Usually, I’ll find any excuse to put off cleaning my house. It’s not until the dust bunnies start to take over that I’ll get out the cleaning supplies and go at it. But when spring is in the air, I suddenly feel this urge to get my home uncluttered, organized, and squeaky clean. I find something therapeutic about getting rid of what’s accumulated over the last twelve months and giving my home a fresh start. Maybe you feel the same way about this annual ritual of refreshing and renewing.
But spring cleaning doesn’t have to end at home. In these days of never-ending to-do lists and being asked to do more with less, it can be easy to neglect your brand. That’s why now is a perfect time for a little brand clean-up.
To get started, gather up all your brand assets (print and digital), grab your brand guidelines, and evaluate what’s working, what needs updating, and what can be tossed to make way for something new. You may find that your brand is pretty much on track and only needs a little tidying up. Or you could discover it needs a deep cleaning. Either way, by taking advantage of a little spring cleaning now, you’ll ensure you’re putting your best brand foot forward the rest of the year.
Here are some ways to clean up and refresh your brand.
Add some shine to your logo.
If all of the other elements of your brand are in good condition, but your logo feels a little dull or outdated, it might be time for a change. Sometimes this means a complete redesign, but often a simple refresh is all that’s needed. This could entail tweaking the design to make it more modern and relevant, trying a new color palette or fonts, or making it scalable and easier to use everywhere. Minor adjustments like these can help you stand out from the competition and make a big difference in how your target market perceives your brand.
Freshen up your marketing materials.
These days, many businesses tend to focus on their digital media and neglect to update or refresh their print collateral. But your visual branding needs to be cohesive and consistent throughout all your brand assets—online or offline—otherwise, your target market could become confused or worse. So, if you’ve updated your logo, messaging, products, or services recently, now would be an excellent time to review all your marketing materials to ensure everything is current and aligns with your brand guidelines. If not, it's time to purge your old materials and create something new.
Do a clean sweep of your website.
Take some time this spring to do a clean sweep of your website, especially if it’s been a while since it launched or your last redesign. Does it line up with your current branding? Is the content up-to-date and relevant? Do all the links still work? Is it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for? If you answered “no” to any of these, make updating your website a priority. By not addressing any much-needed changes, you can harm not only the overall user experience but also your brand.
Polish your messaging.
Like the seasons, your marketing is constantly going through changes. You may have recently rebranded, are targeting new audiences, or you’ve updated key communications points. That’s why your cleaning to-do list this spring should also include a review of the messaging on your website, social media, and the rest of your digital and print marketing materials. It should be consistent and up-to-date, and the tone and language should reflect your brand. Otherwise, now’s the time to polish it up.
Do you want to keep your brand fresh and on track?
If you want to ensure a consistent, up-to-date, and recognizable presence across all your marketing channels, be sure to add your brand to your spring cleaning list. And if you need mission-driven, engaging print and digital design that inspires action and delivers results—let's connect!
Infinite Blue Creative provides creative design services to busy education, nonprofit, and small business marketing communication professionals.