People come to me wanting a rebrand and leave with a refresh about two times out of three. Here is how I decide.
What is the difference between a refresh and a rebrand?
A refresh keeps what people recognise and fixes what has aged. Cleaner lines, better type, colors that work on a screen, files that are not a JPEG from 2009. Your customers see it and think "oh, they tidied up." Nobody feels lost.
A rebrand changes what people recognise. New mark, new name sometimes, new feel. Your customers see it and think "wait, is this the same company?" That is sometimes exactly what you want. Usually it is not.
How do I know which one I need?
Three questions.
- Do customers recognise the current mark? If your van, your sign, and your invoices have carried it for years and people know it, that is an asset. Refresh.
- Has the business actually changed? Different customers, different services, a merger, a founder's name on a company the founder left. If what you do is not what the logo says you do, start over.
- Is the problem the logo, or the stuff around it? Nine times out of ten the logo is fine and the website, the business cards, and the sign are all from different decades and different vendors. That is a kit problem, not a logo problem.
What does each one cost?
A refresh starts around $1,500 and takes two to three weeks. You get the cleaned-up mark, proper color and type, and every file format.
A new logo and identity starts at $2,500 and takes two to four weeks. A full kit with business cards, a banner, and a shirt runs $4,500 to $7,500.
Either way, the printing is quoted separately and you pay the printer directly, so there is no markup hiding in my invoice.
My logo was made by a relative or a generator. Is that a problem?
Only if it looks like it. Some of the best small-business marks I have seen were drawn by an owner at a kitchen table. The test is not who made it, it is whether it reproduces cleanly at the size of a pen and the size of a truck, and whether it still looks like you. If it fails those, it gets refreshed or replaced. If it passes, leave it alone and fix the website.
What do I bring to the first call?
The current logo in whatever form you have it, a photo of the sign and the van, a business card, and the website address. Tell me what bugs you. I will tell you on the call which of the three you need and what it costs.
Answered by Jared Lukes, Minneapolis. Twenty-five years in brand, UX, and technology, currently holding fractional AI and technology seats at three companies. About Jared.