How I Knew it was Time for a Rebrand
June 20, 2019
Friends!
Today is an exciting day because JESS, XO GOT A STINKIN’ FACELIFT.
With the craziness of this year and how quickly things have shifted and upleveled in my business, it was time for a visual presence that matched that – as well as a little spruce to some of my core messaging as well! (Yep, taking on myself as a client is THE HARDEST JOB.)
Some of you might be in the space of feeling a little bit restless with the direction of your business. I want to share the details of why it was time for a rebrand, and how you might be able to determine the same for your brand and business.
4 Reasons I Knew it was Time to Rebrand
1. I became much clearer on who I was serving.
When I started out, I knew I wanted to serve “the creative industry.” But, the more I’ve worked with my amazing clients and talked with my audience, I realized that my tagline “copy for creatives” was putting me into a bubble I didn’t really want to live in.
NOW, this is not to say you should not narrow down who your services/products are for. Niching is absolutely key to getting your customers to say “YASSS, this is totes for me.”
BUT, industry-specific classifications aren’t the only way to niche. Instead, I found that the more I talked to my people, it was less about what they did (although they were all entrepreneurs/business owners) and more about how they wanted to do it.
Every single one of my clients puts a very high value on true connection with their people. They don’t want conversions just for conversions’ sake. They want to convert the people that matter, the ones they can lead through a true transformation, the ones who will become their bestie even after that last invoice goes through.
With that in mind, I shifted my tagline to “copy that connects” and we geared my brand more toward connection. Warmer tones, a focus on coffee (the BEST connection tool), and an emphasis on the wildflower (symbol further explained below).
Consider This: Instead of thinking about “who you serve” from a narrow, industry standpoint, try thinking about them from a view of their values. What do they all have in common? What do your clients + customers tell you over and over, without fail? That might be a good place to start when it comes to defining who you serve.
2. I didn’t feel super confident creating with my current brand.
Every time I went to create something visual for my brand, I felt overwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED the look of my original branding, but I just didn’t feel confident in the creation aspect of it.
My original brand was created with “creatives” in mind, which mostly means a whole lot of the wedding industry. While I love working with a quirky wedding business as a client, the light, airy, soft look just didn’t feel true to me as I stepped into my personality and dug in with my people more. I wanted to shift to something that I felt confident using, and that had enough elements to design multiple types of visuals.
Consider This: Do you feel confident creating with your brand guidelines? Do you feel like things are attractive to your dream people, readable, shareable?
3. My location changed.
This seems like a really tiny detail, but it’s ACTUALLY a big deal.
Moving from Texas back to New Mexico was a location-change, but it also held a significant style-shift. Texas is the land of the bright and airy, and New Mexico is the land of the warm tones, mostly because all that surrounds you is dirt, sandstone, and mountains (made out of more dirt).
If you ask my best friend and go-to photographer, Lindsay, the New Mexico aesthetic is difficult because it’s mostly browns, yellows, and pinks. It’s hard to find a good white or green to balance out your image.
This adds to the previous question: Is your brand easy to use/implement? If you need to travel out of state or be in the perfect studio to take pictures, it’s going to be hard to have an authentic brand that integrates a little bit of life + business, and reflects your true personality. Kelsea definitely took the New Mexico landscape into account during our rebrand, and I’ve already noticed having an easier time taking pictures for myself! Unexpected rebrand win.
Consider This: Can you take pictures on the weekend that jive with your brand? Maybe you can use a certain preset or filter, use consistent text on your stories, etc, but if your answer is a hard “NO,” you may need to consider integrating some elements that allow you to be consistent and show up in the everyday.
4. I had to provide too much clarification to potential clients about what I offer.
Like I said, my business has shifted so much, that I found myself sending MILE-LONG emails to clarify packages, offerings, and details to potential clients.
LISTEN: This is primarily a copy-problem that I needed to fix. I know, cobbler’s children never have shoes. But, having visuals that support this explanation was key, too. It reminds me what to highlight, what to focus on, what my thing is when I talk to potential clients.
