Pivot or Rebrand? Changing Identity vs Changing Direction

If we learned anything from the show Friends, it’s how to pivot. And when our business needs start to change direction, it’s critical to know when and how to pivot to capture forward momentum in the direction we want (and need) to go.

If our businesses are pivoting, we can (and should) tweak our branding.

If we were B2C and are pivoting to B2B, we’ll need to adjust the brand voice and content to fit the needs and expectations of the gatekeepers and users we’re now targeting. Language gets a little more formal. Instead of talking about how fun the app is, we might talk about its ROI.

What we can’t do is hide from our brand.

Say we’re a design-oriented construction firm. And now we need to take on more “boring” and cost-conscious facility work such as utilities and hospitals. This doesn’t change the fact that we’re a design-oriented brand. Our potential buyers have the internet. So they can find our branding and our work. And more importantly, our buyers NEED to know our brand. They need to know who we are. What are we great at? Why can they count on us?

So we have a few options:

1. We can rebrand as a new cost-conscious construction firm: If this is a permanent and opposite turn from who we have been and what our brand has meant in the industry, it might be time to say goodbye to our established identity and develop a new brand to take our new direction by storm.
2. We can develop a subbrand for the cost-sensitive corporate work: If we’re Design Builders Inc., we may add a Design Builders Industrial division to be clear to our new market that we understand their needs. And to not confuse our current customers who rely on us for high design.
3. We can develop an entirely separate brand for this facility work: Design Builders, Inc. may add a sister brand, Industrial Builders to serve this new target, completely separate from our existing brand. If we do this, we may be tempted to offer something that’s generically targets this new buyer. “We make the boring facilities you need.” When in reality, we should put the same energy and focus into developing a strong, ownable, and defensable brand in this new space.
4. Or we can keep the same brand and dig into how that brand will add value for potential buyers in the cost-conscious facility space.
   1. Will we use design to maximize building efficiencies to keep building and maintenance costs low?
   2. Will we create opportunities for solar power capture or water capture to lower utility bills?
   3. Will we reduce employee sick time and turnover through reducing glare and friction points in their workday?

There may come many points where we need to follow Ross Geller and “PIVOT!” in our strategic direction. And if we do our homework on our brand, target market and user needs, we can change where we’re headed without losing who we are.