Posted on May 17, 2019

​5 Simple Questions To Ask When It’s Time To Rebrand

Posted on May 17, 2019 by .BIBLE Registry Categories: Online Presence, SEO Research

Rebranding your organization or church’s image can be a big undertaking. You’ll want to do your research and plan a rollout very carefully, working closely with your team and stakeholders.

But before you even get that far, you’ll have to consider: Is now the right time?

5 questions to determine if the time is right for rebranding.

1. Has your product changed?

When Planning Center took a step back at the 10-year mark to celebrate their success, they also noticed something a lot of us find hard to see (remember the adage about not seeing the forest for the trees?):

Their business had outgrown its brand image.

Growing from a single app to a suite of seven apps “designed to meet ministry needs within the church,” they needed a bit of an overhaul.

Planning Center decided to:

  • drop “Online” from their name.
  • change the parent and subsequent logos.
  • update branding.
  • switched their website address, from a .com to a new not-com: planning.center.

Not-coms are gaining speed and we are one of them. Learn more about how it all works by watching this video.

Has your product or have your services evolved over the course of your organization’s life? Does your brand reflect those updates and changes?

It’s extremely hard to answer this question for yourself. Gather some trusted colleagues for coffee and ask them to be brutally honest about their impressions.

Read more about Planning Center’s domain name switch. Spoiler: There was no fanfare or no big announcement, it just switched, with no negative impact.

2. Are your leads a good fit?

Are your customers finding you?

If not, then it’s time to consider why.

The brand identity of your organization or church should be consistent for your current and prospective leads. If you’re attracting unqualified leads, take a step back and determine why.

  • Does your brand image clearly communicate your product?
  • Are you working to appeal to your target audience? From your name, logo and tagline to your website name—does it all appeal?

Maybe your organization has evolved and your demographic is not what you had originally planned. Congratulations on being flexible and finding your niche! Now it’s time for your outside to match your inside.

Your branding should reflect your current operations.

3. Has your strategy changed?

As a result of growth and market research, have you changed your organization’s strategy?

There are endless reasons for a directional change, but one thing is critical: Reassess your brand and determine whether or not it reflects this new momentum.

  • Have you evolved from a statistical-based operation to a creative one?
  • Has your church body moved into a different building, from a century-old historical site into a new, open facility?
  • Has your mission changed?
  • Have you expanded offerings that launch you into a new category of business?

One thing is for sure, your audience is watching. They may not be actively taking record of your every move, but they will notice if your brand all of the sudden becomes aligned with your services and customers.

4. Have your sales decreased?

After reviewing the statistics for sales, and for on-foot or site visitors, you can see a pattern emerging, and it’s not showing an increase.

It is clear that something is not being communicated correctly. It could be any number of things, and as you consider them, keep your branding in mind.

When newlifeapp.ca wanted to increase their traffic, they considered a rebranding. The .ca domain, with a geographical tie to Canada, was causing people to think the site was geo-specific. A change to NewLife.Bible instantly brands the app, and domain name says it all.

You might like: 6 Smart Ways to Rebrand with Authority While Being Memorable

5. Why even consider a rebrand?

We suspect that if you’re considering rebranding, it’s for a good reason, not the least being:

It’s time to update your image and show your relevancy.

Is the tone of your brand just...blah? Does it come off as just a little outdated next your peers?

Even though MasterCard had maintained a consistent strategy and customer base, they knew it was time to rebrand when their logo wasn’t representing the business well in digital formats. After 20 years with the recognizable logo, they underwent a rebrand in 2016 to update their logo and optimize it for on-screen use.

So not only did MasterCard create a more updated logo (clean lines, minimal design), it also kept in mind the medium by which most users will view the brand logo: online.

What about your church or organization: is it experiencing growth or change? Are your customers finding you? What about your brand image: is it optimized for screen usage? Is your website optimized for mobile usage?

Maybe it’s time for rebranding.

We can help.

A new website is a great start to the rebranding process. Stand out in the crowded digital space of .coms and .orgs with a not-com like .BIBLE. Sites on the .BIBLE domain are clearly branded with a unique and memorable domain name.

A new website can be an exciting way to refresh and improve upon what came before!” HostGator

Have you ever gone through the rebranding process? Leave a comment and tell us what prompted you to make the change.

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Find a new domain name for your updated site today. Take this opportunity to start your rebranding.