How to Reposition Your Business: When You’ve Outgrown Your Original Brand
Repositioning is one of the most valuable things a growing company can do, and one of the most mishandled. Here’s how to do it right.
Most companies that need repositioning don’t know it. They know something is off (deals are harder to close than they should be, the clients they’re winning aren’t the ones they want, the website doesn’t feel right anymore, the elevator pitch has changed but the brand hasn’t) but they attribute it to market conditions or competition rather than to a positioning problem.
Repositioning is the work of getting the external perception of your company to match the internal reality of what it’s become.
The Signals You Need to Reposition
- You’ve evolved significantly but the brand still reflects the original version of the company
- You’re consistently winning business in a different category than you originally targeted
- You’ve moved upmarket but the brand signals a lower tier than where you’re competing
- A new competitor has entered with similar positioning, making differentiation harder
- Your best clients would describe your company differently than your website does
- You’re embarrassed to show the website to your best prospects
How Repositioning Works
Step 1: Define the new position before designing anything
Three questions to answer first: Who are you actually best for now? What do you do better than any alternative, specifically? What’s the single most compelling reason someone should choose you over every other option? The answers to these questions are the brief for everything that follows.
Step 2: Audit the gap between current perception and target position
What is the current brand saying? What does it need to say? Where are the biggest gaps: is it the visual identity, the messaging, the website, or all three? The audit tells you what needs to change and what can stay.
Step 3: Update the brand system
Not always a full rebrand. Sometimes repositioning requires a new logo. Sometimes it requires only updated messaging and a new website. The visual changes should be proportional to how much the positioning has actually moved. A company that’s evolved its target audience doesn’t always need a new logo. It might just need a website that speaks to the new audience.
Step 4: Rebuild the website around the new position
The website is where repositioning becomes real for prospects. If the homepage still reflects the old positioning, the new strategy is theoretical. The site needs to open with the new position, speak to the new audience, and demonstrate proof that’s relevant to where the company is competing now. See our guide on brand and web done together.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reposition my business?
Start by answering who you’re best for now, what you do better than alternatives, and why someone should choose you. Then update brand, messaging, and website to reflect that. See our full rebranding guide.
How much does repositioning cost?
Splash Creative scopes each engagement around the business need, complexity, and responsibilities involved. The proposal sets out the work, timing, and fee. For broader guidance, see our pricing page or talk with the team about your brief.
Company that’s outgrown its original brand?
Splash Creative helps established companies reposition.