Is it time for your brand to create a fresh identity? If yes, then I’m sure you want a clear answer to the question “how long does it take to rebrand a company?” Having rebranded thousands of companies, we are here to help. This article will break down down the process, providing a rebranding timeline that is easy to understand. Then, you will will learn the time requirements for execute each step.
A common misunderstanding in rebranding is believing that a new brand can be launched within three to four months. Despite spending months or even years recognizing the need for one, establishing a realistic timeline for a successful rebrand is essential. Rushing through a brand transformation driven by eagerness can jeopardize its success.
Now, let’s dive into the details for understanding how much time is required to transform the current brand.
Understanding the Rebranding Timeline
Proper time allocation to each stage of the rebranding and marketing strategy will significantly increase the likelyhood of success. The process consists of multiple steps, starting with discovery and research, moving on to strategy, creative development and testing, then finally implementation and communication.
But the work isn’t complete once the overhaul is live, once public-facing, promoting to ensure a successful rebranding campaign can take 6 to 12 months, depending on the company’s specifics. There is no concrete timeline for the rebranding project because several factors influence it. These factors include its size and complexity, scope, and stakeholder engagement.
Phases and Timelines of the Rebranding Process
Discovery and Research Phase
The research and discovery phase of the rebranding process helps to understand the current brand’s state. With this information, companies set the foundation for their new brand identity. The process starts with a detailed brand audit. It comprehensively evaluates the existing brand elements, messaging, and positioning.
A detailed brand audit identifies a company’s strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. It involves asking specific rebranding questions that lay the foundation for the transformation. The average timeframe for conducting a thorough brand audit ranges from 2 to 4 weeks. But it can be more or less depending on the companies size.
After the brand audit, a competitive analysis is performed to understand the market landscape, identify new opportunities for differentiation, and determine where your brand stands in comparison. On average, conducting a competitive, retail, & market analysis for the rebranding effort takes 3-4 weeks.
Then we must begin to think about the brand messaging by analyzing the target audience and utilizing social media to understand their perceptions, interests, and behaviors which will occur once we review the findings from our discovery and research efforts.
Strategy Development Phase
After collecting data and extracting meaningful insights, now is the time to develop a comprehensive rebranding checklist. Strategically map out different steps in the checklist to implement the new brand strategy. Developing an effective strategy for a complete rebranding process involves several key steps.
After the transformation, develop a proper plan to craft a new brand positioning strategy. This will define how target customers perceive the new brand identity and will generally 3-4 weeks to complete.
For a house of brands, a new brand architecture maybe be necessary to ensure a cohesive and compelling framework. The structure and hierarchy must support the overall brand strategy, which takes an average of 3 to 4 months depending on how many brands are within the companies portfolio. Ensure brand consistency across all touchpoints to support the changes. Craft a coherent and consistent brand voice for effective communication with the target audience.
At this point you will begin to introduce a compelling messaging and potentially a new brand personality. This will include traits and characteristics to ensure a consistent and authentic brand image. A well-defined personality differentiates the brand, fosters emotional connections, and enhances customer loyalty.
Creative Development Phase
A rebranding launch is incomplete without updating all of the branding elements. If rebranding after a merger or acquisition, you may need to develop a new logo design that aligns the brand’s visual elements, such as typography, color palette, and imagery, to match the new brand personality, ensuring it resonates with the target market.
The logo rebranding can take a minimum of 4 weeks in most cases but this design can occur other touchpoints such as the website and product packaging. Designing a new logo is the primary visual representation and an essential component of the branding process. Establish a comprehensive brand guideline to maintain consistency across all marketing material. Introduce the new brand guideline as a rebranding template to ensure a smooth transition.
Once the visual brand assets are complete, developing new marketing material, including brochures and advertising campaigns, can take 4 to 7 weeks. Ensure each material is aligned with the new brand identity and effectively conveys the value proposition to the target audience which is accomplished when you have prepared clear brand guidelines and a detailed style guide.
Implementation and Launch Phase
You need a timely plan for the rebranding rollout. This phase will require significant time and coordination to ensure a smooth transition and consistent brand experience. The first step of the implementation and launch phase is ensuring internal alignment. Use a rebrand presentation deck to properly communicate the new brand guidelines and keep everyone on the same page.
Aligning all employees, departments, and stakeholders with the new brand identity requires checks and balances as well as consistent follow-ups which is why it can take 2 to 4 months. Use thorough communication and training to develop brand champions. Ensure a cohesive understanding and adoption of the new rebranding trends throughout the organization.
Rolling out a new brand to customers, partners, and the broader market is challenging and time-consuming. It may take three to six months, depending on how various marketing and communication activities are coordinated.
Factors Influencing Rebranding Timeline
Company Size and Complexity
The size and complexity of an organization are key factors that influence the rebranding timeline. For instance, rebranding package designs can be a lot quicker for a small business, as the scale of the project is less daunting. It is more challenging for prominent brands to effectively communicate why rebranding is necessary to investors or distributions partners providing clarify on how they plan to mitigate the risks that create the worst rebranding scenarios.
Enterprise-level companies with vast and complex operations typically require a more extensive rebranding effort, sometimes up to 18 months. The sheer scale of these initiatives demands meticulous planning, robust internal communication, and a phased rollout to ensure a seamless transition and consistent brand experience, as seen in various rebranding examples.
Industry and Regulations
Industry and regulations can also greatly influence the timeline for rolling out the rebranding strategy. Highly regulated sectors, such as finance, healthcare, or government, often have more stringent guidelines and approval processes, which can prolong the phases of brand strategy and brand positioning. Changes to the brand identity or even the brand name may need extensive review and authorization.
Fast-paced industries, like technology or fashion, may demand a swifter rebrand to stay ahead of the target audience and capitalize on emerging trends. A more agile and streamlined approach is needed for the new brand development and rollout. Understanding these industry-specific nuances is crucial for setting realistic expectations and crafting a rebranding timeline that balances speed, compliance, and long-term brand success.
Existing Brand Strength
The existing strength of a brand can significantly impact the rebranding timeline. Brands with strong brand equity, positive brand perception, and high brand recognition require a more delicate approach to avoid alienating their loyal target audience.
Companies with well-established identities may need to approach rebranding more gradually, focusing on evolving existing brand elements instead of completely overhauling them, as drastic changes can pose severe rebranding risks.
This can extend the timeline, as the strategy must carefully balance the need for change with the preservation of the brand value and attributes resonating with the target audience.
Brands with weaker equity and less recognizable brand Identity may have more flexibility to undertake a more extensive effort with a shorter timeline, as the risk of losing existing customer loyalty is lower.
Scope of Rebranding
A complete rebrand, where an organization undergoes a total overhaul of its Brand Strategy, Brand Positioning, visual identity, and all assets, typically requires a more extensive timeline than a brand refresh.
A complete rebrand involves a deeper, more comprehensive transformation that can take 12-18 months or longer, depending on the organization’s size and complexity. This process requires extensive research, strategic planning, creative development, and a phased rollout to ensure a seamless transition across all touchpoints, including digital marketing channels.
A brand refresh is a more limited and focused effort, often taking 6-9 months to execute. This approach focuses on updating select brand elements, such as the logo, color palette, or messaging, without completely overhauling the brand’s core identity.
Data Driven Rebranding Strategy for Maximum Impact
If you need a rebrand with performance predictability, we can help. SmashBrand is a rebranding agency that researches, designs, and tests all products to ensure peak shelf performance. Book a time to discuss your project with our team.
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