rebranding

[colonydata]

I'm starting a long-term rebranding project. My current brand no longer fits the geographical area I am in. Has anyone gone through this before? any advice?

 

[Rocco]

Get your name, logo design stuff done 6 months in advance. Let your customers know of the change 6 months before, and mention it in each of your newsletters leading up to it. As finances allow it, replace all documents you use with the new ones, ready for opening day. Deal with all the governmental steps, business name, taxes, etc. Plan a rebranding party planned for the day of the change. Cake, drinks, cookies. Many handouts for the party. On your next newsletter, talk about the successful change of branding. After that, just have a small couple sentences on your website, that is the newname.com that says Colony has changed to newname. Make sure you keep buying your old domain for the next 2 years or so, and autoforward it to newname.com.

I think this is how I would go about it, in general. However, I am a very in-your-face person. I celebrated with my customers when my Facebook page reached 100 people. Planning it again when it reaches 250. So I would approach a change in business plan the same way. Very excitable. But very meticulous with plans along the whole way for each step.

Good luck to you! Although I have never been there, I hope I could at least throw some ideas at you.

 

[TenYardFight]

Great advice. Doing the same thing soon.

 

[aweston]

I'm starting a long-term rebranding project. My current brand no longer fits the geographical area I am in. Has anyone gone through this before? any advice?

What kind of marketing outlets do you use currently?

 

[colonydata]

What kind of marketing outlets do you use currently?

nothing right now.

 

[aweston]

Well then it's a dead issue. You have no image, no brand and no real presence. At best you're forgettable. You can change it 50 times in a year if you want.

Since that's the case, just change it and carry on. Post a new ad in the classifieds and away you go.

 

[colonydata]

Well then it's a dead issue. You have no image, no brand and no real presence. At best you're forgettable. You can change it 50 times in a year if you want.

Since that's the case, just change it and carry on. Post a new ad in the classifieds and away you go.

no it's not that simple.

for the time being I am sticking with that brand. The time and energy needed to start a new brand exceeded the time and energy that I have right now to get the business restarted.

So It's not going to be as simple as just starting a new brand.

but also I'm also asking about how others went about developing a new brand.

 

[nlinecomputers]

WHY do you think you need a new brand? What is ColonyData NOT doing for you? As aweston said if no one knows you then how is your current name bad for anything? Is there some regional significance that isn't obvious to we who are outside of your area?

 

[colonydata]

WHY do you think you need a new brand? What is ColonyData NOT doing for you? As aweston said if no one knows you then how is your current name bad for anything? Is there some regional significance that isn't obvious to we who are outside of your area?

Originally I was based in Fitzgerald,GA. It was established as a retirement colony from Union War vets. Hence it gained the nickname, the colony city.

The word Colony is used by a ton of businesses so it seemed like a natural fit.

Now I am in Statesboro it doesn't make as much sense. Here being that the main attraction is Georgia Southern, and the sports team is the Georgia Southern Eagles. everything is Southern this or Eagle that.

It still sort of works according to my tests, but I want to have a plan in place if it becomes necessary.

 

[nlinecomputers]

no it's not that simple.

for the time being I am sticking with that brand. The time and energy needed to start a new brand exceeded the time and energy that I have right now to get the business restarted.

So It's not going to be as simple as just starting a new brand.

but also I'm also asking about how others went about developing a new brand.

Mistake. Either stick with what you have or change NOW. If you are just starting out then changing your name will risk loosing contact with everyone you've ever done business with there. Changing names or logos is almost always a bad idea unless there is some bad baggage with your name.

I can't see how ColonyData would be bad in the area you are in unless Colony is also known in your area too and people assume you are not local. Otherwise it is just a meaningless name. They probably expect to find a Mr. Colony running it or something.

 

[aweston]

no it's not that simple.

for the time being I am sticking with that brand. The time and energy needed to start a new brand exceeded the time and energy that I have right now to get the business restarted.

So It's not going to be as simple as just starting a new brand.

but also I'm also asking about how others went about developing a new brand.

What time and energy? I think you're too much in your head about this. You're not an established brand. You have no image. You might think you do, but without marketing you really have nothing. You're not even a company, you're someone that bought yourself a job. Nobody is coming to you because of your brand..in part because you don't have one. They're coming because of YOU and they could care less what you name yourself.

The only energy is thinking about a new brand. There's no value in what you have now. If you came to me and said "I've spent $100,000 in marketing this brand this year" then I'd say ok, that's going to be a challenge. Some dude working out of his house and posting free classifieds is nothing.

Change your name, create a new logo and THEN market the hell out of it. Otherwise you're just kidding yourself and getting in your own way.

 

[Rocco]

+1 on changing now. My original post on here was if you already had customers, and how to keep them informed of the change.

Since you don't, then I would stop using that name immediately, get your new brand going. 3 days on 48hourslogo. Throw your new logo and name on your old ads you used in the old town with some other small changes. If your colors are different, maybe a little redesign of the website. Still have the autoforward to the new website, at least this year. File all the appropriate state business requirements. You could be up and running with the new brand inside of 2 weeks.

 

[colonydata]

Maybe I'm not making it clear.

