foiling or super-heavyweight paper to create a pristine first impression of your business.
Print and digital stationery
As we move further into digital dependency, business stationery is being replaced by email footers. Regardless of format, it’s so important to get this right. Do you need custom printed envelopes, or an animated email footer? Consider how you can make the greatest impact.
Merchandise
Printed merchandise is important, especially if your business income depends on it if you work in entertainment or retail.
Stickers and labels
Not just sticky ones! If you sell fabric merchandise such as clothing, you’ll need to update the printed and woven labels.
Transport liveryIf you have a company van, car, or lorry, you’ll need up update the vinyl branding. Remove the permanent vinyl with a hairdryer and get a professional to add the new logo design.
Signage
Getting the signage on your office or shop is so important, and might take more investment than anticipated.
One company who rectified their rebranding mistake well was British travel agent TUI. Their rebrand from Thomson used the same icon, font and colours as its predecessor. It was reasonably assumed that the travel agents’ red lettering could be removed and replaced with the new company name. This was done, but the ghost of ‘Thomson’ remained. Within a few months the signage was rectified and looks fabulous.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Thomson to TUI rebrand. You can have it done properly or you can have it done quickly. Quickly it is... <a href="https://t.co/mSiJeKT5dQ">pic.twitter.com/mSiJeKT5dQ</a></p>— Andrew Wiseman (@aswiseman) <a href="https://twitter.com/aswiseman/status/916770624479072257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Internal documents
Internal documents are important for adjusting your staff to the new brand. This includes PowerPoint presentations, note paper and staff badges.
Bespoke design for your business
Consider the bespoke branded items your business needs which many will not. Till receipts, ebooks and packaging all fall under this category.
I hope this checklist has been useful to you. If your company requires a rebrand, or help with brand rollout, please get in touch at studio@abelldesign.co.uk.