The truth is, without a brand strategy, you don’t have a brand—you have a logo and a hope. But here’s the good news: you don’t need to start from scratch to see a large impact and more revenue. As we step into a new year, it’s the perfect time to take a hard look at your brand and ask, “Is it doing the heavy lifting my business needs to scale?” For six-figure female founders, a simple but strategic refresh to your brand can be the game changer that drives you to more: more impact, more revenue, more growth.
Why Choose a Strategic Refresh Over a Restart
Branding goes far beyond logos and color schemes—it’s the embodiment of your values, mission, and the unique experience you provide. While both a rebrand and a refresh can enhance your business, understanding the key differences is crucial for determining the right approach. Let’s break it down:
Rebranding: A Complete Transformation
Definition: Rebranding is a comprehensive overhaul of your brand identity, positioning, messaging, and sometimes even your core values.
Scope: This process often involves a new logo, tagline, color scheme, and visual elements, fundamentally shifting how your brand is perceived.
Objective: Typically undertaken during significant changes—such as mergers, acquisitions, or new leadership—the goal is to realign your brand with a new direction or audience.
Timing: Rebranding is less frequent and more drastic, serving as a response to substantial shifts in your business or market strategy.
Refreshing: A Strategic Update
Definition: A brand refresh makes minor updates to your visual identity, messaging, and materials to ensure your brand stays relevant.
Scope: Unlike rebranding, this involves modernizing existing elements like your logo, typography, and messaging without altering your core identity.
Objective: A refresh helps maintain consistency while adapting to evolving audience expectations and market trends.
Timing: Refreshes are periodic and ongoing, designed to keep your brand competitive and aligned with current dynamics.
Why a Refresh Might Be Right for You as a Female Founder
As a brand strategist, I’ve witnessed the powerful impact of small, intentional adjustments. A refresh allows you to preserve the essence of your brand while making strategic updates that resonate with your audience and reflect your growth. It’s about staying relevant, engaging, and prepared for the future.
Here’s why a brand refresh can be a game-changer:
Stay Relevant: Consumer preferences evolve, and your brand should too. A refresh ensures your visual identity and messaging connect meaningfully with your audience.
Reflect Growth: Your business evolves, and your branding should mirror that progress. A refresh showcases your achievements and aspirations without losing your core identity.
Enhance Engagement: A modernized brand captivates attention and rekindles excitement, encouraging deeper connections with your audience.
Need Help Deciding?
Whether you need a complete rebrand or a strategic refresh, my Unstoppable Big Brand framework can provide the clarity you need. Together, we’ll determine the best path forward and guide you through every step—ensuring your brand remains authentic, relevant, and unstoppable.
Big Brands That Made Small Adjustments
We can learn a lot by the big brands we interact with on a daily basis. Let’s take a look at some large companies that have successfully made small adjustments to their branding, resulting in significant growth and increased revenue.
1. In 2015, Coca-Cola introduced the “Share a Coke” campaign, replacing its iconic logo with popular names on its bottles. This simple change created a personalized experience for consumers and encouraged sharing on social media. The result? A 2% increase in sales and a surge in brand engagement. Coca-Cola’s subtle yet impactful refresh allowed them to connect with consumers on a personal level, demonstrating the power of personalization.
2. Once seen as a dated brand, Old Spice underwent a major refresh in 2010 with their “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign. The clever advertising not only modernized their image but also targeted a younger audience, leading to a staggering 125% increase in sales. Old Spice’s brand refresh demonstrated that even established brands could reinvent themselves by tapping into humor and contemporary market trends.
3. Initially launched as a gaming platform, Slack transformed into a communication tool for businesses. The brand’s refresh involved a complete rebranding that focused on usability and team collaboration. By aligning their messaging with their new direction, Slack experienced exponential growth, attracting millions of users and becoming a staple in the business world.
4. In 2014, Airbnb introduced a new logo and refined its brand message to reflect its commitment to belonging and community. The change resonated with users and helped the company expand its customer base significantly. The refresh not only modernized their visual identity but also reinforced their mission, contributing to their rapid global growth.
My Personal Brand Refresh: Aligning with Purpose
When it came time to refresh my own brand, it wasn’t about following trends or making drastic changes, it was about alignment. I realized that my brand needed to better reflect my values, my journey, and the deep connection I feel to water. The lake, the ocean, the waves; These places are where I worship connect most profoundly with the Lord.
The turning point came after a fire reshaped my life in ways I hadn’t anticipated. In the aftermath, my time at the lake became even more significant, deepening my worship and bringing clarity to my values. It was during this time that I recognized my brand needed to evolve, not just to align with my personal growth but also to resonate with the clients I’m most passionate about serving.
Why the Refresh Was Necessary
I had been working with a color palette that included yellow—a color typically associated with joy and energy—but it never felt quite right to me. After reflecting on what truly inspires me, I replaced that supplemental color with something that resonates deeply: A bright blue that captures the serenity I feel when I’m near the water. Now, every time I see my brand’s color palette, I love it even more.
I also embraced the realization that my people are “lake people.” You’re either a lake person or a mountain person, and I knew I wanted to align with those who feel the same sense of peace and connection to water as I do. It wasn’t about creating a brand that simply checked the boxes of traditional values; it was about showing more of me.
What Changed in My Refresh
Color Palette: While the core of my palette stayed the same, I updated one of the supplemental colors to better align with my values and aesthetic. This subtle change made all the difference.
Imagery: I introduced water-themed visuals that reflect my connection to the lake and ocean. The language and images I now use in my brand exude the serenity, power, and inspiration I draw from these.
Messaging: My refreshed messaging is bold and intentional, perfectly aligned with my mission to support female founders ready to scale their six-figure businesses to seven figures and beyond.
Headshots: I updated my photos to reflect the authentic, water-inspired aesthetic of my brand, showcasing more of my personality and values.
Marketing Plan: My marketing strategy shifted to reflect this deeper alignment, ensuring every aspect of my brand is cohesive and speaks directly to my ideal clients.
The Result
This refresh wasn’t about starting over; it was about honing in on what makes my brand uniquely me. Every element—from the colors to the messaging—feels aligned with my purpose and resonates with the clients I want to serve. It’s a reminder that even small adjustments can have a profound impact when they’re rooted in clarity and authenticity.
Ready to Refresh?
While the steps above are a great starting point, creating a BIG brand that is strategically placed to create a bigger impact and increase your revenue requires more than a checklist. This demands expertise, intentionality, and a clear vision. That’s where I come in.
Whether you need:
A “done for you” brand strategy that lays the foundation for your seven-figure growth,
A mastermind experience where we craft your brand strategy together, or
A fractional Chief Brand Officer to help you implement and oversee your brand’s evolution—
I have the solution to meet you where you are and guide you to where you want to be. Let’s make 2025 your breakthrough year. Ready to get started but unsure which is the right fit for you? Schedule your VIP Strategy Call to discuss the best direction for your business! It’s a first step to your New Year, New Brand.
Comments