Is Your Brand Ready for a Refresh?

Even the strongest, most recognizable brands need a refresh from time to time. What communicates who your organization is in one era may not resonate with a new generation, or who you were then may no longer describe who you’re becoming now.

Here are some clues it might be time to clarify your brand:

01 Your name creates confusion rather than curiosity, or forces you to tell a story you no longer want to tell. A name doesn’t have to explain everything, but it shouldn’t confuse people.

02 Your core value proposition is expanding or changing. You no longer offer what you once did, but you have to work overtime to make that clear.

03 You find yourself often saying to yourself or your teammates, “I just wish people knew __________ about us!” or “I hate that people think we’re _____________!”

04 People participate when you ask them to, but they aren’t advocating for you as partners in your mission. You may be telling a brand story they can’t relate to, or in which they have no place.

​​Many organizations mistakenly think of branding as a logo; a brand is not a logo. Rather your brand is your reputation. A brand isn’t how you think of yourself; it’s how people think of you.

If there’s a misalignment between how the public knows you and how you see yourselves internally, the writing is on the wall: it’s time to clarify your brand (and that doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds).

Tony Sorrentino is the Chief Strategy Officer and a Brand Strategist at OX Creative. oxcreates.com