3 Must-Haves For Your Brand Refresh

It’s time for a fresh start.

Companies grow, pivot, and change. That means brands can either evolve or become stagnant.

Here at Reusser, we’re no strangers to that process. In January, we unveiled our own brand refresh.

Updated name. Simplified logo. Solidified core values.

It was a long process and also a labor of love. Branding is one of the multiple services we offer. But for a while, it had been clear that our company outgrew our identity. When people heard the name “Reusser Design”, they assumed all we did was create websites and graphics.

The last thing we wanted was to be like a plumber who had leaky pipes at home. So we buckled down, booked time on the calendar, and got really introspective.

The result was a brand refresh our whole team can be proud to name and claim.

Does your brand need work? When the time comes for your refresh, here are three must-haves to keep at the top of your list:

1. You Must Have More Than A Logo

We spend hours and hours talking with companies about their brand. Many of these conversations can be distilled down to a single misconception.

Logo = Brand

Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

Your brand is more than a logo. It’s more than a color palette. It's more than a slick digital experience. At its core, your brand is what people think, feel, and communicate about you. It’s your identity. That means every choice you make, from the way to present yourself to the way you interact with your customers, impacts the brand. In short, everything speaks.

Elements like your logo are a piece of the puzzle, not the puzzle itself.

Think about it this way. People don’t choose Nike over Adidas because swoops look cooler than dominos. People choose Nike because they connect with the identity Nike built over time.

The reality is, if you have a new logo, you have a great start. But you need to keep going.

2. You Must Have Brand Definition

Can you articulate your brand?

If not, neither can anyone else. A clear brand identity creates a trickle-down effect. If you can articulate your brand, so can your employees.

And if your employees can articulate your brand, so can your audience.

And if your audience can articulate your brand, they’re more likely to become advocates rather than just customers.

Uncovering your brand requires interviewing yourself:

• What do we stand for?
• What do we value?
• What is the personality of your company?
• What problems are you solving?
• What is the why behind what we do?

When you can answer these sorts of questions, who you are becomes much more clear.

3. You Must Have Team Ownership

You can’t do it alone.

One or two people aren’t enough to finetune a brand and then share it with the world.

Even if you are the leader and spokesperson of your company, you don’t have near the collective reach of your team. They’re the ones writing copy, answering questions, and interacting with your audience every single day.

If you want your new brand to succeed, your team must have a sense of ownership. A big part of that is getting them involved. That doesn’t mean every person votes on every detail. But if you include your team in the branding process, if they can see their fingerprints on the final product, they’re much more likely to buy in.