August 14, 2025
A rebrand can be a daunting task, especially when you don’t know where to start. Use these helpful tips to guide you through the rebranding process for a thoughtful and creative new brand identity.
Before beginning a rebrand, consider why it is that you are doing it in the first place. What are you trying to achieve and what are the problems with the current branding? Examples of this could be that your brand is feeling a little tired and you want a more modern aesthetic to appeal to a wider audience. Or that you want a more unique colour palette that stands out amongst competitors.
There is no point in going ahead with a rebrand before you figure out your goals and intentions. Setting those out beforehand makes sure everyone is on the same page and will lead to a rebrand with purpose.
It is important to think about what you want to change about your brand identity, and how much of it it is that you want to change.
A partial rebrand is more of a brand refresh. It would take what is already there and adapt it to your new goals, taking less time and resources than a full rebrand project. This kind of rebrand could look something like expanding a colour palette, modernising a logo, or changing some fonts. A partial rebrand may be used in lots of different instances such as a heritage brand that wants to take the history and traditions that encapsulate their identity, but want it to feel current and appeal to the modern day consumer.
A full brand is essentially starting again and creating a new brand identity from scratch. This can be a long process but may be a necessity for success. A full rebrand includes/can include creating new logos, designing colour palettes, choosing/designing fonts, creating an illustration library, solidifying tone of voice and many more factors. A full rebrand may be necessary to re-establish brand values or appeal to a whole new audience.
Research – more specifically visual research – is one of the most helpful tools when it comes to any design based task. This can be extremely helpful when considering how the current branding is perceived and also what the new brand could be.
It may be helpful to conduct research to further understand what is wrong with/what consumers don’t like about the current branding. Why is it not resonating? What would consumers like to see in the future? What would engage or re-engage them with the brand?
Secondary research is also essential in the design process. This could be as simple as going on a walk and seeing 2 colours in nature that work perfectly together. On the other hand, it could entail a full market research project looking at what other brands are doing successfully and why.
Look for inspiration across all areas of design, be experimental and creative with idea generation, and embrace and enjoy the whole process.
A rebrand will take time. Designing is a long process where ideas evolve and outcomes take feedback into consideration at every stage. Time frames are important, but a rushed and unpolished rebrand may end up with your consumer’s perceptions of your brand being even worse than they were to begin with.
Remember to keep coming back to the original brand values and the intentions of the rebrand that were defined at the beginning of the project. These should be reflected upon during the whole process, making sure that each choice is made thoughtfully and that everything is designed with purpose.
A new logo for instance most likely won’t just be going on a website header. It may be used for packaging, on social media, on print, signage etc. Is your new brand identity going to be adaptable for different uses? Can it evolve to be relevant both now and in the future? Does it give you the framework to make your brand into what you want it to be? Yes a rebrand isn’t forever, but designing with the future in mind can save time, effort and costs in the long run.
Need help with a rebranding project? At Candid Digital we are the perfect partner for supporting your business in its brand refresh or entirely new visual identity. Contact us today to see how we can help!
If you have an idea in mind, feel free to reach out by submitting the form below to schedule a discovery call with us.
Candid Digital, Fenchurch House, 12 King St, Nottingham, NG1 2AS
Candid Creative, Innovation House, Cray Rd, Sidcup, DA14 5DP
