We officially began production today for our new web video series, “Branding 101.”
Keep an eye out for our introductory video in the coming weeks. We’ll be addressing the keys to building a “Bold Brand,” including: positioning, competition, brand essence, and more. Stay tuned for more.
Are you considering rebranding your business, product, or service? If you’re like most business owners, you’re perplexed about when and how to go about rebranding. As business conditions improve, you’re looking for a strategic advantage. Regardless of how long you’ve pondered the idea, one thing is sure–rebranding isn’t something to go into half-hearted. You should feel great about the timing and the branding firm you select to guide you through the process.
If you’re considering a rebrand, chances are you already understand that rebranding your firm requires more than just sprucing up your company logo. It’s a deep-dive into who your company is: your positioning, your values, and your brand essence. Any logo changes or visual updates you consider should all be outcomes of the positioning and brand essence decisions you make up-front.
But how do you know when you’re ready to commit to a full rebrand of your company? The following are the ten most common indicators we’ve seen in our business–sure signs you might be ready to rebrand.
1. "Our sales team is embarrassed to show our prospects our collateral / website / business card."
This is probably the number one complaint we hear from business development professionals. If your sales team is afraid to send a prospect to your website or share your collateral with a potential business partner, how much business are you losing out on?
Daily Finance just released a top-ten list that nobody wants to be on: The 10 Biggest Brand Disasters of 2010.
Douglas Mcintyre includes a few of the most notable brand disasters of 2010, including BP, Research in Motion, and Toyota. While technically most of these “brand disasters” were a result of product issues or unfourtunate events, the bottom line is these brands are feeling the hurt.
I’m sure we’ve seen this kind of thing before, but it’s hard to remember seeing so many big brands bomb in one year.
(As an aside, if any of these companies are interested in rebranding later this year, we’d be happy to take their phone calls.)
Check out The 10 Biggest Brand Disasters of 2010 and be sure to share any past brand disasters that you recall below.
Bradford Systems Corporation came to Miles Design earlier this year. They had a strong reputation in Chicago for selling premium architectural storage products, often used for storing paper and files on shelving. Although their reputation was historically accurate, it was only telling part of their 42-year-old story. As an exclusive Spacesaver dealer, Bradford had grown to become leaders in premium, compact storage for anyone who had any kind of valuable items to store: museums, public safety agencies, medium to large businesses, healthcare providers, academic institutions, and government agencies. In addition, their electronic records and software divisions help clients digitize valuable files and keep exacting records of where physical artifacts are located.
Their existing identity felt more dated and industrial than what the Bradford brand had grown to represent. They needed something clean and high-tech, as well as something that would appeal to architects. As Bradford Systems grows in marketshare and reach outside of Chicago (across Illinois and Indiana), they need a brand that can grow with them.
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