Consider This: Are you constantly needing to clarify what’s different or new about your offerings? Do you feel a lack of confidence in sending people to your website and knowing they’ll get the right information, despite their level-of-attention?
All of these things may signal that it’s time for a rebrand, like me! That last one, especially, means you need a copywriter for your rebrand (more on that in an upcoming blog post!).
Ultimately, your brand guidelines should HELP YOU show up. They shouldn’t overwhelm you. They should appeal to your dream people. They should reflect the deeper meaning and story behind your business and passion.
If not, it might be time for at least a little jazz-up of your brand!
My FAVORITE pieces of the rebrand with Kindly by Kelsea
The Wildflower: When Kelsea came to me with the idea of the wildflower, I was a little skeptical. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good bouquet, but I didn’t think I could pull off the flower thing, for some reason. BUT, when she explained the heart behind it, I was sold.
Wildflower (n.): a flower of uncultivated variety, or a flower growing freely without intervention.
My hope has always been to shine a light on the “you” that has been there all along, the unique you who can serve your people in a way only you can.
I want to capture your wildflower effect.
What would it look like to live out your true potential and purpose, to truly be you with nothing standing in your way? How can you grow from where you stand instead of wishing you were somewhere (or someone) else? How can you serve the person right in front of you instead of always hoping for the next 1,000 people to show up?
I want to uncover what is wildly you and what wildly serves your dream people.
Safe to say, I’m sold on the wildflower imagery!
The Iced Coffee Icon: I mean, DUH, right? What would the Jess, XO brand be without iced coffee? This little gem of an icon is so cute because it’s imperfect, has a little bit of quirkiness, and it’s just so versatile to use in all the things! I may have squealed with obsession when I saw it.
The Glasses Icon: This icon was crafted with just as much intention as everything else. Kelsea actually took an outline of my very own glasses for this icon. It’s the little details that make the big, recognizable differences.
The Colors: These colors, you guys. I CANNOT EVEN with this palette. It makes all my dusty rose and golden dreams come true, and it’s actually giving me inspiration to add some color to my currently all-neutral house. BUT, funny story: Now that this is my brand color palette, I’m seeing it everywhere! It’s like when you get a car, or want a certain car, it starts to seem like everyone has the exact same one, right?
The Fun Feel: This brand direction just feels so fun, to me. It harnesses the true quirkiness alongside my genuine desire to dig to the heart of everyone I come into contact with. Kelsea did an amazing job of capturing a “me” I didn’t even know was there, and I’m so grateful!
Here’s the real magic of this rebrand and new stage of business:
I’m not afraid anymore.
I used to be paralyzed with fear that I wouldn’t be able to stand out, that I’m not unique enough, that I don’t have what it takes to craft a brand and serve people in a way that is MEMORABLE, that MATTERS.
Now, I’m just SUPER PASSIONATE about finding my people. I don’t want everyone else’s people, and I don’t have the time or capacity to serve them! There is so much room, and I just want to own the heck out of my little, quirky corner of the world.
I want the exact people who I was put here to serve, and it’s only a matter of time till we find each other. (Romantic, right?)
P.S. If that’s you, if you’re my person based on the description above, just swipe right… HA, JK. Head here to book a coffee chat, because I only have ONE spot left for one-on-one copy work in 2019! CRAZY TOWN.
I’m Jess,
iced-coffee-obsessed, saved-by-grace, allergic-to-small talk, and one of the biggest dreamers you’ll ever meet.
It’s the very first solution of its kind to help you take #alltheideas inside your head and turn them into website copy that connects, converts, and doesn’t sound like literally everyone else’s.
Think your copy needs a makeover? Then, it probably does.
You’ve gotta capture, connect, and convert—FAST. No big deal, right?
SHOP THE PROMPTLATES
Introducing: The Promptlate Shop
