You’ve been running your business for a while now, and everything’s peachy keen. 

Clients are happy, sales are soaring, and your team is stronger than ever. You even have a few ideas up your sleeve for growing your business, like creating a new offer or tapping into a new audience. But these ideas don’t quite line up with your existing biz.

What’s a gal to do?

What is a sub-brand?

Simply put, a sub-brand is a brand within a brand. 

Think of a sub-brand as the snazzy clothes you wear on an important (yet fun) night out. They’re close to your main style, but they also stand on their own. It’s clear that it’s you, but it’s also different from your usual threads. 

A sub-brand is like that. It will have similar yet unique branding, and its offers fall in line with what you already do. It will speak to a specific subset of people within your audience, and open new doors there. (Kind of like how a chic day suit opens doors at those restaurants nobody can get a reservation at…)
Got your project in your mind? Swell. Now, ask yourself: How does this offer differ from my current brand? How is it connected to my current brand? This will help you identify the visuals and the promotion for the sub-brand.

What is a sister brand?

Let’s say you want to launch a new brand that doesn’t fall within the scope of what you do now. You may want to address a different need or serve a different industry altogether. (Think copywriter who wants to offer 1:1 services and create a template shop.) 

This other idea likely serves a similar audience and leverages the same brand keywords as your existing biz.
This is where a sister brand comes in. Think of this like an actual sister; you have different looks entirely, but you still look related when you stand next to each other.

So, which is it? A sub-brand or a sister brand?

Let’s recap the differences between a sub-brand and a sister brand, shall we?

Sub-Brand:

• Exists in the same industry
• Addresses the same need
• Serves the same audience, but a smaller or more specific subset
• Uses the same keywords that define your brand (for example, some of ours are “polished” and “cheeky”)

Sister brand:

• Exists in a different industry
• Addresses a different need
• Serves the same audience
• Uses the same or similar keywords that define your brand

Gentle reminder that you don’t need to create a sub-brand for every single new offer you launch! Especially if you’re a product-based biz with multiple products. A sub-brand would only make sense if you have an entire family of products (or plans for new products) that fall under and within your existing biz. 

For example, Room Essentials is a sub-brand of Target that includes budget-friendly home decor, but doesn’t include everything else that Target sells, like food, clothing, toys, electronics, and so on. See what we mean?

What if nothing — industry, need, audience, or keyword — aligns anymore? Maybe all four of those aspects have evolved since you launched your business. In this case, we’d recommend a rebrand…which is a completely different story.

Still not sure, doll?  

Head spinning from all the branding talk? Rendezvous Creative can steer you in the right direction for your brand!

As a holistic brand agency that helps you build the brand of your dreams from the ground up (rather than a patchwork, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants process), we’ll guide you through this decision and each one that comes after it. 

With our brand audit and coaching services, as well as all the other elements you need to create a gorgeous brand, we’ll determine if a sub-brand, sister brand, or even a rebrand is the right way to go.
No more getting stuck at that fork in the road, honey. We’ll lead the way to an organized, strong brand. To get started, give us a ring and we’ll chat about your branding needs!