If most companies had adhered to their initial brand strategy, they wouldn't be in business today. Brands and their consumers change with time, and a brand refresh is a great approach to remain current and relevant in a crowded market.

You also don't need to employ a high-priced branding firm or spend a million dollars on a new logo.

We know this from personal experience, as my business, Jotform, just underwent a brand makeover.

In this article, we'll share some of our insights from our brand refresh, as well as advise on when and when not to do one.

How frequently should you update your brand?

On the one hand, you don't want to seem out of touch with your target audience. Changing your branding entirely on a frequent basis, on the other hand, may be confusing or irritating for your consumers.

Want to 10x your business's website traffic?

Look no further! Juice.ai puts your business in charge of its content strategy and gets you targeted clicks to your website. Check it out now!

Don't simply update your brand for the sake of refreshing it. The adjustments you make should be guided by a plan.

Unfortunately, there is no fixed timeframe for updating your brand, and each one is different. While you may set aside time to evaluate if your brand needs to be refreshed on a frequent basis, changing your brand at random intervals may not be the greatest option.

Instead, seek for indicators that it's time to make a change. We'll go through those indicators later in this article, but first, you need understand what a brand refresh entails.

What does a brand refresh entail?

Brand refreshes are often mistaken with complete rebrandings, although the two are very different. You'll have to figure out which one is ideal for your company.

A rebrand is more complex than a brand update, so be sure it's the right path for you before putting in the time and work. Repositioning your brand is what a rebrand entails. In-depth research, design modifications, tone and message tweaks, and more are all part of the process.

A rebrand often takes longer to implement than a refresh since they are more significant changes.

Dunkin' Donuts is a famous example of a business that renamed to better represent its goods. Dunkin' Doughnuts was the company's initial name since donuts were its main product.

The business changed its branding by changing its name to Dunkin' when it moved its emphasis to other goods such as coffee and other breakfast items.

A brand refresh entails changing the appearance and feel of your company by making minor changes. Typically, this entails upgrading your brand's visual elements, but it may also include a redesign of your operations, goods, services, name, or even culture.

With a refresh, you remain loyal to your brand's essence or core; you're just updating it. A refresh may assist to pique your audience's interest and encourage them to investigate what else is new.

Consider it like if you were renovating a home. Redecorating and putting a new coat of paint are part of a brand refresh. A rebrand would entail ripping down the walls and starting again.

A logo update, for example, could include modest changes to make it seem more contemporary while maintaining the same recognized design. New colors, a new name, and a totally redesigned design would all be part of a rebranding of the same logo.

Remember, if all you need is a paintbrush, there's no need to smash your brand. We'll go through the indications that it's time for a refresh rather than a complete redesign in the following part.

3 signs your brand needs to be refreshed

Do you believe your business might benefit from a brand refresh? If your company meets any of these requirements, this might be the case.

1. Your brand is unreliable

Is your brand consistent across all platforms and touchpoints, such as social media, internet, print, video, retail shops, and your POS? If not, you may need a brand update to unify your image. Maintaining a good brand image requires consistency.

Let's suppose you're handing your business card to a potential client. If the prospect visits the website and Facebook page mentioned on the card and none of the colors, pictures, or message match, the prospect may view your company as untrustworthy and unreliable.

2. Your target audience has grown or changed

It's not uncommon for your audience or market to shift. Perhaps your audience's values have changed, or you've entered new area. In any case, if your brand isn't resonating with your new target market, it's time for a makeover.

Otherwise, your branding may not be able to attract your target audience.

Starbucks, for example, is widely recognized for its subtle brand refreshes that are intended to appeal to an expanding and varied audience across the world. Starbucks' global brand value has more than quadrupled in the last ten years, from $3.34 billion in 2010 to $11.25 billion in 2020.

Starbucks' proactive brand updates, which kept it relevant to new audiences, may be credited in part for this substantial increase in worldwide brand value.

3. Your product line has evolved

Your company's main offers may have changed over time, or new ones may have been added to the mix. Branding that represents an older product or service portfolio should be updated to better reflect current offers.

For us at Jotform, this was definitely the case. We began as an online form builder in 2006. However, our product has developed and expanded over the course of 15 years and 10 million users, as have our consumers' views.

Finally, some ideas

Don't allow your company fall behind by disregarding the indications that a brand makeover is needed. Keep up with your industry, track trends, and keep a careful eye on your rivals to see what changes you should make to your brand. Most importantly, be aware of your target audience.

They're the ones who, at the end of the day, your branding approach must address.

Thanks to Annabel Maw at Business 2 Community whose reporting provided the original basis for this story.