Enhancing a visual identity for an established brand is a very delicate project. The new visual identity must create relevance without loosing the existing brand recognition.

Colonel Sanders, the icon of Kentucky Fried Chicken, recently went through a makeover. Management said the move is an attempt to keep the brand relevant and to promote that KFC was actually started by the man himself. Yes, there really is – or was – a Colonel Sanders.

The new KFC brandmark doesn’t look that much different than it did before. In fact, most people won’t even recognize the enhancements.

But the rebrand is a must to recreate interest and send the message to the public that the brand is innovating. If KFC left their identity untouched so long that people viewed the company as “old hat,” it would be almost impossible to reestablish relevance regardless of a redesign.

People generally don’t like change. In fact, we’re often actively resistant to it. When you have an established brand with a loyal client base, you don’t want to alienate them; but, at the same time, the brand must recognize that new customers/donors are needed to move forward.

While it’s important to make modifications or perform a complete overhaul to your visual identity, keep in mind sales guru, Brian Tracy’s comment: “You can’t achieve much more on the outside than what you have achieved and become on the inside.”

It will take much more than just a new brandmark to increase profitable growth.

We’ve all been attracted to some shiny new product, bought it, then been disappointed when it didn’t perform up to our expectations. Or we’ve ordered a dessert that looked beautiful on the display and was disappointed when it didn’t taste as good as it looked.

Yes, the visual identity of your brand is a primary element in signaling the health of your organization. But for successful long-term relationships to be built with customers/donors, you must also improve the internal organization so the patrons’ experiences are consistently outstanding. Your goal should be to establish client/donor relationships that are so emotionally strong, they can’t imagine another brand taking your place in their life.

Your next step: Consider the health of your visual identity. Is it time to signal the public that you are here to thrive?

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