June 28, 2021
We’ve recently completed a brand refresh for PC specialists Cooler Master.
The heritage company wanted to attract the next generation of PC aficionados to its business with a brand refresh, but didn’t want to alienate the older demographic who had helped establish them in the sector.
In a case like this, detailed research is key. Rebranding a company without researching the tastes of your existing customers, what your target audience likes, current trends and more is a recipe for disaster.
Take the time to gather those key datasets, though, and your brand refresh will reach new audiences, please existing ones, and potentially provide a huge long-term business boost.
Keep an eye on our portfolio page to see how we gave Cooler Master a fresh new look!
That’s the reason why a successful rebranding project takes a long time to complete – a brand refresh is more an exercise in keeping everyone happy as well as showing your creative muscle.
And, while a lot of client and audience focus will be on the exciting, fresh new look and visuals of the brand during the roll out phase, the true mark of a rebrand’s success lies in supporting documents such as the brand guidelines and custom toolkit.
Especially the brand guidelines. Brand guidelines are a comprehensive document detailing absolutely everything there is to know about the new visual approach to the brand and how it should be used cross-channel.
As a point of reference internally, a strong set of brand guidelines are invaluable. Not just as a point of reference, but as a cornerstone for any content and marketing strategy, post-rollout.
How to market your brand with visual identity guidelines
When TAKEOFF finalises a rebranding project, for instance, we provide them with a ‘Visual Identity Guidelines’ document.
Nearly 60 pages long, it’s easily accessible and provides in-depth information about the brand’s new visual identity to all relevant internal departments.
The document isn’t a one-off either; it’s constantly updated as the brand evolves, making it an extremely valuable document for internal content, marketing and communications teams.
It includes essential information about their new tone of voice, and how the brand should present itself to audiences, cross-channel, at all times.
As well as dos, it also contains a thorough set of don’ts, to make sure that all internal teams throughout the business are clear on how the brand should be represented both on- and offline.
It underlines how consistency and flexibility should be at the heart of everything the brand does content-wise post-rollout, to please loyal fans while attracting new disruptors.
In summary, a comprehensive set of visual brand guidelines act as an all-in-one content support package for comms and marketing teams, to help them stay consistent when creating and sharing content.
Having strong foundations in such a valuable reference document is key to long-term success, and will help your refreshed brand win over new and existing audiences.