How to launch your new brand

Your new branding is in! It’s perfect in every way, and you have all the files sitting in their neat little folders.

You’ve been dreaming of the moment when your business finally looks the way it feels. When your long-standing clients engage more fully, and your staff find it easy to maintain the messaging and aesthetic.

But what to do between now and then? As much as you want to make it all live immediately, the more thoroughly you prepare ahead of time the better.

Let’s go through some clear steps to get ready for launch.

1. Prepare

• Write a list of all the client facing places your logo and branding will need to be updated. 
• Write a list of all the internal places you’ll need to update. Ie CRM, dashboards, project management software.
• These will be longer if renaming as well as rebranding- banks, insurance, all the direct debits, emails, etc.
• Write a list of public places to update; online directories, clubs/groups, associations, referral partners, signage, cars, business cards, media.
• Send your web designer the new assets to update the website.

2. Plan

• Create a launch campaign that starts about 2-4 weeks before launch day. Put out regular content across all channels to build anticipation. Give teasers, involve your audience where possible so they are invested in building familiarity with the new brand.
• Create new versions of any documents, questionnaires, forms that will need to be ready to go live.
• Order new business cards, signage, packaging, postcards, thank you cards etc.

3. Internal briefing

If you have staff and/or contractors, they will need to be on board with all the new changes. Especially if you’re deepening the expression of your business values and need that to be embedded in every interaction! You can just send everyone your new Brand Book that has everything articulated. However, I’d also recommend organising a rebrand briefing to explain the branding decisions, show your passion and, most importantly, share why it matters. It helps to give people an opportunity to ask questions and feel included. Especially for companies with more staff, it’s imperative that staff are on board and care enough to make the necessary changes.

4. Internal launch

It’s time! A few days before the public launch, swap all the main documents, email signatures, hand out new business cards, get the new packaging/packing material in place ready.

5. LAUNCH DAY, BABY!

• Make the new website update live, change all the logos on socials, external emails, start using the new documents, forms, questionnaires etc.
• Reveal the new signage! 
• Send out orders with the new packaging!

6. Update public branded places

These can take a while to work through, so get someone to start on launch day and work their way through the list updating all the directories etc. 

And now you wait for the customer/client energy to shift. Staff walking a little taller, additional respect, higher expectations, and people contacting you feeling like they really know your brand. Like it was made with them in mind!

This isn’t the end, by all means. Maintaining a ‘brand’ means consistently delivering on your promise. Your new brand design is just communicating your brand promise more quickly and clearly than ever before.