Defining and connecting with your ideal target audience is difficult enough as it is for new businesses, so you can imagine what it must be like for established businesses who are looking to pivot their approach entirely. But, is it possible to change your brand and your target audience? And just how complicated is it to pull off successfully?
Whether you are going through a natural evolution with your business, your products have changed significantly, or you are simply bored and ready for a change of pace, read on and we’ll tell you what you need to know…
When to change your target audience?
So, when is a good time to consider changing your target audience?
- You got it wrong the first time: you would be amazed by how many new businesses completely miss the mark when defining their target audience. It’s nothing to feel bad about, but rushing into finding your ideal audience is something that can damage your business so it’s always worth putting the time and appropriate amount of research in.
- Your audience is too small: if your demographic is too few in number it can be hard to generate huge profits. For example, an SEO agency in Singapore might consider rebranding if they decide to focus their energies on an international audience, as opposed to working only with small local businesses.
- Your audience is too big: similarly, if your demographic is far too broad it can be incredibly difficult to find the right messaging and position your brand accordingly.
- Your business is evolving: if you are going through rapid expansion and your products / services are changing, it might be beneficial to re-brand and target a whole new audience entirely.
Make sure you do it for the right reasons
It might sound obvious, but if you are going to rebrand your business and target a whole new audience, you must make sure that you are doing it for the right reasons. Yes, there’s nothing stopping you from rebranding because you are bored of your existing brand and simply wish to breathe new life into it, however, without clear goals or a compelling reason for doing so, it can potentially be a risky waste of resources.
You can learn a lot from Bud Light’s recent marketing blunder in this regard. Make sure that you fully understand your existing audience and decide whether you are willing to risk alienating them before making any significant changes to your brand and messaging.
On the other hand, with a clear mission in mind, it can be one of the most transformative moves you ever make as a business owner.
How complicated is it to rebrand and change the target audience?
It’s only as complicated as you make it. For example, if rebranding without a good reason or a clearly defined goal, it can make the transition quite difficult. However, when you are rebranding with the intention of targeting a smaller, highly refined and specific demographic, you’ll have a much clearer path as to how to move forward.
- Communicate: let your existing customers know well in advance that a change is coming.
- Update logo: changing your logo entirely might not be the best approach, however, stylising it so that it is updated and in-line with your new brand vision can work wonders.
- Change branding: make sure that your website’s UX design, colours, typography, and language reflects your new brand.
- Advertise: the how, the why, and the where is important when advertising your new and improved brand. Think about which platforms will be best utilised and which mediums you can use to get the message across and resonate effectively when advertising your business online.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is entirely possible to rebrand your business and change / expand / refine your target audience. The real question is: why? If you have an excellent reason to want to make the change, then finding a way forward will be easy enough. However, if you’re bored and want to stir things up, you could be creating an awful lot of unnecessary work for yourself.
