THE REBRANDING GUIDE

E V E R Y T H I N G Y O U N E E D TO K N OW A B O U T R E B R A N D I N G Y O U R CO M PA N Y
CONTENTS Start Here 03

Branding Defined 04

Why Invest? 05

Signs It’s Time to Rebrand 06

The Rebranding Process 07

How Much and How Long? 09

Return on Investment 11

Planning For Your Rebrand 12

Selecting the Right Partner 13

The Journey Ahead 14

Rebranding Resources 15

About Ignyte 16

The Rebranding Guide / 0

Start
There’s no two ways about it: Your brand is your
company’s most valuable asset. Why? Because
your brand, as we’ll see, is how your organization is
perceived by the world around it. And, like it or not,
in an increasingly media-centric age, perception is
reality. Branding enables you to shape customer
reality so you can influence the behaviors that impact

Here
your bottom line.

It stands to reason, then, that rebranding is one of

the soundest investments your organization can
make—especially if your organization is experiencing
rapid growth, waning profits, or is just in the midst of
an existential crisis.

If you’re thinking about investing in a rebrand, you’ve

come to the right place. In the pages that follow, we’ll
walk you through:

! The proven benefits of rebranding

! The rebranding process from start to finish
! Levels of investment and return
! Choosing the right partner for the journey

This guide will equip you with everything you need

to confidently decide whether to rebrand your
company—and to get the most out of the process if
you do. The truth is, apart from being a resoundingly
smart investment, rebranding is one of the most
cathartic and revitalizing journeys an organization
can embark on.

Like any journey, it starts with the first step…

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BRANDING DEFINED
What is a Brand?
Not as easy to answer as you’d think, is it? Brands,
after all, aren’t something you can point to, like a logo
or a product. Brands live in the mind. Specifically, they
live in the minds of customers, employees, investors,
the media, and everyone else they come in contact
with. Simply put:

Brands are Perceptions.

Your brand is the way your company is perceived—and
perception is a powerful thing. Perception dictates
belief and belief drives behavior. How your customer
perceives your brand, therefore, determines how he or
she will engage with your brand. But the real power of
branding hinges on one other fundamental truth about
human psychology:

Perceptions are Malleable.

Perceptions are capable of being shaped because
we’re all searching for meaning in the chaotic world
around us. Good branding creates order out of
chaos, effectively shaping customer reality and, in
turn, influencing purchasing behavior in extremely
valuable ways.

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 1 Grow Your Brand Equity
WHY INVEST? Invest in your company’s most valuable
asset. Brand equity pays off year after year
with increased market share, premium
pricing, and negotiating power.
So, why should you spend money on a rebrand
when that money could be allocated to other
needs? For starters, rebranding shouldn’t be seen
as another cost counted against your marketing
budget. Rebranding is an investment—one that, if
2 Solidify Your Brand Authority
done properly, will yield exponential returns over Precisely identify your optimal niche
within the marketplace, and own it. Brand
the life of your business.
authority naturally enables you to become
an industry leader.
Here are 8 proven ways that branding can positively
impact your bottom line for years to come:
3 Deliver on Your Brand Promise
Articulate a brand promise that is
compelling, authentic, and unique. Forge
an agreement your customers know you
will make good on.
4 Stoke Customer Loyalty
Cultivate two things that are increasingly
rare in the brand/customer relationship:
trust and loyalty. The practical value of
these qualities can’t be overstated.
5 Attract Ideal Customers
Precisely target customers aligned with
your brand values. These customers are
more loyal, become brand advocates, and
are willing to pay premium prices.
6 Render Competition Irrelevant
Radically differentiate your company by
establishing it as the exclusive expert
provider of its unique value proposition,
making competition no longer an issue.
7 Attract Top Talent
Clarify your company’s core values and
attract industry talent aligned with these
essential principles—candidates best
suited to your unique culture.
8 Command a Premium Price
Capitalize on the fact that consumers are
willing to pay more for quality brands.
Reposition your company and command
the prices you deserve
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SIGNS IT’S TIME
TO REBRAND DO WE NEED A
REBRAND?
" SYMPTOMS
How do you know when it’s time to rebrand your
company? It’s worth taking a moment to assess the Our brand name no longer reflects our company’s vision.

situation. Here is a list of signs that point to the need

We’re embarrassed to hand out our business cards.
for a rebrand. If you find you’ve checked more than 2
boxes after carefully thinking about each symptom as Our competitive advantage is vague or poorly articulated.
it relates to your organization, your brand is probably in
Our brand has lost focus and become too complex to understand.
need of an update.
Our business model or strategy has changed.

