Behind the Brand: What Did We Learn?

I mentioned last week that the day we launched rvncreative.com was some of the most instant gratification I’d ever received on a professional goal. The response I received from many of you was overwhelmingly positive and so supportive of all of the work we’d be doing behind the scenes.

I only wish I would have taken my own advice sooner.

So what would I say to someone looking to build a business or refresh a brand? Here’s 3 big lessons I learned from my brand relaunch.

#1: Invest in Your Brand!

I’ve advised clients to invest in their brands, with unique identities and user-friendly websites. It gives us a platform to stand on that we’re proud of and that we have confidence in.

It also frees up our minds to focus on our businesses. I no longer have those little voices nagging at my mind, putting things on my never-ending to-do list to tweak or change. I’m not at all tempted to waste time tweaking the logo or changing up the site’s navigation. I’m free to focus on building my business.

#2: It’s Okay to Ask for Help!

I’ve told my clients that it’s okay to depend on an outside partner – to get help when they needed it. That we can’t all do everything all of the time, and that stepping back doesn’t mean you’re not going to be a part of what gets created.

At previous jobs, hiring a new, full-time team member was such a scary proposition. It felt so permanent and it changed the entire dynamic of the existing team.

Growing the Raven Creative team has been a completely different experience. I was able to “test-drive” team members with the projects we worked on for my own brand, and now I have full knowledge and understanding of what they can deliver for my clients.

More than that, though, I found that through stretching outside of my comfort zone and collaborating with great partners, we were all growing.

Collaboration leads to growth all the way around the table.

#3: New Experiences Give Fresh Perspective!

For much of this process, I was on the client side of the table. I was seeking help for my own brand from other creatives.

Having that personal experience has helped me in how I relate to my own clients in that position now. I better understand their excitement and hope, fears and hesitations, and have a new set of tools to help us work through it all together.

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So, what about you? Have you been thinking about launching something new? Or refreshing a brand that’s never quite felt right?

If so, my best advice is to make sure that you invest in doing it right.

Had I not spent time working through strategy and messaging (and adjusting and tweaking until that felt really right), I know for certain that the brand identity and website wouldn’t have hit the mark for me.

Find a good partner (or partners!) who can come alongside you through the process and help you think differently and accomplish more.