08 Jul Rebrand review: Aston Villa rebrand
Rebrand review: Aston Villa rebrand. This is a story about knowing when it’s time to change. Aston Villa have decided it’s time to make a change to their badge – after 12 months.
Last season Aston Villa introduced a new badge. Changing the badge of a football club is an emotive event. It will inevitably divide opinion.
So why would they do it again, just 12 months later?
The reason seems to be that Aston Villa is a club – an organisation – that’s changing. They’re ambitious. And they want a brand that reflects that.
Chris Heck, President of Business Operations, has said: “It wasn’t just about the crest, it was about the business practices and the expectations, and the attitude and the belief of what we could be”.
A rebrand is a chance to change what people think, believe or understand about your organisation, whether you’re a business or a football club. It seems to be a good time for Aston Villa to do this, following a good season in the Premier League.
So I think the Aston Villa rebrand offers a few valuable lesson for any SME.
Lesson 1:
Involve your customers – Engaging customers (fans) in the rebranding process is really important. The brand doesn’t belong to you. It’s something you share with customers. You want them to feel part of the journey – to feel they have some influence on the destination. (But it’s also important to recognise that you can’t please everybody!)
Lesson 2:
Support your business strategy – A rebrand is an opportunity to support your broader business strategy. Aston Villa want to break into a new – global – market. The rebrand will support that move (but it’s about more than a new badge).
Lesson 3:
Timing – For a football club, it makes sense to introduce a new brand at the start of a new season. You want the new badge on the new shirts. Not every sector is as seasonal as football. But it’s useful to plan a rebrand around other key events that may be happening within your business, to minimise disruption, and maximise opportunities.
If you would like to have a chat about how to rebrand your business, do let me know.
We’ve been doing this for (almost) 20 years, so we’re always happy to share some of that experience. We make time in our schedule every week for these conversations, so drop us a message and we can arrange something.
OUR SERVICES: HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
Your brand strategy is a plan for how to change what people think, believe or understand about your organisation. We’ll work with you to create a brand strategy and bring a clear focus to your business. This will allow you to communicate more efficiently and effectively.
Your brand identity will help you to raise your profile and stand out from your rivals in a competitive environment. We’ll work with you to design a strong brand identity that is distinctive and memorable, so you can make an impact, in print, in person and on screen.
Consistent brand management will drive your business success more efficiently and effectively. We’ll work with you to deliver your brand management strategy. With this in place you can build an on-going, long-term relationship with your customers.