By Tracy Knight
It’s happened a hundred times. We get a lead on a new client, and start checking them out. We look at their website first—hmmm. We examine their logo. Ahem. Then we get our hands on some of their advertising or collateral. Uh-oh. Photos from the ‘90s. What we have here is a company with a serious need for brand refreshment.
Sure, you think, every branding or marketing agency is going to say that you need a brand update. But you think your brand is great. You and your CFO came up with the idea for that logo yourselves, and it represents exactly who you are. But does it still, now that your company or organization has been in existence for a while? If you won’t trust the marketers, how can you be sure that you aren’t wearing brand blinders and seeing what you want, or listening only to the things you want to hear? How can you know that your brand is still fresh and effective? You have to step outside of your echo chamber and look for signs that your brand may need help. Here are some of the biggest red flags:
- You haven’t changed much about your marketing—your logo, color palette, ad designs, website—in four years or more
- Your photos look flat and people are wearing dated clothing
- Your organization’s reputation has changed (hopefully improved) since your brand was first developed
- Your organization has grown and evolved significantly since your brand was first developed
- Your competitors’ stuff looks better than yours
- People in your organization apologize to others for the way your website looks
- Customers or patients sometimes don’t understand who you are or what you do
A tired brand is particularly troublesome in healthcare and the life sciences because these industries are expected to represent the cutting edge. Patients don’t want to receive treatment in a place they may perceive as old or dated, whether or not that is the reality. And B2B clients—physicians, scientists, hospitals—don’t want to buy a product or a service from a company that doesn’t appear to be right on the forefront.
Don’t make the costly mistake recently made by The Gap. If there is even a possibility that your brand is outdated and ineffective but you just aren’t sure where to go with it, hire experts to do a brand analysis first. Invest in some time and research, so when and if you do decide to move forward with a brand update or even a re-branding, you can have confidence that you’re spending your money and your time wisely.
