When rebrands are announced, it can be equally exciting and stressful.  

It may seem like the next 12-18 months will leave you stretched for time, resources and money. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be this way if careful discussions, planning, and budgeting occur. 

Here’s how to ensure a successful and less stressful rebrand - on time, and on budget.

Step 1: Establish your objectives 

Determining what the goal of the rebrand is, along with objectives is an essential first step to ensuring a successful rebrand. All stakeholders should be made aware of the objectives, so everyone can work together - united behind the same goals. 

To achieve this, you should consider: 

• How long do you need the signage to last for? Choosing signage materials depends on whether you want your signage to last for 10 or 20 years. Consider when the next rebrand is likely to occur and whether it will occur before or after the sign’s natural end of life
• Do you want your new look to make you stand out from the crowd and give your brand a competitive advantage? You may want to consider integrating interactive or digital technologies
• What’s your deadline? This may alter budget decisions 

Step 2: Set a budget 

It is essential you conduct relevant research after your objectives have been finalised to set a realistic budget. 

To achieve this, you should consider: 

• What are your options for the rollout? You should consider whether your rebrand will be rolled out all at once, or be staggered
• Is your timeframe flexible? If so, by expanding out the time frame of the rollout, more money may be put into the signage itself, rather than on fast tracking the timeframe
• What about ongoing maintenance? After installation, a budget should be set for ongoing maintenance and repairs to ensure brand consistency 

Step 3: Determine signage specifications 

Researching signage options is an essential next step due to the ever changing nature of the signages industry and technologies. 

To achieve this, you should consider: 

• Have you spoken to an industry expert? They can help you select the right materials to meet your objectives
• What is the expected life expectancy of the sign materials? Finding out how and when they will age will be essential to your maintenance costs-    Have you trialled colours, materials and working prototypes in a real-life environment? This is important because colours may change with different light, for example
• How about environmentally friendly signage? With advances in technology, environmentally friendly signage may reduce your costs and meet your sustainability goals

Step 4: Develop brand guidelines 

Creating detailed signage guidelines in your Brand Manual and making these specifications available to all stakeholders is an essential next step in the process. 

To achieve this, you should consider: 

• Do you have a Technical Sign Manual? This should include the detailed specifications for signs including colours, fonts, sizes and materials. Using this will ensure consistency in the rebrand 
• Is the Brand Manual or Technical Sign Manual available to all stakeholders for reference? This will ensure all signage touch points meet brand standards

Step 5: Conduct an audit 

Undertaking a network-wide audit in preparation for the rebrand is the essential final step in the rebrand process. Ensure many photos and measurements are taken in these audits to avoid any guesswork and the need to revisit the site. 

To achieve this, you should consider: 

• Have you kept site audit photos and measurements for future reference? Also consider keeping artwork, permits and completion photos, as these may assist you down the track for maintenance, repairs or your next rebrand

Your signage is essential, as it is always visible and allows for customers to identify your brand. Thus, rebranding requires serious consideration. Rebranding is complex, and there are many points to consider. However, using these five steps can save a lot of stress and can set your rebrand up for success. 

Want to learn more? Check out our whitepaper on Simplifying the Branding Process.