7 Signs It’s Time to Rebrand
Not gonna lie. Rebranding is a challenge and not a decision to make lightly. While it’s something I systematically and creatively execute for others, it’s always harder to execute the same plans for ourselves, right? I think we get more caught up in the emotion, and being “too close” to the process actually makes it more challenging.
Which is why I put it off for so long.
Until I realized I couldn’t put it off anymore. I was done with the second-guessing and insecurity and really tired of asking the same questions for months on end. I think my friends were tired of me asking the same questions too. ;)
So exactly how did I know it was time?
Here are 7 signs that it’s probably time for a rebrand, listed in the order of my own personal epiphany. (Remember – TRANSPARENCY, folks!) One reason alone wouldn’t necessarily scream REBRAND!, but when you’ve got several of these neon signs all flashing at the same time, get yourself to rebrand-ville pronto! Maybe you’ve experienced some of these same feelings. If so, let’s talk. ;)
1 | The “Ick” Factor
It started with a niggling feeling that something was “off,” even though, in the beginning, I couldn’t put my finger on it. It was more than just an itch to pick new colors or fonts. It was something more foundational.
2 | Never-ending Tweaks
I thought I could just make a little adjustment here or there and that would magically “fix it.” I knew better, but still a girl’s gotta try. (Back to that cobbler thing again. Sheesh.) My specific frustration started with my tagline, as silly as that might sound. So I started asking questions. First of others and then, finally, of myself. And then I really started listening to answers from both.
3 | Lack of Confidence
I've recently been more excited to reach out, network, and build in-person business connections, but something was holding me back from confidently talking about what I do. I felt like I needed to apologize or something. Which led to…
4 | Profession Fog
Honestly, when I started this venture and named it Woolly Wren, I wasn’t clear on exactly what I wanted to do. Design was my background, but I’m also an avid knitter and was delusional enough to think I could possibly have a business in that arena. What was I thinking?! Two years has brought boat-loads of clarity around what I really love doing and, more importantly, WHY I love doing it. Putting it all on paper was eye-opening.
5 | Audience Pivot
Once I let the "knitting-as-a-profession" go, I was able to look at who I wanted to serve. Who would benefit most from my skills and expertise? You know, that often elusive “niche” that everyone talks about. Since launching a couple years ago, my ideal clients have changed. In the beginning, I was working with entrepreneur moms just starting their businesses, mainly because I was in the same boat. I’ve realized that the mom factor is irrelevant when I look at the qualities that make a good fit in my designer-client relationships. Some are moms and some aren’t; it really doesn’t matter.
What DOES matter is that they have enough clarity (or are willing to do the work together to find clarity) to truly know WHAT they do, WHY they do it, and WHO they do it for. These are the factors that weigh into who will benefit the most from our collaboration. That may be a woman who is just starting a business, but it’s more likely someone who has already been in business for at least a year and has gone through some of this discovery process for herself. I look at where I was 2 years ago and where I am now, and they are NOT the same person.
6 | Voice Awareness
I disliked reading my own web copy; it didn’t sound like me. It was flat and dry, which is only a good thing if you’re a martini. It lacked personality. I knew WHAT I wanted it to sound like (like me, duh, but I mean more specifically than that) but I had no idea HOW to make that happen. Nor did I have the energy or time to do it. Writing truly exhausts me. (I blame that past night of tears on an earlier full day of writing. ’Nuf said.) So the best decision I ever made in this whole process was to hire a content writer, someone who already knew me really well and has the mad skills to make my word dreams come true. I’ll discuss this more in a future post, but suffice it to say that I hear angels sing when we work together. I got the first round of copy today and literally cried happy tears!
And all of these together led me to...
7 | Name Change
After working through all the above issues, it became apparent that the heart of the problem was my business name. And new name means new brand. Once I was able to let go of the name (and that cute little bird I was so fond of), I was finally able to make the jump to wholeheartedly rebrand. Letting go of what wasn’t working to embrace new possibility was so freeing. I feel like I can finally do this the way it was supposed to be done all along. (I’ll cover more on renaming in a future post ‘cause that’s its own sticky mess.)
So you’d think with all those flashing signs, rebranding would be an easy-peasy choice. But of course, it’s never quite so clear when you're in the thick of it. Something about the forest and the trees…
All I know is that the hardest part is behind me. Things are starting to make so much sense, and it feels soooo good! Finally feels less like work and more like play.
We have a new name!
Stories are forming, as are the colors and logo.
And all will be revealed very soon.
Can’t wait to share more with you...