Planning on branding (or rebranding) your business? Buckle up, buttercup.

Before you ever begin choosing colors, designing logos, or building a website… you have to get into the weeds a bit. We’re talking about finding the real juicy, gooey center of your brand. What it does, who it’s for, and why it even exists.

Most business owners and brands skip this part. They don’t take the proper time to define their mission, vision, and values. They don’t take a step (or ten) back and look at their offers without the rose-colored glasses. They also don’t take into account how all the pieces move together.

Not to say you have egg on your face — the branding process isn’t something most people know intimately. You’re busy, after all, and you’re an expert in your own right. 

But we’re experts in this and we want to let you know that the branding process is more than you’ve been told. With all the moving parts that make up a brand, it’s very easy for a branding project to go off-the-rails (or take so long that your original idea is no longer relevant).

We’ve talked with dozens of business owners who’ve waited years to see the final iterations of their brand come to life — only to realize that the original vision is no longer relevant, or so watered down it’s hardly recognizable. 

Traditional branding processes (and outsourcing) aren’t working for your fast-paced, adaptable business.

That’s why your brand never feels quite right. But what can you do about it? 

Stop settling with the branding process

How do you feel when you buy clothes for yourself? For most people, we bet trying on a top or two — or Lord help us, jeans — is enough to make you fly off the handle. Nothing ever feels just right.

A flirty black dress makes you feel like a star…but is a little too tight in the bust. Leggings that are velvety soft and cozy but a bit too short for your liking. Something is always too fitted, too roomy, too long, too off-color, or just plain too strange. Even if other people don’t notice what’s wrong, you still do.

(If you’re in the minority here and can find clothing with no problems, just know that we’re positively green with envy.)

Sometimes we buy these clothes and deal with the flaws, don’t we? We think that “good enough” is, well, good enough. Now we’re not trying to be nitpicky; rather, we don’t want you to settle for something that doesn’t feel right for you. 

Because we know so many business owners who do this with their branding. They settle because it’s finally done, but feel like they’re one or two steps away from feeling like their “new clothes” really fit.

The branding process is a doozy

Imagine that you want to freshen up your branding. Your business has evolved in both function and feel since you first launched it.

So you hire a brand designer. They do lovely work, updating your logos and colors and fonts. But then you notice that your website looks odd when you incorporate your new brand elements. Your whole website could use a fresh look, too.

So you hire a web designer. And while you’re at it, you bring on a copywriter to capture your updated brand voice and personality. As all your teams and contractors chip away at their individual projects, you reevaluate your offers and realize that they don’t match up with your new-ish audience.

The process goes on…and on…and on.

Before you know it, you’re managing all of these separate processes while also juggling your day-to-day workload for your biz. Everything is taking much longer than you expected. By the time your branding is complete, some elements have changed again. Or your vision for your branding has become so watered down that it’s barely recognizable.

Sourcing different contractors is like playing a game of telephone with your brand.

This is what we don’t want for you or any business owner, to be quite honest. Thank your lucky stars, because there is a better way to do branding.

What makes the Rendezvous Roadmap different

Branding or rebranding doesn’t have to be overwhelming or chaotic. You don’t have to settle for “good enough.” You can nail it the first time with a branding agency that knows their stuff.

With our signature service called the Rendezvous Roadmap, we follow four steps that encompass everything you need to build the brand of your dreams. 

1. First, we get to the heart of your brand. What’s your mission, vision, and values? What makes your business tick? 
2. Next, we offer coaching that outlines where your biz is now, what you’re struggling with, and where you’d like it to be in the future.
3. Then, we ensure that everything is on point and perfectly aligned — offers, website, design, copy, content, and more.
4. Finally, we tip our hats and leave you with a plan for using your new brand assets.

Those four steps tackle the four components you need for a strong and stunning brand. (We adore the number four, darling.)

• Visual: More than just pretty colors and logos, this is everything your audience visually interacts with when they see your brand.
• Tonal: From copy to SEO to content strategy, this element helps you make a whizzbang first impression and build trust from the start.
• Interpersonal: This component is all about the customer experience…and it’s a non-negotiable ingredient in your branding dish.
• Intellectual: The intellectual element wraps a bow around the other three, creating a seamless, authentic online presence.

Four steps. Four elements. One gorgeous brand. And without the fuss and headache that the traditional branding process involves.
If our way of doing things with the Rendezvous Roadmap sounds like your cup of tea, then let’s talk! Schedule a call with the Rendezvous Creative team so we can gab about your branding needs… and start making them happen.