When it comes to your graphic design, including your logo, web visuals, and more, is it time for a refresh? Whether your brand isn’t communicating what you want or it’s time to try something new, sometimes, it’s time to make a change or two.
Note how we didn’t say “overhaul.” You can rebrand your website, logo, advertising, copy, etc. without needing a complete makeover. Usually, a tweak or two here or there can go a long way. Also, unless you’re completely changing your company’s mission, vision, and strategy, you want your core message to stay the same.
That’s why you should consider rebranding every few years. Not only will this keep your visual content fresh and engaging – it can showcase how your company is changing in little ways. Here’s what we mean:
Why should you redesign?
Every once and a while, you need to freshen things up. Even if your company isn’t changing much, a simple font change or a logo reshaping can do a few things for your business. These can be:
- Better communicate who you are and what you’re about
- Change a “dated” font or design
- Reconnect with your customers
- Reflect a change, like a move or a new focus on certain products or services
But where to start? You might be tempted to look and see what’s new in logo design for 2022. A word of caution: like fashion, graphic design trends change every fifteen minutes. Thus, we’re advising you to ignore the noise on what’s big this year, because 1) you don’t know if it will become an established trend or fade after five minutes, and 2) the trends may not fit your brand. For instance, pink is supposedly the “hot, new color” for 2022. If your brand has no pink in it at all, why would you pay attention to whether pink is popular or not?
However, noting trends that are on brand, or could be on brand, might be beneficial. If logos are going more minimal, and your logo is due for a brush-up, take the cue and give your logo some TLC. So use the trends as a guideline: what trends fit your brand, and what trends don’t? Determining if a trend will last more than a year is difficult, so only jump on a trend that you think will further your brand.
If you like a trend but are unsure, try it out in an ad campaign. These could manifest as e-blast images, social media campaigns, or banner ads. If it sticks, see how you can expand the idea into your overall marketing while making it a part of your brand.
How much work are you going to do?
You don’t have to scrap everything about your branding during a redesign. Think of it more as a refresh. Take Pepsi or Burger King, for example. These brands have an established identity, but over the years, they gave their branding a makeover. Here’s how they did it:
Pepsi: Since Pepsi’s been around forever, there have been blogs after blogs written about the amount of rebranding they’ve done over the years. From dropping Cola from their name to distinguish themselves from Coca-Cola to changing their logos every few years, Pepsi hasn’t entirely strayed from their roots. They still market themselves a certain way: cutting edge, a soft drink for the younger crowd. To keep marketing themselves as the “young, fresh soda pop on the market,” they need to freshen up their look every so often to keep their branding feeling new.
The design elements are still there, and recognizable. The red, white, and blue globe is still a part of their logo even though it’s gone through some subtle redesigns here and there. However, the logo font has changed over the years, from cursive to a blocky sans-serif to the rounder font of today.
Burger King: In 2021, the fast-food chain decided to return to its roots, both simplifying its logo and using it to pay homage to their first logo design. Not only is Burger King returning to its roots with its logo design, but its name also sandwiched between two “buns”, it’s returning to a vintage color palette.
Instead of the stark primary colors it’s used since 1999, BK appears to be embracing a 1970s aesthetic. Their “Flame Sans” typeface brings us back to time marked by discos and roller rinks, as does their orange, green, and brown-heavy color palette. It’s still on brand – plus, their colors borrow from the colors found in a hamburger – but the reinvention feels like a breath of fresh air.
Your business: As you can see from the above, you don’t have to change everything about your branding to freshen up your logo or websites visuals. Going back to basics or making a tweak here and there to modernize can be an excellent branding strategy, too. To start, ask yourself this basic question: What’s the core of what you’re communicating, and how do you communicate it?
Again, take trends with a big grain of salt and always make rebranding decisions with your brand in mind. Not sure how to best communicate your brand through visuals? Recruit someone to your team with an eye for design and visual communication. Don’t have anyone to do it? Give us a call. Our graphic designer would love to help you accomplish your rebrand. You’ll see the difference in your bottom line and your website traffic.