When your company's brand feels outdated, invisible, and no longer reflects the strategy and goals of the organization, it's time to update it.

You have been given the responsibility to lead the process, and the budget framework has already been set. But how do you go about doing this in the best possible way and achieving good results?

Let's turn it around: What are the things you absolutely should not do? In this article, we will look at the decisions that will cost you dearly and provide the least possible benefit in such a process. With this perspective, we can help you steer clear of the biggest pitfalls.

To throw oneself into it

Throw yourself into it with all your might. There’s no point in hesitating. Fonts, colors, and design elements can’t be that complicated, right? After all, you know what you like when you see it. You don’t need to have a plan for a rebrand, as long as it’s new – that’s the most important thing, right?

But branding is like driving a car. If you aim for the ditch, you'll end up there. If you keep your eyes on the road and the horizon, you'll stay on track and get there safely. When it comes to making a change to your brand, it's crucial to have a clear goal in mind. This goal is the key to success.

There may be many reasons why you want to rebrand. It is important to be clear about your reasons. The reasons will also define the goals to be achieved with the process:

If you have become invisible in the market, drowning among a bunch of similar competitors, the goal is to create differentiation.

If it has been decided that the company will expand its portfolio of offerings, and thus reach a new target group, it is not certain that the current expression will suit this.

If the brand has slipped a bit and a jumble of expressions have been used externally, there may be a need to clean up and do some maintenance.

Whatever the reason, it is essential to define your goals in advance. Setting clear goals gives you a direction to follow throughout the process. These goals act as reference points that prevent you from taking unnecessary detours. Everyone knows that time is money, and avoiding mistakes saves both time and frustration.

Being unclear about the process

Everyone knows that designers are mind readers. They know what you want, what they will deliver, and what follow-up you need. Isn't that their job? You don't have to spend any time creating a project plan, with requirements for the deliverables. The agency always has control over that. Haven't they done that before?

When starting a redesign process, it is crucial to understand the importance of clarifying expectations and requirements. As the old saying goes, “You get what you ask for.” Being vague and starting without clear guidelines can lead to confusion and complications.

A clear and detailed brief acts as a roadmap for the redesign process. It gives everyone involved a shared understanding of the project’s goals, scope, and timeline. Investing time in a thorough brief is an important investment in the project’s success and helps avoid unnecessary challenges.

Defining the deliverables is the first step. What do you expect the redesign project to include? Specify which elements need changes and define what the deliverables will contain. For example, what do you expect from the deliverables?

Get to know the team responsible for the project. Understand who is responsible for different areas. This way you also know who to contact if questions arise, ensuring efficient information exchange.

Timing is critical. If a date has been set for the launch of the new brand, you can plan backwards from that date. Divide the project into phases and agree on sub-deliverables from the agency. This ensures a structured process and ensures that tasks are completed according to expectations.

Assuming the designers understand you

How hard can it be to make something that's "about the same, just a little cooler. A little more modern"? You're like most people, so it must be easy to understand what you mean when you give feedback, right?

The term "modern" is a good example of how interpretations can vary. If someone asks you to explain what the term means, the images that pop into your head will be based on your background, your personal references and preferences. Another person may have completely different associations. The same applies to the degree of change. Change itself can be experienced very differently, and what someone perceives as a small or large change can vary drastically from person to person.

Even with a thorough brief and insight phase, there is room for many interpretations of the same concept. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to clarify what is implied by concepts like this.

Just letting the agency do its thing

You know what you like. So why can't the creatives just make 4-5 suggestions and then you choose the best one when it's ready for launch? Maybe with a slightly different color tone? After all, the agency is the experts, right?

After avoiding the initial pitfalls, it may seem like everything should be smooth sailing. Your agency’s creative team is now deep into the process, working their magic. It can be tempting to let them work undisturbed while you focus on other ongoing tasks and look forward to seeing the results.

It’s a common misconception that the visual identity change process is all about what the creatives do in their corner, and then there’s a big reveal when things are done. Redesigning your visual identity requires you to be involved all the way. While a clear goal and brief give a solid start to the process, it’s important not to let go.

It may be a good idea to give the designers time to develop a good proposal for a rebranding before you meet after the initial phase is done. But it is important to find a balance, as hours and costs can run out very quickly. It is better to have shorter intervals between these meetings than to wait too long. At the same time, you need to balance the timing so that they do not negatively affect the process.

Including the wrong people

People LOVE change, so the more you involve in the redesign, the better the result. Everyone should get it! Everyone's opinion about the design expression is valid and it's just stupid not to let every decision be made with voting and internal arguing.

Anchoring IS important, but once the design process is underway you have to be very careful not to derail the entire project.

You're obviously excited to see the result and show it to your colleagues. Understandably, everyone needs to support this exciting shift in the company's identity. But getting everyone to agree on a design expression is impossible. Many people quickly bring in personal tastes and preferences, forgetting that this is about the brand, not personal aesthetics. As the saying goes, "design by large committee is pretty sh**ty."

For the process to be successful and for a final solution to be reached, it is important not to show design drafts to just anyone. In particular, you should avoid involving people who have neither expertise nor knowledge of the strategy. By all means, do not involve "the neighbor and the keeper's cousin".

Brand decision makers need to be involved all the way. It’s essential. If you ignore this, you could end up with unpleasant surprises at the end, or even after launch, and end up going back to square one. Needless to say, everything will be twice as expensive.

A small group of selected employees who have been given the mandate and trust to drive the process are the ones who must drive and own it. In a company, you usually know who and which roles are going to have strong opinions about an identity. If they want to make a lot of noise and prolong the process, it is better to involve them from the start. Once they are on board, you have strong ambassadors who can influence and engage the entire organization. Everyone involved must understand the scope of the task and the goals set in the brief.

Business leaders and decision makers are often busy people, who are difficult to include in all meetings. If they cannot participate in all phases, they should be continuously briefed and informed by middle managers about important milestones in the process.

Key takeaways

When faced with the task of redesigning your brand, it's a complex process that requires careful planning and management. This article has explored the common pitfalls that can arise along the way, and how you can avoid them.

Having clear goals and a clear brief is essential to setting the right course from the start. It helps you avoid the dangerous mistakes that can lead to costly delays and frustration.

By maintaining consistent communication with your agency throughout the process, you can ensure you are on track and avoid unexpected challenges. Including decision-makers and ensuring their involvement is also critical to achieving consensus and support within the organization.

One last pitfall: Not choosing Mission

Why on earth would you choose Mission? They're too smart and too nice. They'll ask so many good questions about what you want to achieve that it'll be impossible to fill the brand with anything other than meaning and direction and all that nonsense. No, gee, it must be possible to get something that just looks a little nice?!

It's important to choose the right agency for your brand. The importance of good chemistry between brand and design agency is actually quite underestimated. We're going in the same direction. Then it helps to be confident in each other. Confident enough to challenge in the right way.

At Mission, we help you redesign and strengthen your brand. No matter what challenges you face, we are here to provide you with the expertise and guidance you need to succeed with your brand. Whether you are ready for a complete redesign or just need advice along the way.