Identity Secrets: Inside Two Local Rebrands

Done right, a strong brand resonates with its target audiences and draws people to a company. And, as most companies discover, over time, brands evolve. Two local marketing firms recently announced new brands.

Mind the Gap Marketing is now INNOVIA Integrated Marketing Solutions, and after 25 years in business, Denise Resnik & Associates has re-branded as DRA Communications.

“My name is still involved, but the firm is about so much more than me,” says DRA Communications president Denise Resnik (left). “It was a team effort in terms of determining our value to our clients and how we would brand around the services we offer.”

Previously, she says, her firm was known for its public relations work; while PR is still a significant component of the business, DRA Communications works in all areas of marketing.

For Andrea Norman, president of INNOVIA, the re-branding effort was originally focused on the trade dress — the look and feel of her brand. But in February, she learned that another company had trademarked Mind the Gap two months prior, leading her to change her company name.

“It was heartbreaking,” says Norman (right). “It’s like renaming your three-year-old.”

But when she moved forward, she discovered an opportunity.

“The good news was that I was able to really think about what kinds of clients we want and what kind of value proposition we have in the market,” Norman says.

By making the new brand “more cosmopolitan, more corporate and more polished,” she explains, INNOVIA speaks to the kinds of business-to-business clients Norman targets in the construction, government, professional services and sustainability/technology industries.

DRA Communications Senior Vice President Michelle McGinty says the firm created its own new brand in the same way they work with their clients.

“We developed messaging first,” she says, “then asked, ‘how does our brand reflect those messages?’”

For any business considering a re-brand, Norman recommends surveying your clients and other stakeholders before and during the process.

“It’s not just about what you like,” she says. “It’s about who you are, what your value proposition is, who your potential client is and what they value, and what kind of communication is going to appeal to them and compel them to action.”

Then, decide if you’re changing your name or just the look and feel, she says. Plus, after her experience, she encourages any business that wants to go national to check the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) online to see if your name is already trademarked.

Resnik recommends using the re-brand as a team-building opportunity.

“When you birth a company and have been operating it for 25 years, it’s fun to see the excitement from others and hear how they perceive and value the company,” Resnik says. “It’s refreshing, and it’s exciting.”

She also advises being realistic about what a rebrand can accomplish and about your budget. Keep a folder of all the materials that need updating in the rebrand process, she adds.

With all of the elements that require updating, Norman says a rebrand is an expensive endeavor that includes the logo, website, legal fees, collateral, business cards and more. She estimates rebranding efforts can cost from $5,000 up to $20,000 depending on the business.

On the upside, Resnik says she found her firm’s rebrand to be more economical than when she redesigned her logo 10 years ago as a result of technology. Plus, she says, there are ways to phase in a rebrand, if necessary.

“It’s great to rebrand all at once,” she says. “But for small companies, it doesn’t always work that way.”

In the end, it’s an investment, Norman notes.

“You’re getting better penetration in the market,” she says. “It generates more interest in the marketplace and shows the marketplace that you’re stepping up to a different place.”

This story, written by Stephanie Conner, is part of the Chamber's new monthly Business Driver email. To receive any or all of our email newsletters, click here.