How to fall in love with your brand again

Looking to rekindle that brand launch excitement? Maybe it’s been a few years since your brand guidelines were updated. Maybe you’re happy with your brand, but it doesn’t have the zing it had at launch. Don’t give up! Here are a few ways you can recapture the excitement and keep the fire alive and love your brand.

Focus on what’s important

Take some time to reacquaint yourself with the big ideas behind your guidelines. These goals and concepts are good reminders about how you want to present yourself to your target audience. Let them inspire you and guide decisions about what is flexible and what isn’t. What’s at the very essence of your brand and how can you make that shine through more brightly?

Communication is key

An underlying story should be consistent and evident in all your communications, both verbally and visually, so your message resonates with your target audience. If the value prop has shifted, maybe it’s time for an update. If the story is strong, but it’s getting lost, do a little self-audit to find out what’s missing and determine where to put the most effort. Check your materials against your brand voice guidelines, too, to make sure there’s a singular voice that resonates with customers.

Freshen up your look

Rearrange the brand tools you have in a new way. Level up your photography. Try a lesser-used color combination from your brand palette. Explore some sample layouts that put more emphasis on one asset over another. But still be yourself. It’s easy to get excited about something new and forget who you are at your core. Like a campaign or sub brand, any style shifts should be purposeful and consistent. Be sure tweaks still fit next to existing work and won’t confuse your audience.

Set some boundaries

Those shiny new sample layouts in a brand guide are often streamlined and sophisticated but may not reflect the density of content or the many requests from internal clients. Multiple photos, icons, longer copy, CTAs, QR codes and more get squeezed in one by one. To get a little of that sophistication back, don’t be afraid to have tough conversations about editing down content and maintaining a clear communication hierarchy.

Share the workload

It can be hard to find uninterrupted time for conceptual work. A collaborative approach with an outside partner can be great for things like story ideation, refreshing visual systems or campaign development. Let them explore concepts to hand off to your in-house team. This makes the most of your team’s skills and your department’s budget while still benefiting from a fresh point of view.

Looking to add some sizzle back and love your brand again? Drop us a note at: contact@shattlescommunications.com