US-based online learning platform Skillshare recently underwent a substantial rebranding phase to finally unveil its new identity. The company transformed its entire identity system to empower its community of over eight million users on the path of creativity. It introduced a new verbal and visual communication integrated with its marketing campaign and refreshed digital products. The new brand identity emerged as the company felt the need to evolve along with the growing creative community. Practically, it required a better identity system that is legible, scalable, and flexible in all digital spaces and enables the company to be more consistent.
In most cases, businesses fail to comprehend the right time to have a new brand identity system. There are three scenarios that signal companies to get ready for an identity makeover.
With success comes the opportunity to expand horizons. That’s when many businesses decide to target a new market. When you are heading to achieve this, your brand identity becomes less meaningful. Your logo may become smaller in scope or your brand identity might be too product-specific. So, in such cases, you need rebranding to reach out to new customers. Or like Skillshare, if your brand is evolving and expanding in size and scope, it calls for a rebranding.
Secondly, with rapidly advancing technology, industries are bound to change with time. Businesses operating in such industries may need to adapt their business model or objectives as per the emerging opportunities. With that comes the pressing demand for a fresh identity system that resonates with the new offerings.
In a different situation, many brands face a decline in their customer base. This happens as consumer buying behavior changes with circumstances and your brand’s vision, mission, and promise no longer coincide with their needs and aspirations. This verbal and visual communication gap requires a significant rebranding from scratch.
As a general rule, startups jump the gun and push for rapid growth and success. But that's the sure-fire way to sabotage your growth. Are you thoroughly aware of what your customers are looking for? Have you found out the optimal way to connect with your audience? In the quest for growth, new businesses skip these vital aspects.
Your customers are smart, sharp, and digital savvy. But businesses that come online after having operated in the offline market for a long time fail to understand the digital scenario. Running a business online requires a deep comprehension of the digital world. This indicates the necessity of a new visual design and communication to achieve brand positioning online.
Organizations want to play the big game in the market. But to reach the goal, it is inevitable to identify the core problems and come up with their solutions. This is the place where rebranding plays a major role in winning the customers as well as the market.
Having a logo with some attractive colors and typeface doesn't mean your visual brand identity is cohesive and resonating with your target audience. Rushing with your complete identity system can be a huge headache if it does not support and reinforce your brand's core identity, vision, and mission. And if this is happening, your business is demanding a substantial rebranding with a clear understanding of the user persona. That's when you can establish a unified visual communication with your core audience.
Inappropriate color schemes and inconsistent typography usage across different touchpoints spoil your brand experience. This happens when companies do not have a systematically designed brand style guide that preserves every minute detail of your identity system. With such expensive mistakes, companies lose the trust of their potential customers.
Not paying attention to product packaging design costs businesses in millions. Having a winning design is not a stroke of luck. In-depth research, analysis, planning, and testing go into finalizing the visual design that resonates with your target audience. But even big brands make such huge mistakes of selling their products to everyone and not their core audience.
Ever wondered why Peacock was chosen as the National Bird of India? This magical creature wears a colorful train of feathers that speak of beauty, grace, and joy. In that way, it connects with the spirit of India and hence serves as the identity of the nation. With those decorative patterns and colors of the feathers, the bird is enticing and easily recognizable, and recallable by a common man.
In the same way, your brand’s identity should be visually impactful and easily recognizable. With a clear expression of your company’s personality and values, it should be able to develop a strong recall value that resonates with your audience and nurtures lasting connections.
Peacock’s feathers known as the ‘train’ consist of microscopic structures that appear like crystals.
These result in the reflection of various wavelengths of light on their colorful train. Your brand’s complete visual system is defined through specific typography, colors, illustration, and photography. A compelling compilation of all these factors helps in bringing out the visual wavelength that appeals to your audience. Peacock has a specific graceful way of spreading its feathers up to six feet behind its body in a long flowing colorful display. Similarly, your logo design’s directions and flows need to move in a specific and smooth style so that it reaches your audience effectively. Not to mention, this happens after diligent research and bold iterations.
Peacock is a symbol of knowledge, benevolence, and compassion. It’s beautiful physical attributes give us a strong feeling of positivity.
Likewise, the brand name and messaging of your company should positively align with your brand’s physical reality. In an authentic manner, when your brand messaging clearly communicates your company values, it's undoubtedly going to reach your audience.
With the same identity - the colors, the patterns, and the overall look - Peacock shows a capability to communicate in 11 types of different sounds.
Another uniqueness in its voice comes from the fact that it is the only species in the bird kingdom that can yell. And their voice can be heard at a faraway distance. In the same way, your brand identity is just one. But it engages with your target audience in different ways - through digital media and print media - in the form of words, images, and videos. But to make the brand marketing successful it has to be loud enough to reach the audience and unique enough to remain authentic in a multitude of touchpoints.
Peacocks are observed as protectors in Feng Shui. Their feathers are believed to safeguard people from threats and disasters.
Again, the peculiar ‘eyes’ of the feathers represent a similar meaning. Keeping this aspect in mind, you should know that your brand identity is the face of your company that safeguards the rights of your customers. With the identity, the audience perceives your products, services, and the overall brand as authentic. Again, the guidelines including typography, color, image style, and more protect the consistency and originality of your identity everywhere.
After this call, you will get a clear understanding of the next steps that you need to take in order to build consistent communication & reliable marketing strategies.
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