Brand tip: Time for a change

There are only two reasons to change your visual identity: To exploit an opportunity or respond to a threat.

Generally speaking, changing to exploit an opportunity is a proactive change - a positive move, reflecting the wider business strategy. This opportunity might involve launching a new product or service, or moving into a new market. On the other hand responding to a threat is usually a reactive change - an unplanned activity, necessary to avoid some kind of negative impact to the business. This threat might be the arrival of a new competitor or simply a change in the habits of your customers.

Either way, it's time to look at your brand, and the visual identity that supports that brand, to see if they need to change. The role of your brand is to reflect the personality of your business or organisation. It is there to tell your audience who you are, what you do, how you do it and where you are going. If there has been a change in any of those factors it could be time for a change. But how do you know?

Like anything in business you need to monitor and measure. Do your audience see your brand the way you want them to? Do they see the values in your brand that you want them to? If the answers no, then change it. If the answer's yes, don't bother.

But the key to knowing when to change is to keep asking your audience what they think - because although you own the brand, your audience dictate what it represents. Your brand is a collection of their views, attitudes and opinions about your business. And you can't change it, you can only influence it.

To find out how you can do that, email jonathan@alderandalder.co.uk or call 01392 248107.

You might also be interested in our Brand to Deliver seminar on 11 November.