It’s 2025, and many brands are reflecting on the way they communicate their value to customers. Perhaps it’s the year for a refresh! When considering a rebrand or refresh, this doesn’t just mean a logo system, it’s brand messaging too. If customers misunderstand what a brand is trying to convey, there’s a good chance it’s time for a change. To know when it’s time, we’ve outlined some tell-tale signs. Plus, we share some real-life examples of brands we helped through this process.
#1: Customers Recognize Your Brand, But Don’t Know What You Offer
People may have seen your logo or heard your brand name, but do they know who you are? If this is the case, you have name recognition but your value proposition or messaging is falling short of resonating with your audience. It is important that your visual identity and brand messaging complement each other across all touchpoints of your business and communicate your value proposition. Having an effective brand strategy can ensure that the right message is coming across clearly.
#2: Your Sales Team isn’t on the Same Page with Your Brand
It can be a challenge for a sales team to convey the right messaging for your brand, especially if there are multiple locations at play. It is best practice to have a relevant messaging document that your team can reference to ensure that the brand is communicated effectively to your customers. Also, to ensure that the brand is communicated consistently across locations. This document goes by various names such as brand brief or creative blueprint.
#3: Your Logo Feels Outdated
Industries are constantly changing, with big brands often spearheading the evolution. To stay relevant in your industry and serve as a key player to your customers, a rebrand or refresh could be a good strategic step. Appearing outdated can be an immediate turn-off for your customers, likely steering them toward a competitor.
#4: The Business has Scaled and Outgrown the Brand
If you have seen huge growth in the last few years, your current brand may not be an accurate representation of who you are. As organizations evolve, sometimes the target audience changes, too. Maybe you’re no longer serving the same audience that you once were but your messaging is still speaking to that group? If you have expanded with new product lines or into new markets through acquisition or scaling, chances are your brand is out-of-touch with potential customers. As your company grows, it’s imperative you are effectively communicating your niche to the right people.
#5: The Current Brand Isn’t Attracting the Right Customer
If you’re noticing that your brand isn’t quite attracting your target audience, there’s a chance your logo or messaging isn’t speaking to their pain points. Ask yourself: is my current brand solving for my target customer’s unique needs? If not, it’s likely time to refresh your brand strategy and/or visual identity. Luckily, you’re in the right place. Let’s get in touch!
Brands We’ve Refreshed
HIX Corporation
HIX Corp. needed a brand system that could function as a parent brand, with additional product lines as sub-brands underneath. They wanted to modernize their look while staying true to the company’s heritage. Novella Brandhouse got to work creating a visual brand system paired with new messaging that could grow with the company, while fully embodying HIX’s commitment to their customers. We delivered a brand refresh which helped prevent customers from misinterpreting what it is that HIX has to offer.
American Trailer & Storage
Not only did AT&S come to Novella Brandhouse wanting an updated visual brand, they noticed they needed new messaging to implement across their service areas. To help their sales team embody what positions AT&S apart from its competitors, Novella Brandhouse developed brand messaging that spoke to the brand’s identity and unique value propositions. In an effort to cater to their brand loyalists and attract the right audience for new business, their new logo and messaging were implemented on their social media, their new website (coming soon), for print on their containers and trailers, and collateral such as letterheads and email signatures.
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