How to successfully implement a corporate rebrand

Rebranding is like giving your company a stylish, tailored set of clothes and a bold new attitude—it’s a transformative process that changes how you show up in the world. But once the outside experts (that’s us) have finished their magic, the hard part begins: implementation.

Brand implementation is where the rubber meets the road. More accurately, it’s where your new identity meets every surface imaginable: digital spaces, physical items, your audience’s innermost thoughts and feelings. A solid implementation ensures your shiny new branding doesn’t just look good but actually works—resonating with your audience, building trust and reinforcing your value proposition.

Based on our agency’s years of experience in creating—and implementing—new brands, we’ve put together this step-by-step guide to rolling out your new brand like a pro!

1. Understand your brand guidelines

Your branding agency has likely provided a set of brand guidelines. This document will be your go-to resource for maintaining brand consistency and should provide direction on:

• Logo usage: Variations, spacing and placement rules
• Typography: Approved typefaces and how they should be applied
• Colour palette: Primary and secondary colours with exact specifications for various media
• Imagery: Style and tone for photography, illustrations and graphics
• Key messages and tone of voice: For written and spoken communication
• Dos and don’ts: Common mistakes to avoid to preserve brand integrity
• Prototype examples: The look and feel of how the brand identity works when applied to key assets such as stationery, email marketing, presentations, signage, social media posts, etc.

Start by thoroughly reviewing these guidelines to understand the foundational elements of your brand. Share the document with key stakeholders and team members to ensure everyone is aligned.

2. Create internal brand ambassadors

An internal launch is just as important as your external rollout. Your internal team are your brand ambassadors—when they understand and embrace your brand, they can consistently represent it in customer/client interactions and communications.

To communicate the new brand effectively:

• Host a launch event or webinar to explain the rationale behind the rebrand
• Provide a rebrand toolkit, including updated templates, guidelines and FAQs
• Make your brand guidelines an assets accessible through a central portal
• Designate brand champions who can help oversee consistency in applying the new brand

You might also consider offering training sessions to employees, covering:

• Customer/client service tone and behaviour
• How to use branded templates and materials
• Adhering to brand messaging in sales pitches, emails and presentations

3. Update high-visibility touchpoints first

While some companies invest in their rebrand in a way that allows them to transform overnight, most don’t have the resources or downtime—or even the need—to do this. Instead, established organizations typically implement a rebrand in phases, focusing first on the materials that are most visible to customers. These can include:

• Website: Update your website with your new logo, colours, typography, messaging and—if possible—new functionalities to ensure the user experience aligns with your new brand identity
• Social media profiles and post styles: Refresh all profile pictures, cover images and bios across all platforms while incorporating the new “look and feel” for future posts
• Advertising: Refresh all ads with your new branding and messaging; have them ready to go live as soon as your brand launches
• Email templates: Update your templates for newsletters, campaigns and customer communications
• Business cards and stationery: Redesign your business cards, letterhead and envelopes to reflect the new brand
• Sales collateral: Update all brochures, pitch decks and product catalogs used in client interactions

Prioritizing high-visibility assets ensures that your audience immediately recognizes your rebrand.

(And it’s okay to use up existing stock of any printed materials—most companies do this to save money and prevent waste that would otherwise end up in landfill/recycling.)

4. Recreate supporting materials

Once your high-priority items are updated, move on to secondary and supporting materials. These materials include:

• Signage: Replace building and vehicle graphics
• Packaging: Update labels, boxes and any branded wrapping
• Event materials: Redesign banners, booth designs and promotional giveaways (you may, however, want to have some swag ready to go when you launch your rebrand)
• Video content: Update intro/outro animations, lower thirds and on-screen graphics

These updates ensure consistency across all touchpoints, reinforcing your rebrand over time.

5. Partner with vendors and agencies

Your external partners and vendors—such as printers, manufacturers, web and app developers, and marketing/advertising agencies—need to follow your brand guidelines as well. Share your guidelines and brief your vendors on how to apply your branding effectively. Make sure your “brand police” review your vendors’ work to ensure alignment with your standards.

6. Monitor and maintain brand consistency

Even the best brand implementation can lose momentum if not monitored. To maintain consistency over time:

• Conduct regular brand audits to ensure your guidelines are being followed
• Use brand management software to centralize assets and streamline approvals
• Provide ongoing training to onboard new employees and vendors

7. Collect feedback and evolve

A brand isn’t static; it must evolve to stay relevant. After implementation, take some time to gather feedback from employees, customers/clients and stakeholders. These insights will help you identify areas for improvement and ensure your brand remains aligned with your business objectives.

Your brand, fully assembled

Implementing a brand after it’s been crafted by a branding agency is a bit like assembling a piece of IKEA furniture—it requires patience, careful attention to the instructions and maybe a few deep breaths. But once all the pieces are in place, the result is solid, functional and (we hope) admired by everyone who sees it. By understanding your brand guidelines, rallying your team, updating every touchpoint and staying consistent, you’ll transform your shiny new brand into a powerhouse that wows your audience, differentiates you favourably against the competition and delivers long-term success.

And hey, unlike that IKEA bookshelf, you won’t have any leftover screws!

If you need help implementing your brand, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. With years of experience and a deep understanding of the branding process, we are brand implementation experts. From aligning every detail with your brand guidelines to navigating the most complex production challenges, we know all the insider tips and strategies to ensure a seamless and successful brand implementation. Let us help you bring your brand vision to life!