Branding & Old Movies

Have you ever noticed something interesting about movies from any bygone era? I ask this question all the time to businesses around Western Sydney. And normally I ask them when they have approached me for opinions on whether or not their brand maybe a little tired.

Let’s be clear here; brands are very close to the people who own and operate the business so it’s often near-impossible to form any true opinion that provides honest answers.

So I put it into a context most people know well: Old movies

Some, particularly the ones deliberately filmed in a contemporary setting that contains furniture, cars, clothes, and hairstyles among many other props, really do scream in support of that specific era.

But then there are other flicks which, if not exactly era-neutral, have a look and feel to them that comes across as somewhat timeless.

Every business and its brand can be either of the two. Some have an image that fits in for decades, while others seem hopelessly tired and outdated.

So if you fit into the category of the latter and are thinking about investing in all the hard work it takes to re-brand, I can at least give you 3 bits of advice to ensure you don’t blow a small fortune or cause yourself the stress.

• Don’t throw money into a bottomless pit

• Identify what truly gives you the edge

• Plan for a sensible transition

Don’t throw money into a bottomless pit

Before implementing any branding work, make sure you have a capable and experienced in-house team or external agency. This makes it less likely for the exercise to turn into a bottomless pit

Important at the initial point is to properly analyse all possible impacts of whatever changes you have in mind. Remember, These won’t just be visual; they could impact the organisational structure of your business and will definitely have some financial impact too. If you take the approach mindful that all costs will be centralised then you are one step ahead already.

Identify what truly gives you the edge

There is no hard and fast rule for identifying what your core brand really is. It takes a fair bit of review and dissection of where the business came from and where it is heading. It’s even important to identify why the business came about in the first place.

But an important trait to really know in relation to your business is why your customers come to you in the first place. This is such a highly pertinent components of the call branding DNA in an ideal way to find out why your customers come to you rather than your opposition is to just straight out ask them. A simple survey of individuals that already know your business what it stands for can give you amazing insight that never occurred to you.

It’s amazing how often the responses don’t add up all to what you thought they would be. So if you’re not sure what gives your company the edge don’t be afraid to make a quick survey as this will help build your core brand around it.

Plan for a sensible transition

Over the years I’ve seen some pretty dismal mistakes in rebranding. There are one or two that come to mind in Australia (which of course I’d rather not name) that involved changing company names, slogans, colour schemes, and pretty much everything else that was ever associated with its branding.

Now of course this can work in some situations, but the reason on these two occasions it proves damaging is because each of these companies had already established extremely recognisable brands across the country in many business verticals. In the case of one of them, its brand name was so powerful it actually became an eponymous term used by almost every professional in the industry.

Then someone convinces them to change their name, look, and colour scheme entirely and even though they didn’t disappear off the face of the earth they were now extremely difficult to find.

Don’t forget that your customers have had considerable time to become used to your presence in the market and they understand what you stand for. Often it’s just subtle changes that can freshen up a brand.

Always be mindful of the importance of making a recognisable transition between your old branding and your new branding.

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If you are thinking the time has come for a re-brand or relaunch of your business and believe Handle Branding can help you, we would be more than happy to discuss with you how we can meet your needs to support your business growth and stability. Contact Handle Branding Sydney for further information.

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