{"id":6186,"date":"2021-11-23T21:20:40","date_gmt":"2021-11-23T20:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sortlist.co.uk\/blog\/rebranding-process\/"},"modified":"2021-11-23T21:20:40","modified_gmt":"2021-11-23T20:20:40","slug":"rebranding-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sortlist.co.uk\/blog\/rebranding-process\/","title":{"rendered":"The Secrets to Sortlist’s Rebranding Process & Signs You Need One Too"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As September was coming to a close, we went through a rebranding process. It was months of hard work, back and forth. And with the new brand all we got was this new logo?<\/strong> A couple of new colours?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies grow, and when they do, more often than not they change to meet the moment. Netflix used to rent DVDs, lest we forget. Rebranding is a complex process<\/strong> that not only changes how you look, but can change, on a fundamental level, how you behave. If the new brand identity is well internalised, it bleeds through in every decision every individual in the company makes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s that powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So more than a pretty new look, we wanted to dig in to the meaning of brand, what we learned and specifically what made it happen and why.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rebranding Definition:  What is a Brand, Anyway?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Why did we rebrand? Wait, what is rebranding? Back it up, perhaps it’s best to start from the beginning, what is branding<\/a> and a brand identity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s do an excercise. Pick up a pen and paper and think of a company you know and love. What comes to mind? Note down the words that come to your head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Red<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Those words, in a way, sum up their brand identity. At least from an external, personal perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But brand is a two way street<\/strong>. It’s not just the way your company is perceived externally. It’s also the way the company perceives itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brand is somewhere between a personality and a north star. And that\u2019s why <\/em>it can so easily be confused with things like colour schemes. While they represent the brand<\/strong>, they\u2019re just that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Brazil football team, the yellow shirt is part of their brand story. But their brand is not a yellow shirt. The brand is flair football, born on beaches of the very same colour. The brand is samba and alegria do futebol. <\/em>All things that famous yellow shirt represents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Brazil,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And the same is true for Sortlist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brand is not a logo design<\/a>, the brand is not a colour scheme. Brand is not a product or a theme<\/strong>. Yet those are representations of the brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And getting it right can change everything<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Telltale Sign Sortlist Needed to Rebrand<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Companies evolve, and seven years ago, Sortlist was quite different. Netflix used to send DVDs <\/a>– Sortlist used to be an algorithmically driven agency directory<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No longer: it\u2019s transformed into a complete matchmaking service<\/strong>. And a fundraising round<\/a>, with expansion into new markets was an inflection point in the life of Sortlist.

At the same time, Sortlist was moving towards a distinct moment. Moving towards a greater balance between AI and human matchmaking<\/strong> as, in 2020 the world locked down and human contact, paradoxically, became out of reach. And that human touch was part of a move towards transparency and a greater than ever level of information, on both sides. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sortlist had evolved<\/strong> from the version you see below. So what we needed was a brand scientist, to take a look, and distill our new DNA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 Telltale Signs Your Company Should Rebrand, Too\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
  1. Does your company sit at the crux of a new moment?<\/li>
  2. Has your company adapted its product to meet that moment?<\/li>
  3. Have external factors put your offering into a new context?<\/li>
  4. Have visual trends moved on since you updated your branding?<\/li>
  5. Did you put minimal effort into your initial branding?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The S(h)ortlist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The advantage Sortlist has when searching for a partner to rebrand is clear. But the advantage turned out to be mutual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Working in the same space, who better than a Sortlist member agency<\/strong> to understand not only Sortlist’s market and target audience (the outsourcing landscape) but Sortlist’s product (the matchmaking platform)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Who better than our own clients, our own branding agencies<\/a>, for X-ray insight on a sector in mutation, Sortlist\u2019s place as an intermediary<\/strong> and the value not just of Sortlist now, but Sortlist going forwards? In this case, there was no need for focus groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    La Superboite<\/a>, the agency that applied and won, did so through a powerful external perspective on Sortlist\u2019s value proposition – leveraging just that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe seduced Nico with an observation on the sector in mutation and the relationship between data and the human.\u201d <\/em>he begins.  \u201cIt shook Nico. We did that in 10 slides. We wanted to take a different approach, and Nico chose us because we were the only ones to challenge the initial idea.\u201d<\/em><\/p>Benoit Berghmans<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    So, Sortlist\u2019s Rebranding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBranding is communication, and business arrives at a point in its evolution, where the visibility material, logo, tone of voice and graphic material needs to be reimagined\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    “With a rebranding process, there\u2019s precedent. Many things have been done and you know where you want to go in the future. So a lot of the work is understanding both those sides of the coin.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So far, so clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But there\u2019s one point that Benoit mentions in our chat that perhaps gets to the heart of the issue<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With Sortlist, it was mission, values and ambitions that defined the rebranding. It was seven months of strategy, briefing documents, to understand who Sortlist was yesterday, who they want to be tomorrow. It was only two of graphic design.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

