The New Year brings new opportunity. It’s a chance to give your brand a refresh. You certainly don’t need to do anything drastic to update your brand. Subtle changes can actually yield positive responses. To prepare your brand for 2018, here are five brand refresh ideas you’ll want to try.
Add a complimentary color.
Color is very important to your brand story. Consider all the famous colors out there that immediately signal a specific brand. Think Home Depot orange or Target red. Most brands have at least two main colors; some three. Adding another complimentary color could liven up your website or ads. NFL teams are kind of infamous for debuting new hues. One color may have been a small accent then suddenly it’s the color featured on the Color Rush (all one color) uniforms. Brining in a new color can liven up your brand, especially if your colors feel a little dated. Add something light if you’re current shades feel too dark, or use a darker color for contrast with lights.
Change up your home page.
Home pages are not what they used to be. In fact, the home page may not even be your most visited page. That’s because the referrals to your site, especially those from social media, don’t push to a home page. Rather, they are linking to individual blog posts or landing pages. Your home page is still important. But it doesn’t have to be complicated or have every bell and whistle. The most important parts of a home page are: the hero image, value proposition, featured products or services and content. Take the time to refresh any or all of these. Get into the habit of updating the bones of your home page at least every three months. Featured products and content will, of course, change more frequently.
Energize your social media profiles.
After you’ve updated your home page, it’s time to freshen up your social media profiles. This means new images that are consistent throughout all your platforms. You may also want to update your descriptions, adding in anything new or exciting you offer.
Revisit templates.
Does your brand currently have templates for presentations, collateral or other materials? When’s the last time they were revised? If it’s been a while then they could probably use some work. Think about how any digital changes should impact these other documents. Will you add color? Update images? Play with layouts? For inspiration, put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Do these elements tell your story as you intended? Answering these questions is the best way to start your brand refresh.
Consider every design opportunity.
It may very well be the details that matter. There are many opportunities to show your brand’s personality that you may otherwise disregard. For instance, what does your business card say about your brand? Although we live in a digital world, business cards still matter. The way the look and feel can spark interest. Some other pieces to rethink are letterhead (it doesn’t have to be so formal; be creative) or proposals, where it’s never a bad idea to show personality.
What do you want to do in 2018?
Maybe the most important part of any brand refresh is understanding what you want to do this year and how changes can help you get there. Whether you want to grow, diversify or rebuild, your brand should be telling your story every day in a unique and genuine way. Get ready to do something great in 2018. If you need some help, we’d love to be part of the journey. Check out what we offer.
