Brand identity, like anything else, evolves and changes with time. However, refreshing your brand identity is not as simple as changing your shoes or picking an item from a menu. Brand updates are imperative to keeping your brand relevant, but when do you need one?
Big corporates like Starbucks refresh their branding from time to time. Starbucks has redesigned its logo three times since 1971. Each time, the changes were subtle yet important enough to keep the branding message coherent with where the company was heading. In 2011, Starbucks removed the word “Starbucks Coffee” from its logo because the company wanted to offer more than just coffee. Now, you can find pastries, breakfast, and lunch when you visit a Starbucks store. The company’s revenue has increased tremendously since then.
The same theory can apply to your eCommerce business as well. Have you used the same logo and the same store design since 2007? Do you feel as if your store design doesn’t represent your business very well? Do you want to reach out to a broader audience? A brand refresh is what you need.
Rebranding with eCommerce Design
A brand refresh should update the visual message of your eCommerce store.
You can start with your company’s logo design. Starbucks and Coca-Cola routinely update their logos to stay in style. If your logo design is from 10 years ago, it might look quite stale and out of fashion by now. Is there any element in the logo that’s no longer relevant to your business? You can modify the logo without completely abandoning the original design, such as changing the color positioning and removing unnecessary clusters.
Changing subtle things like the website’s color palette and typefaces can instantly create a different impression for your online store as well.
Is your eCommerce design for the storefront up to date? Theme designs are constantly evolving and you might have an outdated looking store if you don’t keep up with the web design trends. A store redesign with updated functionality, like Facebook login and faster checkout process, will show your customers that your business is on par with the rapid technological advances.
Rebranding with Marketing Messages
Branding messaging is the story of your brand.
Beyond just updating your logo and store design, reviewing your brand messaging is an important part of rebranding. It’s crucial to review if your brand promise and positioning statement truly reflect what your brand values are and if they resonate with your target audience.
The overall brand messaging is ultimately more powerful than your store design. People want to hear stories and resonate with words that trigger a certain emotion. Make sure your brand promise goes beyond just a tagline – describe what you offer and what your customers can expect from you in concise, impactful sentences.
Create a few powerful short phrases and ideas that communicate what your brand stands for. Reiterate these key phrases throughout your website and your social media channels. These are words that’ll infiltrate your customers’ minds and determine how they feel about your brand.
Do you need a brand refresh?
A brand refresh doesn’t have to cost a fortune. If you think it’s time for an update, message us about your business!
