One of my more shameful moments in life occurred in a Dunkin' Donuts parking lot while talking to a police officer…. in of all things Zubaz.
And on the off chance you don’t know what those are - here’s a visual reference ↓.
It is not the outfit anyone wants to talk to a police officer (on the main street in their hometown, for that matter) after causing a car accident.
It was nothing major - but it was still totally my fault.
My mistake.
My choice is to send a quick text in stop-and-go traffic and rear-end the lady in front of me.
Shit happens - and I hope that woman got some reprise knowing how absolutely mortified I was by the entire situation.
Hannah Montana said it best when she said “everybody makes mistakes”, but it is common sense to know that some mistakes (like that fender bender) are 150% avoidable.
Sometimes, I wonder if I have ever learned a lesson without doing it the hard way (like not texting and driving, not leasing a car I can barely afford, not giving the wrong guy one too many chances), and business is no different.
Or maybe, it’s my life's purpose to learn a lot of lessons the hard way, then teach you about it - so you don’t have to (hi Sage Brand Archetype).
The process of repositioning Cedar June has been no different.
And while I typically veer from the “don’t do this” style content in favor of the “let me help you understand,” I want to take this opportunity to save you from a branding-fender-bender-in-zubaz.
Here are 4 big rebranding mistakes to avoid
(one of which I am very guilty of)
But, before you put me in brand jail, hear me out.
No rebrand is the same; no one resource on the internet can tell you exactly how to navigate your rebrand from start to finish.
It’s a personal experience:
- My client Megan needed to rebrand because her original brand was built before she became a mom, and it didn’t represent her life (or main story) anymore
- My girls Remy & Vanessa at rāv collective needed to reposition because they were pivoting their business from being solely based on 1:1 services to a brand that had courses and digital products, and they needed an identity that helped them to step into their roles as thought leaders.
- After a couple of years (aka Covid) where in-person events were out of the question, Gabby at Well Scene needed a professional brand for her conference that would appeal to sponsors, speakers, and people from the general public who would want to attend the conference.
But with so many businesses going down their own rebranding path, I want to do my best (based on my own experience rebranding my own business and for clients) to help you avoid some common wrong turns.
Mistake #1 only focusing on the visual side of things
One of, if not THE most common misconception about rebranding (and branding in general) is that it’s only visual. Somewhere along the way, a lot of us got the idea that changing our color scheme, website template, or font would change conversions, attract “ideal” clients, and “fix our problems.
The reality is that is just not the case. Your brand IDENTITY has a lot more to do with subconscious recognition than it does making you money.
Sure, a sick website, brand photos, and professional logo will help you look like a “real” brand and add some authority. But without the strategy, messaging, and marketing to back it up - you probably won't see much of a difference in the quality of your clients, offers, and conversions.
Mistake #2 ignoring positioning
In laments terms, your brand’s positioning is the THING that makes it super freaking clear what you do and who you do it for.
A lack of positioning is most peoples/brand’s problem.
Most people (myself included) decide that they need to rebrand because their brand isn’t performing the way they want it to.
And you should start with your positioning.
A simple Google search will tell you that brand positioning helps you stand out in a crowded market (🤢 gag me with a spoon because what does that even mean? It’s so vague and not helpful at all ?).
Brand positioning really creates clear documentation and guidelines about what makes you/your brand unique. Positioning helps you define your market (aka. exactly the people you serve) so that you can communicate that in your messaging and content, helping people to self-select if your solution is the right one for them.
Mistakes #3 Waiting till it’s done to talk about it
A sticky spot I’ve seen lots of brands try (and sometimes fail) to get around is waiting to talk about their offers, websites, and rebrands… until they are all done.
If I had a $20 bucks for every time a client told me they couldn’t post on Instagram until they had their “new” colors, or that they wanted to build courses, and offers before launching thier brand or ever working with a client… I would already have the back addition built on my house.
Not only does sharing the process make your audience more excited for you, but it also makes your rebrand more effective when it is done because your audience helps inform the decisions you make.
Mistake #4 The one you can put me in jail for
Getting distracted by shiny objects. Much like the text message from my partner Kyle that I got distracted answering while driving…there are many a shiny object that can take you off course.
For me, that has looked like ideating and testing 3 new offers…. instead of cleaning up the offers I already had and adding on new stuff after the rebrand.
This has truly been the biggest setback in my process.
I convinced myself that I needed the "perfect" offer lineup before relaunching—and as a result, I stopped promoting my existing offers completely and only signed clients from referrals (which isn’t the worst - but isn’t where I want to be either).
One thing I always ask my clients when they throw something shiny into the mix mid-rebrand (and that I need to ask myself more often, too) is what’s the goal?
Is this new idea helping you get closer to checking off your rebrand… or just taking away from focus?
If i am being transparent - at this point, I'm honestly getting self-conscious about talking about my rebrand (all the more reason to talk more though right?)
I feel like I have been talking about it forever and that people must be looking at me like...
"How has she not figured this out yet?"
"Launched this yet?"
"Finished this yet?"
And although I am well aware that what my imposter syndrome imagines other people think of me should have zero value in my life - maybe there is value in an explanation.
So here is how my brand pivot turned into a rebrand (with a focus on repositioning), what that means, and everything I've done so far.
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FROM THE ARCHIVE
redefining what rebranding means for you
It's time we put a stop to the information overwhelm.... Starting with Rebranding.
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FROM THE GRAM
your audience is an untapped tool for your rebrand
Here's my AI-powered 4 step strategy for building in public and making your audience a part of the conversation.
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FROM THE STACK
my plan for a "feel good" february
Choose to get The Snowed In Stratgey workshop recording with or without 1:1 support or feedback.
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