We recently came across a post about the 5-year wedding business itch–and WOW, they really hit on something. We’ve had the honor of working with so many different wedding brands, both new and established, and there is really something to be said about that 5-year mark. 

Most wedding professionals start out on a creative high. From designing your website to networking and curating your dream team, there’s so much hustle, bustle, and general excitement. Then, once you get the word out, and you’ve got a steady flow of business, you start to feel the pressure–the kind that feels like “grow or die”, you know the one. 

So you invest more money and even more time to feed the beast, then one day, say five years down the road, your numbers start to plateau (or even plummet) and you don’t know why what has always worked before simply isn’t working anymore or at least isn’t sustainable. That’s because while you were busy hustling, the world kept turning and changing and so did your clients and what they like. Heck, probably what you like too. 

So what does this all mean? Time to give up and retire? Absolutely not! You may not know it yet, but you’re on the verge of your very own Renaissance, so get pumped–it’s time to REBRAND!

Before you dive head-first into logos and color palettes, let’s take a second to make sure you’re ready to take that next step. Here are all the signs that may indicate a rebrand is right for you.

1. Your Business has Significantly Evolved

Let’s say you’re a wedding planner and you started with local weddings exclusively, but now your bread and butter is actually in specific international destinations. That’s evolution!

2. There’s a Shift in Your Target Market

Your target age group may have stayed the same, but what generation are your current clients part of? Probably one or two gens away from where you started. Shift detected.

3. Competitors have Outpaced your Brand’s Positioning

You know that one account that you hate-follow because (this is a safe space) you may or may not be a little jealous/competitive with everything they do. Well, they just updated their website and you don’t want to like it but it’s actually stunning. Don’t give up–keep up–time to get back in that race!

4. Your Current Brand no Longer Reflects the Desired Level of Professionalism, Quality, or Aesthetic

Tech is changing every day from app offerings to e-mail templates and everything in between, everything that is part of your customer’s user experience (UX) should be reevaluated to make sure it doesn’t feel outdated, or worse–unprofessional.

If those indicators feel familiar, then congratulations, you get to rebrand! We know you’ve got a lot going on, but you have to admit, you’re a little excited. 

What a Rebrand Entails

1. Brand Audit

Analyze your brand to figure out what is working and what needs a refresh. This may mean conducting surveys of clients and your vendor network to ensure your efforts are in the right place.

2. Brand Re-Development

Who are you now? Who is your target market and what do they want? This is also the time to identify and update your brand’s core values.

3. Visual Redesign

This is the fun part! What does your new brand look like–fonts, colors, vibe?

4. Website & Marketing Materials Update

Whether you’re simply swapping header photos and logos or going with an entirely different platform, this is the time to do some serious spring cleaning on your website and marketing materials.

5. Social Media & Content Audit and Update

Chances are if you scroll down a bit, there are a few dozen posts from the past that will make you absolutely cringe. Make sure you’re only putting your best foot forward and hide or remove any outdated posts. This is also your opportunity to refresh your profile pic and general layout of your socials so everything is cohesive across the channels.

6. Internal Training

By now, your brand is so much more than you. Make sure your entire team is in on the updates be it the company voice, practices, or visuals (like e-mail signatures). 

7. PR Relaunch

It’s time to spread the word! From posting on social and sending press releases to your favorite blogs to offering a limited-time special for your new and improved brand’s grand re-opening, there are plenty of little things you can do to generate buzz. 

We’re going to cover each of these phases more in-depth in future posts, so make sure to follow us on IG to stay up to date. 

If you’re ready to rebrand but don’t know where to start, that’s why we’re here! Schedule a call with Katie to help map out your rebrand and the team at Masterfully Managed can turn all of your ideas into detailed, easy-to-manage deliverables. From updating your website and social media audits to press releases and brand kits, we can help you take care of it all.