You may feel at wits’ end with your brand or marketing. You may have struggled for years to get marketing to “work”. Perhaps you feel like you’ve “tried everything” – website updates, search engine optimization campaigns, content marketing campaigns, social media activity, direct marketing. You’ve sought the advice of domain experts and have done all the things “by the book”. Still, you aren’t seeing the returns you need.
Is a new brand the answer?
These are common signs that it’s time to revisit your brand strategy:
- It hasn’t been reviewed in five years or more.
- Marketing initiatives are “stuck” and can’t get off the ground, or just don’t work (e.g. a new website, social media/content campaigns, trade show messaging, advertising, etc.)
- It’s attracting the wrong leads or no leads, or the right prospects just don’t seem to “get” it
- The branding looks dated and/or doesn’t translate well online (e.g. social media profile images)
- The market is shifting, with new types of competition, solutions, niches, and opportunities, but the brand has not evolved
- The name, messaging, and/or design no longer represents who the organization is or what it’s doing now
- The current messaging, positioning, and identity can’t evolve or grow with the organization – for example, new offerings just don’t “fit”
Still, none of these – even all of these – is not a necessary indication that a brand needs to be overhauled.
The answer to “what should be done?” usually begins with positioning and messaging. Once this correct foundation exists (we call it Essential Story), it becomes clear whether work also needs to be done on the identity (name and/or logo).
Sometimes, a “tweak” is needed – the name, logo, or presentation may need an update but not an overhaul. Occasionally, a complete redesign and/or renaming is in order. You can find real-life examples of all these situations in our client stories.
When you work with Phrase Strategy, you can expect us to NOT start with any assumptions.
Our process is curious and exploratory; our recommendations are always evidence-based. Do you need a new brand? We’ll let you know with certainty and give you the confidence to move forward.
If your brand and marketing feel difficult, stuck, or simply disappointing, please get in touch for a free consultation.