Rebrand or Refresh?

February 6, 2022

Christine Shea Ryan

president / owner

As people in the creative industry can tell you, there is no shortage of philosophy on branding. A Google search will yield millions of results on what branding is to different people. Most people will agree that, at a minimum, brand is comprised of identity, strategy and marketing.

brand is the story. design is the storytelling.

– Susan Sellers

In its simplest form your brand is your story.

So what happens when your story changes?

Rebrand or Refresh?

OK, what’s the difference? It’s suggested that the average lifespan of a logo is about 10 years. While that is just one component of a brand, it is your visual avatar and the first thing a consumer thinks of when they think of your company. As trends change, you should make sure your logo remains relevant to the audience that it is intended. In addition to the visual aspects of your brand, your brand strategy and messaging should be checked on often to ensure that it remains in alignment with your company philosophy.

A brand refresh isn’t a total change. It doesn’t seek to change the core messaging of the company. Rather, it seeks to preserve the integrity of the existing brand while making sure it becomes more relevant to its audience at large. A rebrand is like a “tweak”. It could be no more than an updated font or color palette, or slight changes in your messaging. At the end of the day your brand identity remains mostly recognizable to your intended audience and the brand philosophy remains intact.

A rebrand is a more complex change for your company. A rebrand suggests that you are ready to present a new story to your customer base or perhaps go after a new market. It’s an overhaul of the visual and emotional components of the brand. It is often necessary after a merger, if your company experiences a fundamental philosophical change or if your current brand fails to connect with the intended audience.

Whether opting for a refresh or a rebrand, the most important thing is to make sure you are telling the story as you want it to be told. Like a good movie or a good book, make sure your desired audience is walking away with the emotion that you intended.

Solari Creative Refresh

About 20 years ago, 3 like-minded people came together with a vision and Solari Creative officially came into existence. It was then that we developed our initial brand. We were an upstart company, focused on providing the highest level creative solutions, on budget, on time and on message. Our initial brand identity was young and fun, as were we. As the years have gone on, our core values stayed the same but our story evolved. It was time for a change.

When considering an update, we didn’t want to lose the emotional connection, or “brand equity”, that we had with our client base. We wanted it to reflect a level of sophistication that came with our years of experience. We were no longer just the new kids on the block, but a team of all ages led by seasoned professionals. We opted for a refresh.

We are pleased to present the updated Solari Brand identity.

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