In January, Ricoma launched its first-ever rebranding campaign, and it’s been met with enthusiasm. We spent months researching, planning, drafting and editing to figure out the best techniques to apply to our campaign. Here are some of the lessons we learned in the process.

1. Make everything available in one spot.
The one-stop shopping principle doesn’t apply only to your product line. Make sure that with your new branding, customers can easily find what they need on your website. Do your customers need industry tips? Provide a blog. Do visitors want testimonials? Post them. Keep in mind, your goal is to keep the visitor on your site. A visitor going to Google for information is another chance they’ll land on a competitor’s page.

2. Be consistent.
Because you’re adopting an entirely new look, it’s imperative that your new style resonates with customers and visitors. Consistency will help customers get a fixed image of your new look. Don’t leave hints of your previous branding – such as past fonts, logos or colors – on your website. To stay organized, create an in-house stylebook, and keep all employees up to date and informed on all parts of the rebranding process. An inconsistent style will dull the impact of your company’s redesigned look.

3. Have a story.
Think of why your company is rebranding. Work on a piece (or several pieces) of rebranding content to have ready by the time you launch. This could include a newsletter, a blog, a video and more. Tell your brand’s history from inception to the present, explaining the events that led up to the rebranding. Consider this your chance to give a voice to your company, so make sure your story is genuine. If you’re creating a rebranding video, as we did, feature the people behind the scenes, and have them share the process behind your products and services. Most importantly, explain the reason behind the rebrand, why it better reflects your values and why it will benefit customers.

4. Make meaningful changes.
You don’t want to choose a new logo just because it looks modern and more visually appealing. Instead, think about the characteristics that set your company apart, and make visual changes to reflect those features. For example, our new brand represents the rugged nature of our commercial machinery and the warm nature of our customer interactions. We went with soft curvature in our lettering to represent our customer-centric business model. Now, when our customers visit our page, our design isn’t overwhelming – it’s welcoming.

5. Adopt a new mentality.
A problem many companies face is that they confuse rebranding with redesigning. Design is simply the visual representation of a rebrand. Rebranding, in essence, is an update in a company’s mindset. This shift in mentality exists to, ultimately, better serve customers. So don’t think you’re done rebranding once your website has launched and your look has transformed. Set (and accomplish) goals that match your company’s updated values, and make sure every member of your team is on board. Remember, the practices and mentality of each member need to be on par with the company’s goals and objectives in order to create a strong brand identity. Inconsistency in mentality can hurt your brand as much as inconsistency in style.