Why it might be time for a brand reset

We won't be returning to the world that we were in before COVID. The pandemic has just accelerated many of the emerging trends in our thinking and behaviour and 3 months is a very long time for us to get used to a new way of living and doing business, meaning it's unlikely we'll return to the old world exactly as it was. With this in mind, many business strategies will have to change, many already have, and some of the old ways of marketing may seem irrelevant to our audiences now.

Our habits, thinking and behaviours have changed.

Our lives have rapidly moved to be more digital than they have ever been. We've experienced many things becoming easier in a digital realm (after having to adjust quickly) from socialising via a screen in our living room (who knew that wine tastings via Zoom were so much fun?) to hosting a webinar with people worldwide or making quick-fire business decisions because endless meetings about meetings are just not important anymore (they never were... many businesses just fell into the habit of them).

This doesn't have to mean a complete change in your business however, it's all about adapting to change, innovating where possible and communicating to your audience in ways that are more relevant to them now. It's about reseting your brand so it's relevant to our audience in this new world.

Why might a reset be needed?

I've touched on the fact that emerging trends have been accelerated by the pandemic. It isn't a new thing for audience's behaviour and thinking to change. It's a constant slow shift that is always happening, influenced by anything from political events to technological changes or scientific discoveries. People's tastes and habits change and strong businesses adapt their branding to reflect their audiences changing needs. (Read this blog to find out why your branding is so much more than your visuals).

Our lives were slowly becoming more digital even before the pandemic. 2020 was dubbed the beginning of 'the connected decade' long before COVID reared its ugly head.

Reseting your brand isn't about completely wiping the slate clean, it's about moving with your customers - hopefully anticipating these changes rather than playing catch up - and staying relevant to your audience of today. There are a couple of things to consider when approaching a brand reset.

Understand your business's DNA.

You don't have to completely change your brand identity to reset it. The best place to start is by looking at your business strategy and understanding your core business values and purpose. Why does your business exist, what is it's purpose and what are the beliefs and behaviours instilled in it? What is unique to the business and the reason why your audience love you? Is your brand voice really relevant to them in some way?

From this you need to understand how peoples habits have changed and a) if your unique positioning is relevant to this or b) how can it be adapted to fit the changed environment? (Brenda Etchells talks about how to renew your business strategy here)

I'm not talking a complete overhaul of your brand here where your audience won't recognise you anymore - unless you think it necessary. It's about finding new ways to communicate with your audience in a way that fits with your brand.

Use data.

We live in a world where gathering data has never been easier. Every week YouGov posts free, valuable insights and Google Surveys can get you honest answers from your target market globally. Data is just information about people, your customers, products and services we all want and how we live our lives. It stops us playing guessing games about our audience which means we should all be able to give our customers exactly what they need.

The great thing about data is that it gives you cold, hard facts. Making changes in a business can be difficult (I've worked in one where changes were very often met with resistance by some members of the workforce!) but by using data to inform your decisions it becomes very difficult to argue against and takes away the subjectivity that can often cause problems in implementing change.

Resetting doesn't have to mean a complete rebrand and it isn't something that's exclusive to a post-pandemic world. It's a case of taking stock of what you stand for, who your audience is and making sure they still align. Before rushing into your new marketing campaign after lockdown ends, it might be the right time to sit back and think strategically about your brand to ensure it's in the right place for succeeding in the new world.