The Challenges of Rebranding And What To Do About Them 

Rebranding is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning, execution, and management to succeed. After doing hundreds of branding projects at BLVR®, we know that these projects often come with a special range of challenges that can stand in the way of the most impact. We also know that the smartest solutions to solving these roadblocks begin with believing in more.  In this blog post, we will explore some of the most common challenges of a rebranding project and what you can do to address them.

LACK OF CLARITY AROUND GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

One of the biggest challenges during a rebranding project is not being clear about what you want to achieve. To tackle this issue, you must set goals and objectives at the beginning of the project. This will keep everyone on the same page and ensure everyone knows what the rebrand is trying to accomplish.  

RESISTANCE TO CHANGES

Rebranding usually means big changes to an organization’s belief systems, brand positioning, visual identity, messaging, and comms campaigns. We like to say that rebranding is often the process of rebuilding from the inside out. This can cause resistance from employees, stakeholders, and even customers who love the current brand. To tackle this challenge, you need to communicate the benefits of the rebrand and involve everyone in the process. By getting everyone on board, you can build support for the initiative, control the narrative, and work through any concerns people may have.

BUDGET CONSTRAINTS

Rebranding can be an investment, with costs related to everything from creating a new brand strategy and identity to updating marketing and advertising materials all the way through to building out new employee training. Budget constraints can make it hard to execute a rebranding project effectively. To tackle this challenge, you need to set a realistic budget, prioritize the most important initiatives, and even plan things out over multiple phases. This might mean making tough decisions about what to include and what to leave out and finding creative solutions to keep costs down.

LACK OF ALIGNMENT AND BUY-IN

Rebranding projects require alignment and buy-in from all stakeholders, including employees, customers, and partners. With this alignment and buy-in, executing the rebranding project effectively and achieving the desired results can be easier. To address this challenge, building the best change management strategies you can is important. Because when you involve stakeholders in the process seeking their input and feedback on key decisions, it goes a long way to building trust and ensuring that everyone is aligned around the vision and goals of the rebrand. PS – If you want to know more about change management, check out this article.

TIMING AND RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS

Rebranding projects often have strict timelines and require significant resources, which can be challenging to manage. This can lead to delays, cost overruns, and other issues impacting the project’s success. Sometimes these issues are due to the vendor’s process; other times, it is on the client side because work couldn’t be socialized through the business quickly enough. To address this challenge, it is important to establish a realistic timeline and allocate resources and appropriate time blocks accordingly. We love pre-booking everything on calendars, from meeting dates to blocks of time to consolidate feedback. It may also mean that everyone involved may need to prioritize initiatives so the most critical aspects of the rebranding project can be done.

BALANCING TRADITION AND INNOVATION

Rebranding projects require organizations to balance tradition and innovation, maintaining the brand’s core values and identity while keeping up with emerging trends and technologies. This can be a delicate balance, requiring careful consideration and strategic planning. To address this challenge, it is important to establish clear guidelines for your organization’s belief and your brand’s core values and identity system while also allowing for flexibility and experimentation in areas where innovation is necessary.

MEASURING SUCCESS

Measuring the success of a rebranding project can be tricky, especially if you don’t have clear metrics and KPIs (key performance indicators). It’s crucial to figure out what success means to your organization before starting the project. This way, you’ll know what to track and measure to determine if you’re achieving your goals. Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, improving customer perception, or boosting sales, having a plan to measure progress is essential to the success of your rebrand.

While it’s true that branding projects can be complex, challenging, and require careful planning, execution, and management, they are also a watershed moment for an organization to replot its future by standing for something more.  By identifying and addressing the common challenges we’ve outlined, your organization can reduce risks and increase your chances of achieving monumental success. It’s important to remember that rebranding is not just about changing your logo or color scheme. It’s a strategic initiative to rebuild your brand from the inside out. That requires a comprehensive understanding of your brand, customers, and market. So, take your time, do your research, and stay focused on your goals.