The marketplace is constantly changing. In order to keep up, businesses must change as well. For many companies, a rebrand will eventually be one of those changes. Organizations choose to rebrand for a multitude of reasons; whether it’s new management, a merger, company growth or simply just an outdated image. No matter the reason, rebranding involves a lot of time and effort. Here are five tips that can make the process run a little smoother:

1. Have a plan. Many companies are surprised to learn how complex a rebrand can be. Initially, it may seem like just a few updates, when in reality it involves designing new logos and marketing materials, company product updates, a new website design and much more. Before you dive into changing all these things at once, it is best to start with a plan. Decide what changes need to be made first, implement a deadline for when changes need to be completed and assign someone to oversee different areas. For example, when ClickDimensions went through our rebranding, we sat down as a team and figured out our plan of action. We decided that we would finalize a new logo, new colors and new messaging before moving on to the next task. Making a plan and sticking to it helped prevent us from feeling too overwhelmed with the project. We also held regular meetings to ensure everything was on track.

2. Take inventory. As I mentioned earlier, rebranding involves making changes to a variety of elements within the company. In order to keep track of everything, it’s a good idea to sit down and take inventory of all the things that will need to be rebranded. This would include any web-related items, print materials, marketing content and anything that is currently branded within your company. Having an inventory ensures that everything gets updated and nothing slips through the cracks. You would be surprised at the number of things that need to be changed, especially in larger company, so it is easy to forget items. And that’s a great segue into my next tip…

3. Involve others. It should come as a surprise to no one that multiple people are involved in a rebranding. Aside from your own team, one of the more obvious groups of people involved would be your executive team. As the leaders of the organization, they will want a say in the finished product of the rebrand, so it’s best to involve them along the way. Schedule regular meetings with executives to update them on progress and get buy-in along the way. It’s also important to reach out to other departments outside your own to make sure you are not forgetting to rebrand materials. For example, your accounting team might have many branded documents and forms that they use regularly that you aren’t aware of.

4. Be consistent. Consistency is essential in branding. When you start the actual process of rebranding, you want to ensure that your entire brand presence is aligned, both online and offline. A good way to make sure that changes such as colors, fonts and logos stay consistent through the rebrand is with a brand style guide.

5. Have an internal launch. Many companies spend a great deal of time planning the external launch of their new branding, but don’t forget your internal stakeholders too. It is good to have an internal launch prior to your external launch so you can educate employees on the changes and answer any questions they may have. Some companies hold company-wide launch parties for their employees while others give out newly branded items like t-shirts. Whatever you decide to do, the goal is to create excitement around the new brand. It is important that employees feel like they are a part of your company’s new vision, so they feel valued and can convey the changes clearly to external audiences.

Happy Marketing!