Suzanne Elshult, http://hrnow.net Executive Yak, sponsors live round tables for senior marketing and human resources executives in the Seattle area and offers executive / professional coaching and virtual learning opportunities for leaders, business owners, consultants and coaches committed to growth and high performance.

When my marketing executive group met last week we all agreed that re-branding is like painting a wall. If we don’t prep the wall first we will without a doubt get into a heap of trouble downstream. In fact a key reason so many re-branding efforts fail is because too little attention is paid to setting objectives and developing and establishing measurable criteria for success/failure at the outset. A major challenge for marketing lies in gaining the necessary organizational understanding of what a re-branding effort involves. Often we get our start becuse someone suddenly makes a knee-jerk decision: “go do it!” If you have a CEO that thinks that he essence of re-branding is getting a new logo, you are in trouble. And, misconceptions about branding isn’t limited to individuals inside your company. What about the agency you hire that promptly develops five logos and asks you which one you like. On the other hand, there can be a huge benefit to having a third party participate in the process, as they can provide a more objective view of your brand.The process needs to start with answering s simple question: Why are you wanting to re-brand and what are you trying to say?

The catalysts for re-branding initiatives in our current or past companies varied quite a lot. For example:

a) A client survey showed us we are a “Mercedes” but look like a “Ford.” Some serious dial-up was needed!
b) We were acquired.
c) New product introductions demanded re-branding.
d) We wanted to leverage one of our strong brands to get into a new market.
e) Re-branding was the result of regulatory change.
f) Re-branding was the result of competitive developments.

Regardless of what the catalysts were, it was agreed that an effective re-branding strategy must include certain steps:

1) Research the Industry. Find out what the industry trends are and pay attention to what the life stage of your company is (early adaptation, fully engaged, or at the end of mature life).
2) Research the competition. Hone in on the vital few. Who are they? How are they positioning themselves? Develop a competitive map.Why are they winning? Where are your greatest opportunities?
3) Gain stakeholder insight. Listen to all key stakeholders whether they are customers/clients, employees, vendors, community/industry leaders. Use a variety of tools for listening. Find out what your differentiators are and how you can stand apart .
4) Develop a plan for roll-out. Figure out if you are aiming to do the rollout all at once or migrate over time. How will you track success/failure? How do you integrate the re-branding effort into the fabric of your company?

Ask these questions:
1. What are the differentiators?
2. What’s changing in your industry?
3. What makes you superior? What’s most important?
4. What is your competitor’s greatest weakness?
5. What are you not getting? What are the unmet needs? And, do you want to be the first to meet those needs?
6. What do you see leaders in the future doing? What brand position best anticipates this future?

We all concluded that going back to the basic in re-branding is essential. It doesn”t have to be boring. There are some steps you absolutely cannot cheat on, or you WILL run into trouble during roll-out.