Thinking About a Brand Refresh? Start Here.

Have you had a brand refresh on your marketing to-do list for months…or even years?

No judgment here. Because honestly? We did, too.

For years, we had talked about doing a Mud Mile brand refresh. But like many brands, we were so focused on doing great work for our partners that we kept putting it off. And off. And off some more.

Eventually, we realized it was time — way past time. So we rolled up our sleeves, got to work, and did the thing, launching our newly refreshed brand last month.

Now, we’re here to spill the tea on everything you should know if you’re ready to get started and cross this task off your list.

Ask the hard questions

We don’t know who needs to hear this, but a brand refresh is about much more than updating your logo or switching to a new font. It’s about refreshing your identity to better reflect the story you want to tell. And that starts with a thorough audit of your existing brand.

Here are the hard questions you should ask as part of a brand audit:

• Does our current brand reflect who we are and where we want to be? More than likely, you already know the answer to this question if you’re considering a brand refresh. But take some time to identify what’s working and where your brand falls short.
• Who’s our audience? You should be crystal clear about who your audience is, especially if your business has changed since your last brand refresh. What are their priorities? Pain points? Challenges and wins?
• How do we want our audience to feel about our brand? Once you know your audience, think about how you want your brand to resonate with them. In other words, how do you want them to feel when they visit your website or open your emails?
• What makes your brand unique? Reflect on what makes your brand different from others in the industry. A brand refresh is an opportunity to show people what you do better than anyone else.

If you only do one thing, do this

These questions should give you a good place to start your brand refresh. But if you only have time to do one thing, make it this:

Know your brand story.

Before you do a brand refresh, you need to know why you do what you do — and, more importantly, why your audience should care.

Think about the most successful brands: Apple doesn’t just sell tech products. They sell innovation. Disney doesn’t just sell movies and merch. They sell magic. Coca-Cola doesn’t just sell soda. They sell happiness.

Once you know your story, it becomes the guiding light that shapes your entire brand refresh, from the design to the messaging and everything in between.

TL;DR

Refreshing your brand is less about changing a few visuals and more about realigning your strategy to reflect your goals, your customers, and your story.

We won’t lie: a brand refresh takes work. But we did it, and you can too.

That said, if you’d like some help from a partner who’s been there (and helped others through it), give us a shout.