What Vivian Ward Taught Me About Branding

And 4 Reasons To Update Your Brand Identity

Ok. I realize this metaphor is a stretch for a marketing blog (even for me), but hear me out. After all, Pretty Woman is a movie that kind of circles around a business transaction, and Julia Roberts goes through a heck of a rebrand early on in the film (big redhead guy).

For those that don’t know, the movie is a modern-day fairytale based in 90s Los Angeles, California. Businessman Edward Lewis stumbles upon local entrepreneur Vivian Ward, and yada yada yada… they fall in love. Annnnnnyhow…

You know, Vivian isn’t a whole lot different than many of the companies and organizations we’ve helped rebrand over the years. You see, a brand is more about the classics (values and core beliefs) than it is about trends or fads (colors and fonts). What worked or looked appropriate yesterday may not be best for your company today. A look can become dated over time. And new styles can force you to update your wardrobe. It took certain “market conditions” for Vivian to ditch the blond wig. A visual update can be necessary to project the appropriate message to the audience you desire.

For us, branding and visual identity work is about matching the essence of a company’s values and beliefs with an outward visual representation of that spirit and attitude. Did you think selecting a typeface was that important? It is, actually.

So how do you know when you’re due for a rebrand? Ask yourself these four questions:

Has something changed?

Market conditions, technology, audience preferences, opportunities and industry shifts can antiquate a logo and brand identity pretty quickly. If something has changed, are you positioned to change with it?

Do you need to rally your team?

Breathing new life into your mission and message can re-energize a team. It’s amazing what aligning your message and visuals will do for the people that love you the most… your team.

Do you have competition?

The boogie man (or boogie woman). He’s real. Do you have a competitor that just slithered out from under the bed and is taking your audience’s attention away from you? You better do something about it, fast.

Have you grown?

People change. So do brands. Imagine your company’s logo is your senior yearbook photo. Still hot? Probably not.

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it might be time for a rebrand. What’s YOUR dream?

By the way, the Pretty Woman soundtrack is absolute fire. Here’s the playlist.