Intelligent CXO Issue 02 | Page 43

FEATURE will enable you to take actions inspired by a factbased approach .
However , it ’ s important to understand that a brand strategy goes far beyond just updating existing company messaging or refreshing your visual identity system . This is why it ’ s so important to understand the products and services your business is offering and the differentiation that it creates in the market .
When developing your business case for a rebrand , ensure you have a set of clear objectives that are aligned with the company ’ s overall growth strategies across the different geographies and market segments that it serves and those it wishes to expand to . Remember that different markets and locations will often have different requirements , so don ’ t make the mistake of assuming you can simply ‘ copy and paste ’ across regions and sectors .
Extend collaboration
When embarking on a rebrand journey , it ’ s crucial to get the whole leadership team on board from the start . Senior buy-in is a must , in order to secure budget and drive momentum . But the decision itself doesn ’ t lie only with the likes of CMOs , driving the marketing position or CEOs , driving the company direction .
CMOs need to collaborate with key leaders across the wider management team , whether it ’ s the CFO , CIO , CPO , head of sales or head of partner ecosystems – everyone needs to have a voice in the brand ’ s direction to ensure the company achieves the same goal .
CMOs also need to ensure they have a digital strategy in place right from the get-go . For those looking to rebrand following a merger or acquisition , this a key component of success and will help to accelerate the integration of the two brands .
While this may be challenging at first , this will actually create more opportunities for digital and marketing teams to come together to offer a fresh approach to how you ’ re going to scale and modernise your current offering . These opportunities will also help you to futureproof your business and enable growth at an accelerated pace .
Determine success
Ahead of a rebrand , you should look to identify a set of metrics that you can use to determine
Kirsten Allegri Williams , CMO , Optimizely
success following the launch . For example , consider measuring the overall organic growth in terms of digital traffic and purchase considerations – especially across the analyst and media community to understand the company ’ s share of voice .
Going a step further , look at the company ’ s ability to bring inbound demand to the business to see whether it can boost conversion rates into the pipeline and close revenue .
While these elements will help you measure success , it ’ s important to experiment along the way . Don ’ t just dive into a rebrand without testing the water first – you need to carry out on-going social listening , experimenting with content and messaging and refine it if it ’ s not generating a positive impact from your key audiences .
It ’ s vital to create a listening mechanism that can help you to understand how you connect and engage with your audience and whether or not you ’ re converting any potential leads into new business opportunities . You can then optimise this approach on an on-going basis to ensure you ’ re measuring success in the best way possible .
The rebranding process is by no means an easy feat , and there will always be some hurdles that crop up along the way . However , if there ’ s a need to inject some fresh life into your brand , reposition your current offerings to meet new consumer demand or if you ’ re looking to combine two brands together following a merger and acquisition , then the rebranding journey is definitely the right path for you . x www . intelligentcxo . com
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