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Rebranding is hard. It's expensive and time-consuming, and it can distract vital team members from their regular work. So why go through it? Because if you're a small business looking to scale up, a rebrand might be just what you need to spur your growth.
Recently, at Hiline, we took a hard look at how our brand was performing and realized that we could better differentiate our company in the market. So, we took a deep breath, rallied our resources, and committed to a rapid rebrand. Here's what we learned.
Related: The Ultimate 20-Step Guide to Successfully Rebranding Online
1. Your brand must reflect what the market needs right now.
A competitive analysis can help you understand what customers are looking for in the marketplace and crystallize your brand's unique value proposition.
When we looked at competitors' websites and content, we were reminded why we started this company in the first place. We saw how antiquated most of the financial operations industry still is and recognized that we were different. This allowed us to highlight our uniquely modern brand story.
Much like New York City's High Line, we've turned a dated, neglected space into a tech-enabled, people-first ecosystem to better serve the community. We've broken the conventional accounting firm model to deliver clients a new, premium experience, so we adjusted our content to underscore this theme.
When we looked at the data on our own site, we learned that some content pieces weren't performing as well as others and that some of the site navigation needed work. So, we revised our strategy to align with real-time market interests. Our goal is to deliver clarity, actionable insights, and peace of mind to ambitious entrepreneurs, and our content and site structure now reflect that.
2. A brand is more than a marketing tool
Having a strong brand allows both you and your clients to punch above your weight. It gives everyone in the business the tools to talk about who you are, what you believe in, and what you can do.
In Hiline's case, refreshing our brand allowed us to renew our focus on our core differentiators: people, process, and technology. We learned that to provide a supportive environment where growth-minded companies can get the expertise and support they need to scale, we must position our enterprise in a modern, accessible language and maintain a human connection.
Related: How Do You Know If You Should Rebrand? Here's Some Advice
3. A good brand provides a structure for growth
Having a strong identity is like scaffolding when building a bridge. Because you already have the handholds and footholds, your brand gives you all the architecture you need to create content, pitch products, and get funding. It allows you to show up for the market, which reflects what you can do.
Our branding work also paved the way for new content channels. This fall, Hiline is launching a new podcast, "Fiscally Awesome," which will feature insights from internal and external experts, focusing on key topics like building excellent finance operations for small businesses, thought leadership in financial management, and the role of technology in driving business growth. This allows us to be more personal and aligns with our goal of empowering entrepreneurs to build thriving businesses.
Getting the work done
Although six months is ideal to complete a full rebrand, a rapid rebrand can be accomplished in three with the right resources, you'll need to prioritize your time and make difficult choices about what can and can't be done. But if you take on much of the work and surround yourself with experts, you can still deliver a quality brand refresh on time and within budget.
Here are three key takeaways from the process:
1. Small teams move faster
While a little upfront listening is important, don't fall into the trap of requiring every stakeholder's buy-in to move forward. Pick a few key people for your committee who can help you brainstorm, provide quality feedback, and, most importantly, know when to put the pen down.
2. Trusted partners get you from good to great
Not everyone was born to write crisp, compelling copy. Even your crackerjack marketing maven needs an editor. Regardless of how well you personally know your brand, an expert copywriter or brand expert can help you crystalize your ideas and make them sing. The same is true for a graphic designer. Hire an external designer who understands your values and aesthetic goals, then trust them to produce a visual identity that reflects this. In the long run, hiring branding experts can save you time, money, and a lot of headaches.
Related: How to Craft a Success Story with the Right Partners
3. The delete key can be your superpower
Erase, erase, erase. Resist the urge to put more words on the page, add more ideas, or incorporate one last person's copy. A single sentence or phrase will speak volumes if you use the right words. It will grab the reader's attention and have greater sticking power than a dense copy page. Keep editing your core ideas until you have the least information on a page.
While we were refreshing our brand, it often felt like threading a needle during a hurricane. But despite the challenges, the process was well worth it. We now have the right language, content channels, and site navigation to align with the current market. We have reinforced our commitment to empowering small businesses and landed on a fun, educational and scalable brand that reflects who we are, where we've been, and where we're going.
