As the season changes and a new year approaches, many people start to look at what is not working in their life and what they can do to improve it. Businesses too can benefit from a new year refresh. Just as new year signifies a fresh start, it can be a great time to look at your business with a fresh perspective. Whether you’re a well-established company or a startup looking to make your mark, the new year offers the perfect time to reinvigorate your brand and capture your audience’s attention. With that in mind, here are 10 ways your business can breathe new life into your brand.
Reevaluate Your Brand Identity:
Start by reassessing your brand’s identity, including your logo, colours, and overall design elements. Consider if they still align with your company’s values and message or if a update is needed.
Have you ever thought about your brands voice? Is it time to reaffirm how you speak to your customers?
Brand voice refers to the consistent and distinctive tone, style, and personality that a brand uses in its communication with its audience. A strong brand voice helps build brand recognition, creates a sense of consistency and trust, and fosters a deeper connection with your target audience.
It’s always a good idea to ensure all your staff are on the same page when it comes to your brand. If you are using a certain tone in your social media, the same tone should be reflected in your other communications. This will ensure the consistency of your brand. Make sure your customer facing staff know how to best represent your brand. Use the new year to reiterate your brands personality to ensure you have one voice and a consistent identity.
Revamp Your Website:
Your website is often the first point of contact for potential customers. And just like everything else, website design trends are constantly evolving as technology, user preferences, and aesthetics change over time. Nothing says “tired and can’t be bothered” quite like a copyright footer dated from a few years ago. Use the post Christmas season lull to check out your competitors and your industry leaders. Get some fresh ideas and see what’s new. You should be looking to update the design of your site to be more user-friendly, responsive, and visually appealing. Even if it’s just the home page, incorporating current web design trends will ensure your online presence feels up-to-date and fresh.
Content Makeover:
The new year is the perfect time to refresh your content strategy. Create new, engaging blog posts, videos, and social media content that resonate with your target audience. For example
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Focus on delivering value and solving their pain points.
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Reflect on the last year and how you are going to tackle the challenges your customer have faced.
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Introduce some budget friendly options to start the year to show your customer you understand their needs.
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Use current events as a catalyst for a conversation.
Social Media New Year Refresh:
New year is a great time to take a deep dive into your social media channels and see what’s trending. It’s a really good time to see what’s hot and what’s not and where your page fits into these two categories. You could:
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Review your social media profiles.
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Update your cover photos, profile pictures, and bio to reflect your brand’s current identity.
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Add or update your services on your profile.
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Ensure your message auto responses are up-to-date
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Clean up inactive accounts and focus on platforms that provide the most engagement.
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Investigate the latest social media content trends and research what’s currently rank well with the latest algorithm iteration.
It is always a good idea to keep an eye on what your competitors are doing and social media is the best place to do it. Most business these days update their customers frequently on their social media pages. You can set up social listening tools to monitor digital conversations. This will help you understand what customers are saying about your brand and your industry online. Here is a list of the 12 Best Social Listening Tools of 2023 that you can use. Alternatively, you can simply google yourself and your competitors to see what’s happening and who’s talking about who.
Launch a New Year Refresh Campaign:
Leverage the season by launching a thematic marketing campaign. Whether it’s centered around renewal, growth, or fresh starts, tie your products or services into the spirit of the new year. Here are some ideas:
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Fitness, health or clothing industries could do a “New Year, New You” campaign to take advantage of new years resolutions
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Skincare & Beauty Industry – Your customers skin in the height of summer (or winter in the northern hemisphere) could be in need of a “Renew and Refresh” to rejuvenate their glow for the New Year.
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Gardening & Home Decor – “New Beginnings” could promote a fresh look for a garden or a well used room.
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Food & Beverage Industry – can utilise summer (or winter) produce for a “Taste of Freshness”
Customer Feedback and Engagement:
The new year is a great time to engage with your customers to gather feedback on their experiences with your brand. You can reflect on the previous year and ask them what you did right and what you did wrong. Use surveys, polls, or social media interactions to understand their needs and expectations better. Make it entertaining or beneficial for them to incentivise them to respond. Make sure that whatever feedback you receive, you act on. Whether its using positive feedback as content for you social media, or testimonial pages, or ensuring you address any criticisms with grace, professionalism and action.
Collaborate and Cross-Promote:
Consider partnering with complementary brands for co-branded campaigns or products. This not only widens your reach but also brings a fresh perspective to your brand. Some examples are:
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A local cafe and book store can join forces to promote each others business during the holiday season as these are common activities peoples do whilst on their summer break.
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A day spa and B & B collaboration can give your guests something to do and fits nicely into the New Year refresh theme.
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A restaurant and farmers market cross-promotion can showcase local produce and who prepares it best.
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A local gym and a health food store can help each other emphasise the benefits of a health lifestyle and healthy eating.
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A craft store and kids activity centre can use craft projects for holiday activities to help entertain the kids during their school holidays.
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You can also read my popular 10 Autumn Marketing Ideas blog to get more inspo.
Using your social media channels for cross-promotions can ensure you reach a wider audience than just your own followers. It can also increase your page likes.
Employee Engagement:
Use a new year refresh to re-energise and re-assess your internal team. You could:
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Host team-building activities, workshops, or training sessions that align with your brand’s values and vision.
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Assess whether your current staff levels are adequate.
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If there are plans to grow the business in the new year perhaps you should consider also growing your staff to ensure your brands integrity is maintained.
Refresh Packaging and Product Design:
If you have physical products, consider updating their packaging or design. A new look can attract attention and make your products stand out on shelves or online marketplaces. If your customers are anything like me, they are a sucker for great packaging. Sometimes that’s all it takes to get them over the line. Keep in mind the trend towards sustainable packaging and investigate ways you can use this in your business. A person that uses online shopping may be encouraged or discouraged to buy again depending on how much single use plastic is used when wrapping and sending their purchase.
Support a Cause:
The new year is often associated with new beginnings and Christmas is a time for giving. Align your brand with a local charitable cause that resonates with your values. This not only demonstrates your commitment to social responsibility but also gives your brand a meaningful purpose.
Just as the new year brings a sense of renewal, it’s essential for businesses to periodically refresh and reinvigorate their brand. By following these 10 strategies, you can breathe new life into your brand’s identity, engage your audience, and position your business for success in the ever-evolving market. Embrace the spirit of the season and embark on a journey of growth and transformation for your brand.