Our business has outgrown its current brand.

We’re undergoing or recently underwent a merger or acquisition.

Our business has moved or expanded its geographic reach.

We need to disassociate our brand from a negative image.

We’re struggling to raise our prices and increase our profit margins.

We want to expand our influence and connect to new audiences.

We’re not attracting top talent for the positions we need to fill.

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REBRANDING
PROCESS
Rebranding unfolds over 5 phases, each as
critical as the next. Authentic brands are
borne from a deliberate and methodical
process. Cutting corners will only cost you in
the long run. Take the time to do each step
right and you’ll reap the rewards of
rebranding for years to come.
01
RESEARCH
Rigorous, in-depth research is the cornerstone of
any successful branding initiative. An evidence-based
approach enables you to make informed business
decisions throughout the branding process. If you want
to become a market leader, it’s imperative to have a
comprehensive understanding of who you are as a
brand, how your audience perceives you, and where
you stand in the competitive landscape. Only thorough
research can provide this understanding.
! Market Landscape Analysis
! Audience Segmentation
! Internal Brand Research
! Customer Research
! Persona Development
! Brand Audit
02
STRATEGY
The goal of strategy is to define the psychological
underpinnings of your brand and position it for future
growth. In this phase you’ll want to build consensus
around your brand’s core attributes. By defining
elements like purpose, vision, mission, and values,
you establish a brand compass with which to navigate
future initiatives. The upshot is the brand brief, a
formalized account of your core messaging, key
differentiators, and tenable marketplace position.
! Brand Strategy
! Brand Positioning
! Brand Architecture
! Brand Messaging
! Naming
! Tagline
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03
IDENTITY
Far more than just a logo, your brand’s identity should
be a visual distillation of its purpose and personality.
Working with insights gleaned from the research and
strategy phases enables you to forge an authentic
identity. It’s this identity that will amplify differentiation
and leave a lasting impression. Color, typography, and
iconography should each be thoroughly explored until
you uncover a composition that perfectly conveys your
brand essence and story.
04
EXPRESSION
A multifaceted and far-reaching narrative, expression
includes all the instances in which your brand engages
its audience. Expression is the language that chronicles
your offerings and the imagery that captures your
spirit. It includes your website, your packaging, your
marketing collateral, and every other initiative where
you bring your brand to those you serve. Each of these
touchpoints should be a dynamic manifestation of your
brand identity.
05
ALIGNMENT
Alignment is the activation and calibration of your
branding efforts. It begins with the development of
brand guidelines, a document that precisely outlines
how your brand should be expressed. Then, as part
of the brand rollout, alignment is achieved internally
and externally by ensuring both your employees and
customers understand your brand’s purpose at the
deepest level. Alignment is an ongoing initiative, a
maintenance process to uphold brand authenticity.

! Logo ! Websites ! Brand Guidelines

! Identity Suite ! Copywriting ! Brand Rollouts
! Color Palette ! Photography ! Brand Training
! Typography ! Collateral ! Brand Metrics
! Iconography ! Packaging ! Brand Management
! Image Style ! Signage ! Brand Activation

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HOW MUCH AND
HOW LONG?
If you’re anything like most companies, what you really
want to know about the rebranding process is how
much it will cost and how long it will take. As with most
important questions, the answers are relative. The
budget and timeline of a rebrand depend on the size
of your operation and the nature of your challenges.
Large organizations with extensive histories and
complex offerings require more time and resources
than smaller companies with straightforward
business models.

Wherever your company falls on the spectrum, there’s

a solution to fit your needs. In what follows, we outline
three rebranding levels, each addressing the unique
scope and challenges of a different business…

The Rebranding Guide

GuidF / 
LEVEL ONE LEVEL TWO LEVEL THREE

Brand Refresh Brand Reboot Brand Overhaul

Best suited for a small company. You’re serious Best suited for a small- to medium-sized company. Best suited for a medium- to large-sized company.
about laying a foundation for your brand but have You’re a growing organization with systemic issues You’re an established enterprise, often with a global
limited available resources. Your business model is that are affecting your brand. The problem is deeper presence. Your needs are complicated by the size and
simple and your needs are minimal. than just an outdated logo. complexity of your business model.

