It was time for a rebrand – this time for ourselves. We often recommend a brand refresh to our clients when it’s been a number of years since the last update or when the brand looks a little stale. We checked both those boxes and needed to take our own advice.
The new Anglin brand features a streamlined name, bold use of color and a new visual identity that reflects our commitment to helping clients with complex marketing and communications needs.
Being in the marketing business and having experience with brand rollouts, we knew that creating the brand was just the first step. We’d have to update a whole slew of communications and marketing materials with our new brand:
Website
Signage
Social media headers and templates
Stationery and business cards
Digital signatures
Newsletter and email templates
Presentation templates
But beyond the marketing and communication tools, we also wanted to combine the brand rollout with the Anglin 25 year anniversary celebration. We needed a party! We planned a fun celebration for clients, staff, colleagues and family. It was a memorable evening and an enjoyable time to catch up with friends, old and new.
Throughout the process of branding and brand rollout, I had frequent reminders about what it feels like to be on the client side, to be the person hoping for a new brand that “fits” perfectly, wanting the whole world to see and love our new identity, paying the bills and finding ways that marketing investment could lift our business and position us for growth. In the process, I had some takeaways that I’d share with anyone tackling a similar branding effort.
Divide and conquer. We did a good job of assigning tasks and spreading the work; from creating a small committee guiding the brand refresh, to having one person responsible for each marketing project such as the website and party planning. Everyone had opportunities to give ideas and input, but the decision maker was one person for each project. For example, Sarah took input on the website from several people on the team over the course of the project, but ultimately, made the decisions about navigation, design and content.
Show your true colors. Find ways to be unique and creative that are true to you. For our anniversary party, Rach created trivia cards to highlight fun facts about our staff and serve as a conversation starter. We asked Sweet Poppy Bakery to make macarons in our new brand colors. We custom-labeled small prosecco bottles with “Cheers to 25 years” as a gift for attendees at the anniversary celebration and to share with clients and partners throughout the year.
Document the process. Take photos and videos to share during the process or when you reveal your new brand. One of my favorite videos is the time-lapse of our logo and name being painted on the wall of our entryway. It’s not just about creating memories or referencing later, sharing this content on social and in newsletters is a simple way to let others behind the scenes and (hopefully) create more affinity with your organization.
Remember you’re investing in your company. Instead of focusing on the additional expenses that were rolling in, I chose to think about how these marketing and outreach efforts were an investment in Anglin. The new branding and anniversary celebration gave us an opportunity to thank those who have done business with us, connect with our larger network of colleagues and friends and showcase our team and our experience.
For two and a half decades, Anglin has supported organizations as they roll out new brands, make big announcements, launch initiatives and share their impact with new audiences. Being the brand doing the announcement was a keen reminder of the power of thoughtful and well-planned marketing tactics.