I've got investments in the current brand that I'm not ready to devalue to 0. (logo, domains, Shirts, Cards, legal etc)

Yes I could go hurry up, but I want to get it right. do the proper research, test out different names, put a lot of work into the visual identity etc.

But right now I have time constraints that make doing that right now impossible.

Plus I am marketing exclusively to small business. So I am not building a consumer brand. I've consulted with several friends that are in B2B sales, and they have all told me that in B2B sales that selling the company is secondary to selling yourself.

 

[aweston]

Maybe I'm not making it clear.

I've got investments in the current brand that I'm not ready to devalue to 0. (logo, domains, Shirts, Cards, legal etc)

So you're not making money and you can't afford it. That's different.

Yes I could go hurry up, but I want to get it right. do the proper research, test out different names, put a lot of work into the visual identity etc.

That is a good idea. It's not just a name, it's an identity.

But right now I have time constraints that make doing that right now impossible.

Only constraints that you place upon yourself. You're your own worst enemy. I tell you the truth, most of my creative is done between 11PM and 2AM. How much time do you spend watching TV? Playing games? Going out with your buddies? Surfing Facebook and forums? All this is wasted time that you could be devoting to your growth and brand.

It's not that you CAN'T. It's that you WON'T. Big difference.

Plus I am marketing exclusively to small business. So I am not building a consumer brand. I've consulted with several friends that are in B2B sales, and they have all told me that in B2B sales that selling the company is secondary to selling yourself.

You just told us you're not marketing. That you have none. I think you're buying into your own BS.

By the way what they told you about B2B sales is typical marketing bullsh*t. You don't do either. You sell the value to the client.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Is there something about that name that is NEGATIVE to where you are? Because it sounds like you are stuck with it. Either you toss out all of your logos and signs or you make do with what you've got. Because if you do ANY marketing with what you got or even just your name and then you change to your new brand you are starting over. Just as you do now. And the only reason to start over is to jettison a bad reputation or there is strong reason to believe that keeping the name will somehow label you as an outsider.

You are going to have to spend SOME money on things like business cards and stationery. Even if you print your own. Even if you keep the name you are using. And crossing out addresses and writing the correct info on cards is a horrible business image.

 

[colonydata]

1) I'm starting from 0, so yeah the cash flow is a concern.
2)When I say time constraints I mean there are time constraints on going from zero to profitable. Not that I do not have the time to allocate to it. But if you must know I sleep 8 hours, get up, an hour of working out, breakfast, research and business work. lunch, more research and business work, supper, and then a combo of business work/research. I dont have cable, I allow myself about an hour a day of recreational reading, but often that turns into professional development reading. some night's I'll allow myself an hour of Netflix as I am settling down to go to bed. As far as going out with friends, I have a standing lunch each week with a friend of mine. and have lunch with my brother about once a month. if you have suggestions where I could claw out some more time though, by all means let me know.

3)let me rephrase that, my identified/targeted market is Small Business.
If I bought my own BS I Don't think i'd be asking these questions.
and Selling Value? I thought that was just assumed. if your not selling value then GTFO was always my impression.


And maybe I should I've picked my words better. What I should have said and should have asked is

I am exploring the possibility of rebranding.I am not sure that my current brand (name , logo, etc) fits well in my new geographical location.

and then I should have gone on to ask

1. If you rebranded, what indicators did you use to come to the decision that a rebranding was needed?
2. How did you handle the rebranding from a stand point of communicating it to current customers?
3. How did you handle the migration and cutover to the new brand?
4. What criteria/data did you use to develop your new brand?
5. If you were doing it over again what would you have done differently?

 

[aweston]

And maybe I should I've picked my words better. What I should have said and should have asked is

I am exploring the possibility of rebranding.I am not sure that my current brand (name , logo, etc) fits well in my new geographical location.

and then I should have gone on to ask

1. If you rebranded, what indicators did you use to come to the decision that a rebranding was needed?
2. How did you handle the rebranding from a stand point of communicating it to current customers?
3. How did you handle the migration and cutover to the new brand?
4. What criteria/data did you use to develop your new brand?
5. If you were doing it over again what would you have done differently?

This is MUCH better. Much more concise, direct and applicable. Pinpoint questions. Now someone can deliver truth quickly.

 

[GCS]

Well after reading this http://www.technibble.com/6-tips-naming-computer-company/

I'm thinking about a rebrand as well, though I don't have the time/money for it at the moment it is in the works.

 

[colonydata]

Well after reading this http://www.technibble.com/6-tips-naming-computer-company/

I'm thinking about a rebrand as well, though I don't have the time/money for it at the moment it is in the works.

well that makes me feel pretty good. That was more or less the guidelines I used when I picked this name.

 

[GCS]

I like your name.... even in a different region I don't think people would bat an eye.

I live in North East ohio and I wouldn't think anything odd of your name.
I made the mistake of using my last name in the company name of my business. While the idea there was to allow people who worked with me in the past realize I was in business. This will need to be changed to throw away the one-man-band image though.

I'm okay with that however, as I can re-register as an LLC once I have a new name rather than just a DBA.