Most businesses start out small, especially in beauty, and at that stage sometimes you have to do what your budget, resources and knowledge allow. And that includes branding. What you start out with may not be exactly where you want to be, which is where you see brands refreshing their name, look and feel.
Rebranding isn’t a decision to be taken lightly; it involves careful analysis, strategy and execution. Let’s take a closer look at some things you need to think about if you’re wondering whether or not it’s time to rebrand your beauty business.
What makes a brand?
A brand is way more than just a name, logo or a catchy slogan; it’s the essence of a company—the sum of its identity, reputation, values and perception. At its core, a brand is the emotional and psychological connection a business has with its audience. It’s what sets a company apart in a crowded marketplace, influencing how people perceive, trust and engage with it.
Firstly, a brand embodies a company’s identity and values. It represents the principles and beliefs that guide every aspect of the business—from how it operates to how it communicates with its audience. This identity helps an audience to connect with the brand.
It’s also about perception, and the collective opinions, experiences and emotions that people associate with it. This perception is shaped by every interaction a customer has with the brand—whether through products, customer service, marketing or social impact—creating a lasting impression.
A brand is a promise too. It’s a commitment to consistently deliver on expectations, whether in quality, service, innovation or values. A strong brand inspires confidence and loyalty by fulfilling its promises and exceeding customer expectations, fostering long-term relationships built on trust and satisfaction. Look at brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Chanel or The Ordinary where people really “buy in” to what that brand’s about.
A brand is pretty much the soul of a business. It’s the emotional connection that transforms a business from a mere provider of goods or services into something that holds meaning and significance in the lives of its audience.
How do you know if you should rebrand?
There’s no doubt about it, rebranding isn’t something that happens overnight. Whether you do it gradually or all in one go, it takes time, effort and money. It isn’t just about updating your logo or changing your brand colours.
You might find that the market’s changed, and while your brand might have been on trend when you launched, this might change over time. This can mean other brands resonate with your audience more or that your brand doesn’t really reflect what you offer any more. If competitors are outshining your brand or if you’re struggling to differentiate yourself, it might be time to revamp your brand strategy to stand out in the market.
As your business grows, your values and mission might evolve too. If your brand no longer aligns with your core values or if you’ve expanded your services, a rebrand can help realign your image with your current identity. Or a business might have a new owner and decide to change it up when they take over.
If your target audience has shifted, and your brand no longer appeals to them, it’s a sign that a rebrand might be necessary. Understanding your audience’s evolving needs and preferences is crucial to maintaining relevance. The same goes for if you have inconsistent branding across different platforms as you evolve.
Sometimes brands decide to rebrand because of a negative reputation or perception. Rather than keep going in the face of negative press and feedback, a brand might decide to present a fresh, positive image to the audience. This only works if you back it up by changing your business. Another reason might be that you have the same name as another brand and they’ve sent a cease and desist letter (more common than you might think).
Expanding into new markets, especially international ones, might require a rebrand to ensure cultural sensitivity, language appropriateness and resonance with the new audience. Check out my guidance on naming your beauty brand if you’re thinking of renaming your brand.
What gets updated as part of a rebrand?
A rebrand goes way deeper than just changing your packaging or website. It’s a complete overhaul of your identity and the key components that make up everything that speaks to your target audience.
Here’s what you might expect to update as part of your rebrand:
- Brand name – you might decide to completely change up what your brand’s called, which can come with extra challenges (like domain name, social handles, anything printed, website etc)
- Brand strategy – your core values, purpose and long-term brand goals
- Target audience – who do you want to target and where are they
- Brand identity – logo, colours, typography, visual elements and design choices
- Messaging and positioning – tone of voice, taglines, slogans, product names, product descriptions, website copy and brand story
- Online presence – website, social media profiles, images and design
- Marketing material – printed materials, packaging, digital assets, ads, brochures and email templates
- Customer communication – PR and communication plan to announce the rebrand to the customers, stakeholders and the public
- Internal communication – make sure employees understand the new brand, customer support’s aware and anything internal’s updated too
- Legal considerations – trademarks, legal documentation, company registration etc.
You also need to think about what to do with the stuff that you have with your old branding. Can you reuse, discount or do you plan to just get rid of it? Often it’s part of a process and beauty brands who are in the middle of changing it up can look a bit transitional as some things are in the old branding and others are in the new branding.
What you need to think about when rebranding your business
Rebranding is a big job with lots of moving parts. Chances are you’ll forget something along the way – it’s totally normally and isn’t the end of the world.
Start out by being clear on objectives and goals. Define why you want to rebrand and your motivations for doing it now. Then it’s time to get to know your market and audience a bit better. Look at what competitors are doing, do some market research and analyse what’s working and what isn’t. You might spot some gaps or opportunities that your rebrand can address.
It’s also a good time to do a brand audit. You may want to bring in a brand strategist or agency to support you with this to ensure you get the best results. Evaluate your current brand—visuals, messaging, values and customer perception. Determine what elements should stay, what needs tweaking and what should go. Make a checklist of what needs to be updated along the way.
Ensure everyone within your business understands and supports the rebrand. Alignment among employees is crucial for a successful rollout – ask them what they think and what they’ve spotted working within your industry. You might be amazed where ideas come from.
Rebranding can be costly and time-consuming. Establish a realistic budget and allocate resources for design, marketing and any other necessary elements. There will be things along the way that you just don’t have the time, skills or resources to be able to do yourself.
From here, you can start to create a new brand identity. This involves gathering up inspiration, trying out new ideas, maybe pulling together a mood board or two and aligning to create the brand you want. This includes a unique value proposition, brand story, visual elements and tone of voice.Ensure consistency in the rebrand across all touchpoints.
Involve key stakeholders in the rebranding process and gather feedback. Additionally, communicate transparently with customers about the changes to maintain their trust. Test elements of the rebrand before the full launch. Gather feedback internally and from a select group of customers to make necessary adjustments.
Plan a phased rollout strategy to introduce the rebrand gradually. Consider timing, PR efforts and how to generate excitement around the new brand. You want it to go well and want the brand to resonate with your audience, and this can help to support this. Be prepared to adapt and adjust if you need to.
Define metrics to measure the success of the rebrand. Track changes in customer perception, engagement, sales, and other relevant KPIs – this is really important as it’ll help you identify what’s working and what isn’t. Remember a rebrand isn’t a final one-and-done thing.
Does your beauty brand need an update?
Rebranding’s a complex process that needs careful planning, strategy and execution. It’s about reshaping how your audience perceives and interacts with your brand. A successful rebrand involves a holistic approach, touching upon various aspects of the business to ensure consistency, relevance, and resonance with the audience.
Updating these elements reflects the evolved brand identity and helps communicate the brand’s message effectively. Check out my post about a recent beauty rebrand on Linkedin.
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