Know-How Exchange : Branding

Yeah, not much. Part of the launch and tease (as Phil said) is the fact that the name is changing.

The issue is making sure the hype doesn't flop with the announcement. That means making certain there is a fundamental/noticable change in the company.

Michael

It depends how well-entrenched your name is in their minds. If it's a respected name, you'll want to slowly wean them from the old name and hopefully have a story that explains why the name change that's relevant to your customer's needs.

Hi Folks,

Thanks for all the replies.

We have actually been running a dual brand for the last year (old company name and new company name). we are changing fully in the next month to our new name.

I m not sure about the teaser as our client base is predominately B2B. Most would be familiar with the new name and where it came from as it stands.

While we are at it, does anyone have any interesting ideas apart from the traditional methods(advertising, direct mail/email etc) on how to mark the changeover with a bang, both internally and externally?

Thanks again,

PG

Can you please let us know if you are a B-to-B or B-to-C, or both, as that would make a difference.

Also, do you supply marketing materials to your clients to use, do your clients use your brand name in their messages, or are your clients just consumers of your message (and hopefully brand evangelists).

Hi Kbrown,

B2B service provider.

Clients do not use our marketing materials or use our brand name in their messages. As word of mouth and reputation is very important i would hope we have alot of happy users and advocates of the services we provide.

Kind regards,

PG

What's the typical purchase cycle? If customers only buy from you once every 2 years (or more), then you will probably want to carry the old company name reminder for a while.

If the purchase cycle is 4-5 times a year, then 6-9 months should be plenty.


Etc.

Since you have been in the process of rebranding for a year(you don't say how), there is already some awareness of the coming conversion.

There are some good comments above on the length of time to help people remember your new name with the "formerly known as..." type information included on your materials.

You asked for marketing tips aside from email, etc. I recommend giving them something tangible and useful that will sit on their desk (or hang in their office or mount in their truck) that constantly reminds them of you. It's hard without knowing specifics of what you do, but if you need word of mouth, how do you give your primary clients something that makes them think and talk about you in a good light? That "something" can be educational or promotional. And it doesn't have to have a big price tag, just be a useful reminder or something that HELPS them be them "advocates" of your services.

Hi Folks,

Many thanks fpr your replies. They were very much appreciated.

Kind regards,

PG