Brand Refreshing...

At Mass Inspire, we know and believe, that a brand is a promise made and a promise kept. We believe that a brand, being an 'image' speaks a thousand words. It is in this line, that we strive to make sure that your brand speaks positive words. That when your brand makes a speech, it lives its audience with nothing less than a standing ovation. Therefore, as this takes root in you, follow us in understanding the concept behind brand refreshing-giving your company a new face. A completely novice outlook.

Success Factors in Brand Refreshing

1: Anticipate and manage resistance

when embarking on a brand refresh, brands should be prepared for resistance, both internally and externally. From the inside, employees, volunteers and even the core management team, such as finance, are likely to challenge the initiative. The same it likely to occur externally with shareholders, the general public, and the media unless the benefits associated with the changes are clearly conveyed. If the internal and external parties are not managed carefully, such scrutiny can undermine the entire brand-building effort, reducing internal commitment to the cause and generating negative publicity that could threaten future donations and volunteer support.

Practical suggestions for managing resistance:

Have a compelling story: First and foremost, there needs to be a clear and consistent logic behind the branding activity. What are the main drivers behind the change? What is at risk if you do not review your brand? What will the main benefits to the organization be in the medium-term and long-term? What will be different? Be specific and use tangible examples. The strategic rationale should be simply articulated and disseminated internally and externally to all stakeholders prior to launch.

Tailor your message: Naturally, each stakeholder group will have different questions and concerns, all of which should be anticipated and considered in advance. Shareholders, for example, will want to know how much of their money is being consumed by the brand-building activity. The re-branding should factor in the organization’s future focus and activities. Each audience should receive targeted communications and support material throughout the launch period.

Be flexible and available: One-on-one meetings, seminars, workshops, conferences and online channels are all valid mechanisms for communicating the story and rationale behind the brand refresh. Each has its pros and cons. It is important to choose a mix of channels that provide full coverage of all target groups and serve to maximize engagement with the brand most effectively.

Listen and respond: To cope with the plethora of questions that will surface both prior to launch and post-launch, a process should be established to map, consider and respond in a timely and professional manner. Some questions can be addressed with a generic response, but others will need tailored answers. Managing consistency and quality of response is critical, so is ensuring there’s a cross-functional team ready to anticipate and answer questions across HR, Marketing and Operations .

2: Keep loyalists on your side

Organizations rely on strong emotional commitment to the cause from a range of stakeholders. Frequently, trustees, employees, volunteers and donors provide their time, energy and commitment because they feel a genuine, close emotional attachment to the vision and mission of the organization. The brand encapsulates all of these attributes, which is why it is critical that any change is managed in a way that maintains the loyalty and support of those key stakeholders. Stakeholders should be able to see in the refreshed brand more of the things that they always wanted and liked and less of the things that they didn’t want or like.

Practical suggestions to keep loyalists on your side:

Build on existing truths: It is imperative to have a clear view of what your stakeholders value and to demonstrate how these aspects will continue to feature (and be reinforced) in the future. Communications activities should reassure all parties that any change is born out of a genuine desire to better deliver on what stakeholders want and need. Whereas the brand refresh implies a shift in emphasis to new ideals, values or ways of working, a plan should be implemented to explain the reasons in clear terms.

Keep an open dialogue: Internally, all stakeholders need to feel as though they are part of the new organization; that they are actively shaping it, rather than it being imposed on them. Having in place feedback mechanisms, either online, through seminars, or even via an internal help-desk will provide them with an outlet to voice any concerns they may have and more importantly, to collect valuable insight into how the brand positioning should be implemented in a way that maximizes their commitment. In fact, brand loyalists should even be encouraged (and rewarded) to blog on social networking sites on behalf of the organization to express the great work being done. This is a much more honest and convincing way to build brand advocacy.

3: Maintain momentum post-launch

Defining the organization’s brand is the first step in the process. The real change comes post-launch with the introduction of new initiatives, activities and ways of working that serve to create substance in the brand’s positioning. The challenge is to maintain sufficient momentum to bring the brand promise to life. Internally and externally it needs to be seen as more than just a visual identity change. The risk of failing to build momentum after launch is that the organization is also likely to fail to live up to its new ideals and instead fall back into old, established working patterns. Launch day is not the end of the brand refresh process, but in fact day one of the effort.

Practical suggestions for maintaining momentum post-launch

Develop hallmarks: A hallmark is a proof-point or hook that captures the essence of the brand idea. By establishing hallmarks that cut to the very core of the brand, be they activities, campaigns or events, you will help stakeholders to understand what the change is really all about, signalling a shift from the past and building a positive momentum for further change going forward.

Engage and empower: To win the support and buy-in to the brand refresh effort internally, it is important to engage employees and volunteers in its development. Co-creating initiatives, activities and ways of working that reinforce the brand idea will help to cement the shift. Greater ownership will not only overcome any initial resistance to the change, it will create momentum of its own. This is particularly important for volunteer and part-time workers working in remote locations, who may otherwise feel removed from the process.

At MassInspire...we can make this happen. As we strive to make your brand say..WELL DONE!!