When you see Got Milk? on TV or hear someone talking about Gucci handbags, you know what they’re talking about, right? The goal of any small business is to get its name amongst the Got Milk’s and the Guccis of conversation. This recognition is identifying the company as a brand. A brand consists of the external, visual elements, such as the logo, the trademark, and the visual appearance, but the key element to brand identity is how the consumer perceives the brand.

Identity can be constructed by the brand owner; built in a way so that the consumer sees what the owner wants them to see. By influencing how the consumer sees the brand, the owner can shape how they see the company’s ideals, values, and philosophy.

Getting Your Brand Noticed Is As Easy As 1, 2, 3, Go!

There are a number of reasons as to why business owners would try to change their company’s brand identity. Perhaps their current brand strategy is weak, or irrelevant to their target audience. It may be that their brand is old and outdated, and in much need for overhaul. Or it may be that their brand is too similar to their competitors, and thus risks (getting lost in the crowd). So how does a company actually go about changing their brand identity? There are a number of factors and steps to consider in the brand identity changing process:

1. Examine your Audience

One of the common mistakes that a company can make is to dive right into the aesthetic aspects of identity change without further insight. However, this is a critical mistake, and businesses should first start the process of changing brand identity by understanding their audience. The brand identity conveys to the audience the ideals and values of the company, but the effectiveness of this identity is only achieved when conveyed to the right audience. One reason it is important to take this first step is because the preferences or values of the target audience may have changed (or the audience may have changed by taking a complete shift in demographic or behavior). By examining who they’re marketing to, the company can gain valuable insight as to what direction they should take, and which particular values they should focus on as they work to change their brand identity.

2. Change your Appearance

A key element in brand identity change is to adapt the visual representations of the company. Many companies primarily change the logo of their company in order to reflect their new transformation. Important factors to keep in mind in logo change are the visual elements, whether the logo will be pictorial or feature words, and what colors to use. By creating a thoughtful, meaningful logo and overall company appearance, companies can clearly establish and express their identity.

3. Communicate the Change

Brand identity change will not happen overnight; the company must make efforts to convey to the key stakeholders in a company that change has been made. Employees, consumers, shareholders and the media all play an important role in the successful adoption of a new brand identity. In order to make employees conscious of the identity change, executives can hold meetings with their staff in order to explain the necessity of the change and how they can apply it to their departments. Customers can gain awareness through press releases, exposure through marketing and advertising campaigns, or through social media. Conferences can be held to convey the change in identity to shareholders and to explain how the shift will benefit and create greater value for the company. Last but not least, the company can use media channels to communicate to the general audience that their company has made an essential change in brand identity.

Although changing a company’s identity completely may seem overwhelming, it can often be the factor that determines success or failure. The way the public views your company directly affects the number of referrals your company gets, the number of partnerships your company makes, and the amount of social media participation your accounts acquire. In the end, improving your brand identity is the key to getting your company noticed amongst the Got Milks and Guccis of the business world.

About the Author:

Amanda DiSilvestro is a writer on topics ranging from social media to credit card processing companies. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including merchant services to small businesses and entrepreneurs for Resource Nation.