Businesses refresh their brands every seven to 10 years on average, and a new logo is almost always part of the process.
Below, we’ll review the right way to change your logo, all the places you’ll need to update it (many of which are often forgotten), and how to make a new logo announcement to your enrolled families.
There’s a Right (And Wrong) Way to Change Your Logo
The first step before making your new logo announcement is, of course, updating your logo. There are two scopes of change logos can undergo.
The first is a slight rebrand, or a refresh. Customers will still identify your logo as yours, because your new logo shares enough similarities with your old one.
The second is a total rebrand. This is when you change your entire logo using new colors, new fonts, a new message, and a new graphic.
A refresh causes less concern, since your logo will still look like you. However, when you opt for a total rebrand, you risk confusing your target audience if you don’t present the new logo properly.
Even on a subtle level, a total rebrand can spur feelings of disconnect. For example, if you’re running an ad campaign using your new logo and driving traffic to a landing page or website that’s still using your old logo, visitors will feel confused, their sense of continuity will be lost, and your bounce rate will soar.
Continuity is essential in the customer journey. Without it, you fail to meet the customer’s basic expectations, which leads them to question all sorts of things about your business, even subconsciously.
Details matter, and they can lead to unconscious bias. Prospective customers may question your attention to detail, internal organization, and other priorities. You don’t want people wondering why you went to the trouble of refreshing your logo but didn’t update it everywhere.
This is especially true when it comes to the childcare industry, where your most important deliverable is peace of mind for parents. You want everything about your business to communicate attention to detail, organization, and thoughtful planning.
Don’t give prospects a reason to choose your competitor.
Where Should You Update Your Logo?
The short answer is you should update your logo everywhere it lives, online and offline.
But we know that’s easier said than done. To ensure you don’t forget to update your logo everywhere, both online and offline, follow the checklists below!
First, let’s look online.
Digital Storefronts
Search for your business online using your preferred search engine and make a list of all the places it appears. A spreadsheet works well for this. Make a note of the places you can control and the ones that other companies manage.
Here are some examples to get you started:
- Google Business Listing
- Social Media
- Winnie.com
- Care.com
- GreatSchools.com
- Yelp
- Indeed
- Glassdoor
Then, you can move on to your website.
Your Website
Your logo probably lives in a few different places on your website, so be as thorough as possible.
- Home page
- About page
- Contact page
- Headers and footers
- Landing pages you’re using for ads
- Favicon — the tiny icon that appears in a browser tab next to your web page description.
Digital Items
It’s easy to forget all the digital forms and documents your business uses on a daily or periodic basis. You’ll need to go through these systematically so you don’t miss any outdated logos.
- CRM email content
- Digital forms
- All digital communications — Be sure to check both internal and external (client-facing) documents.
- Email signatures — Check these for every staff member who has a company email address.
Physical Business Assets
The big items on this list will be obvious. Others, like your menu and staff uniforms, are more subtle and might not immediately spring to mind. Stay diligent and check everything against your brand kit.
- Employee handbook
- Parent handbook
- Menus — Weekly and monthly, both printed and published online
- Newsletters — Both printed and digital
- Signage — Exterior and interior. Properly branded signage tells parents they’re in the right place and gives a great first impression, whether in the parking lot or on a bus (your business’s moving billboard). Classroom and lobby signage reinforces your branding to parents and touring prospects.
- Staff uniforms — Up-to-date uniforms clearly identify who works in the building and what their roles are.
- Enrollment packets — Must be consistent in all aesthetics. This reinforces to parents that they’re making the right decision.
- Tour packets — Some schools hand out paper folders to parents and recreate them digitally for virtual tours. Make sure they all follow your brand kit, including your new logo design.
- All paper forms — Again, ensure all internal and external (client-facing) documents display your refreshed logo and follow the brand kit.
- Business cards
- Letterheads
Making a New Logo Announcement
Let your customers or families know about your refresh or rebrand ahead of time. You can use a series of explanatory emails or social media posts to make your new logo announcement — and make it celebratory!
Don’t suddenly change your logo without explanation. Bring your clients along on the journey! Brand updates will make them feel included and proud of where they send their kids.
Ready for a rebrand? Whether you’d like a complete brand guide or just a new logo, we’ve got you covered. Contact us — we’ll be happy to help.