    The typography, the colours\u2026 they were the end point, to illustrate the strategy.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    The Rebranding Process: Brand Strategy in Action<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Rebranding is<\/strong> more strategy than design<\/strong>. And the focus outlined above only underscores the fundamental role of a long experience in our sector, and with Sortlist\u2019s product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It seems time well invested. A 7:2 strategy-design ratio hits the nail on the head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Because for all the impact of a beautiful new logo<\/strong>, slick colour scheme <\/strong>and clever visual details (did you notice the speech bubble between the R and the T of the logo?) – the work put in on the strategy will have more than double its impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Rebranding
    That new logo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    80% of the Work: Brand Identity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    So where did all that time spent on rebranding strategy<\/strong> go? On providing the north star to guide our day-to-day<\/strong>. On building a clear foundation: the convenience of digital, but the desire for human contact. A fragmented market and harmonious solution. This foundation was key to the building of the brand above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s be clear. Strategy <\/em>is the place branding (or rebranding) can have the biggest impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The visual has its impact externally, and is important without doubt. But don\u2019t be seduced by shiny things. It\u2019s the strategy that impacts the team<\/strong> and focuses every hour of every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, what was it that makes Sortlist relevant? What is the moment we\u2019re looking to meet? The team took the time to locate Sortlist in the market and distill its value proposition, now and going forward.

    At Sortlist there are as many human matchmakers speaking to, meeting with, and connecting companies and partners as any other role in the company.

    And outside of Sortlist, digital has made talent the only differentiator<\/strong>. \u201cTraditional agency\u201d is an anachronism. Small and medium sized operators are more agile, their size helping them fill the gaps left by the big agencies. The only thing lacking is the opportunity brought on by trust…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    The environment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    \"Rebranding
    The Place of Sortlist in that environment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    \"Rebranding
    Distilled to its purest form<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Sortlist\u2019s Brand Story (and how you can find yours)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    There are a few steps to distilling your beliefs into concrete brand values. And getting these beliefs down on paper is a fundamental part of creating that brand mission. Here\u2019s what we took into account:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Talk to your founders<\/strong>. Maybe you are one. Think back to the early days of the business and the gap you looked to fill. Make sure your beliefs relate.<\/li>
    2. Ignore your business plan<\/strong>. Ignore your projects. These change. Choose evergreen beliefs.<\/li>
    3. Think: is it a fundamental truth?<\/strong> Was it true in the past, but we just didn\u2019t see it? Will it be true in ten years?<\/li>
    4. Keep it to five<\/strong> at most – too many beliefs aren\u2019t actionable, and can\u2019t be integrated into a day-to-day.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Your beliefs drive your action. And your action influences those beliefs of others. Which in turn drives their action and other beliefs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Suddenly those brand values have created that most intangible but powerful of things – what all businesses grope for. You\u2019ve created a culture.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"Rebranding<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \"Rebranding<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \"Rebranding<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \"Rebranding<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      How To Distil it Down<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Now was the time to think, a question you can put to yourself: \u201cCan you, or anyone at your company, sum up your brand in just some bullet points? If not, work backwards and clarify those beliefs. For us it was:<\/p>\n\n\n\n