When a rebrand goes wrong, it has the potential to go very wrong.
Take Pepsi’s new logo in 2008, for example. Even though it appeared to be a very slight change to the original design, the rebrand cost Pepsi $1 million. A lot of money to spend without regaining any market share (in fact, it actually fell after the release of the logo).
But don’t let what happened to Pepsi defer you. Rebrandings can also be very successful—and don’t need to cost a fortune.
Want to know what the secret ingredient is that creates a rebrand your audience won’t want to run from? Just keep it subtle. Subtlety and a slow rebranding over time can help your audience adjust to these changes.
So, why not start off with your content? Freshening it up can set the foundations for a successful rebranding and can also ensure your audience stays engaged throughout. Want to know how?
In this article, we’ll lay out some brilliant ways to rebrand your content in order to keep your audience engaged.
#1 Incorporate Visual Content
Visual content is a big deal right now. It can really shape your entire branding, and it's also an important tool in spreading your message across social media channels.
80% of readers will just skim online content, so it’s imperative that you catch their attention.
Adding visuals to your text posts actually increases people’s desire to read by 80%. It can also have a huge effect on engagement. Just look at the stats: Facebook posts with images see 2.3% more engagement than those without. Similarly, live Facebook videos have an engagement rate of 4.3% compared to 2.2% for non-live.
Why not start your rebranding by posting a short video to your socials that shows off all the new designs that your audience can expect to see? The engagement that will result from the content will help your video be placed high in lots of people’s newsfeeds and get people excited about what is to come!
#2 Use Audience-Generated Content
Keep your audience on your side while you rebrand by getting them to create some content themselves. After all, they are your customers and know exactly what similar consumers want to see. So, in theory, they are the perfect content creators for you.
But how do you persuade them? It’s as easy as asking customers to submit their own photos or videos. You can start by setting up a social media competition to encourage participation and engagement. Consumers love to see how others use products and services, so getting them to send in these kinds of images and videos will definitely help to keep your audience completely onside during a rebranding. As for increasing engagement, competitions are known to increase conversions by a whopping 34%!
One great example of audience-generated content comes from the UPS Store. This B2B firm encouraged their small-business customers to post images and videos using the hashtag #TheUPSStoreCustomer. These posts were then shared by the UPS Store’s main account. The store’s packing tape and cardboard boxes might not have been interesting themselves, but they got their audience interested by showing what things are like behind the scenes.
So, when rebranding, why not encourage social media followers to share what can be considered the ‘other side of your brand’. You’ll soon find that you have plenty of content to share that keeps engagement rates high.
#3 Be Authentic
Whether rebranding your content only consists of minor changes or you’re looking to completely re-do the whole platform, it always needs to be 100% authentic.
Authenticity has been identified as one of the top qualities that makes brands attractive; and millennials believe authenticity comes second only to loyalty. In fact, 91% of consumers across different generations would much rather buy from an authentic brand, so it’s best to evaluate and adhere to branding guidelines previously researched by some of the greatest brands.
Want to know what could happen if your rebranding fails the authenticity test? You might end up like Cardiff City F.C. The football team has played in blue throughout their history. Their branding is blue to reflect this, as is their famous nickname, “the Bluebirds”.
However, when Vincent Tan took over the club in 2010, he decided to change the team's colors to red—logo, branding, and football kit. But did the club’s nickname change to reflect this? Nope.
To get the Bluebirds to play in red, Tan is estimated to have invested around £100 million into the club. Rather than win over the fans, though, this unauthentic rebranding simply left them confused. It certainly tested the trust of many loyal fans!
When rebranding, be sure to hold onto qualities, values, and small details that are true to you. Not only does this prevent any confusion, but it also means that your customer’s trust in you will stay strong. There’s no risk of them thinking that you’ve lost the values or message that brought them to you in the first place.
#4 Rebrand Across All Channels
Brand marketers need to be perfectionists when they’re working on a rebrand. You can’t pick and choose what gets rebranded: the whole brand needs to be included in the overhaul, no matter the channel it's seen on.
This ensures consistency, which is something that we already know to be one of the huge challenges when creating a brand. And it can also hinder markets when they decide to rebrand.
No matter where a consumer comes into contact with your brand—be that your website, Facebook, or local media—they need to see exactly the same image on every channel they spot the brand. If not, confusion is likely to arise and, shock horror, they might not even recognize it's the same brand!
Such consistency is necessary not just so your brand can look super polished. Consistent brands are 3–4 times more likely to benefit from brand visibility. So, next time you’re creating a magazine or brochure with FlippingBook, make sure the branding matches that seen on your socials, website, and any other printed advertising. Add your own branding, colors, and logo to your FlippingBook publications to keep consistency and raise your brand awareness.
Ballard Sustainability Booklet
Try for free
Rebranding doesn’t have to be a shambles. By using fresh ideas that closely identify with your brand values to engage your audience, you’ll find that they’re more likely to stick with you.
With the four ideas above, you can implement a fantastic content rebrand that doesn’t harm your brand!
Author's bio:
Joy Corkery is Content Marketing Lead at Latana with over 7 years of marketing experience, helping brands grow by sharing tech and marketing insights. Aside from being a skilled writer, Joy is also a massive book lover.