! Brand Discovery ! Customer Research ! Internal Brand Research

! Brand Identity ! Brand Audit ! Customer Research
! Corporate Stationery ! Brand Strategy ! Brand Audit
! Website ! Naming and Tagline ! Brand Strategy
! Copywriting ! Brand Identity ! Brand Architecture
! Photography ! Corporate Stationery ! Naming and Tagline
! Website ! Brand Identity
! Copywriting ! Corporate Stationery
! Photography ! Website
! Marketing Collateral ! Copywriting
! Photography and Video
! Marketing Collateral
! Brand Guidelines
! Brand Rollout

# 40,000–60,000+ $ 3–4 months # 70,000–90,000+ $ 5–6 months # 100,000–150,000+ $ 8–10 months

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280

260
RETURN ON
INVESTMENT
240

220
The evidence is clear: companies that invest in
branding reliably outperform those that don’t. The
245%
RETURN TO SHAREHOLDERS

consulting firm Interbrand publishes an annual report

ranking the Best Global Brands, as determined by
200
four internal factors (clarity, commitment, protection,
and responsiveness) and six external factors (authen-
180 ticity, relevance, differentiation, consistency, presence,
and understanding).

A McKinsey & Company study showed that a portfolio

160
consisting of Interbrand’s 40 top-ranked brands
consistently outperformed the MSCI World market
140 index. In terms of total return to shareholders, the
172%
portfolio beat the MSCI World by an impressive 73
percent in the study’s final year.
120

100

80
TOP 40 BRANDS

MSCI WORLD

60
Source: Datastream; Interbrand; McKinsey

2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 2014

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PLANNING FOR
YOUR REBRAND READINESS
CHECKLIST
" P R E PA R AT I O N M E A S U R E S
The success of any rebranding initiative is largely
dependent on your commitment to prepare for it Get buy-in from senior leadership on the importance of rebranding.

internally. The more groundwork you’ve done in

Establish specific goals you want to achieve with the rebrand.
prepping for the rebrand, the more efficient and
impactful the process will be. Remember, rebranding Identify internal stakeholders that will make up your rebranding team.
is a collaborative effort. The internal team you
Ensure availability of each team member for all rebranding meetings.
assemble is just as important as your branding firm’s
team. Important measures to take into consideration Ensure marketing team is briefed and ready to contribute.
include the following:
Establish a branding budget based on project size and complexity.

Define a realistic timeline based on internal and external factors.

Begin gathering existing collateral for the discovery phase.

Research, vet, and select the right branding firm for the job.

The Rebranding Guide / 1

SELECTING THE
RIGHT PARTNER Have values and culture that align
with your own?

The first decision you’ll have to make is also arguably

the most important: which firm should you work with? Guarantee senior-level talent
and expertise?
Here are a few things you want to look for in your
search for the right branding partner.
Demonstrate deliberate and
methodical strategy?

Have a process founded on rigorous

objective research?

Does your
Branding Have a track record of success borne
out by detailed case studies?
Partner...
Practice what they preach and have
a brand of their own to prove it?

Excel at creative execution in a

variety of media?

Have a proven ability to leverage

advanced technology and design?

Seem nimble and adaptable to the

inevitable changes that will arise?

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THE JOURNEY
AHEAD
Rebranding is nothing if not a journey. It can reveal
inner truths about your organization and opportunities
you never even knew existed. It gives you the power
to shape your brand into an authentic, cohesive entity
with agency and purpose. Not every branding firm
can deliver such results, though. So it’s important to
be diligent in the search for the right partner. We’re
happy to help get you started.

The Rebranding Guide / 

REBRANDING
RESOURCES RE
SE
AR
CH N TIT
Y

I DE

When it comes to branding, you can never have

too much knowledge. You can find more at the
Ignyte blog, Brand Thinking. From research and POS
ITIO E
NING TUR
strategy to psychology and storytelling, Brand CUL
Thinking takes a deep dive into all things
branding—and beyond.

EXPAND YOUR BRANDING IQ:

www.ignytebrands.com/blog STRATEGY VOICE

DES
OGY IGN
HOL
P SY C

ST
CS OR
T RI Y
ME

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ABOUT IGNYTE
Headquartered in the heart of sunny San Diego,
Ignyte is a different kind of branding firm. We special-
ize in brand strategy, identity systems, and creative
execution, offering a unique range of expertise under
one roof. Our purpose is to help companies discover
their authenticity, and leverage it to create brand
stories that engage and inspire. Ignyte has worked to
define the purpose, positioning, and differentiation
of brands in the industries of healthcare, wellness,
professional development, financial services,
technology, life sciences, and more.

To learn more about our unique approach to

brand psychology and storytelling, contact us today.

The Rebranding Guide / 

C O N TA C T

+1 619 326 4603

hello@ignytebrands.com

ADDRESS

2146 Kettner Boulevard

San Diego, CA 92101

SOCIAL

/ignytebrands/

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