Take it from me, someone who has rebranded Hound Dog Creatives several times. In business, you learn the dynamics of your own industry. In this ever-changing business world, it’s important to stay fresh, vibrant, eye-catching, recognisable, and above all relevant.

Tell your story

Your branding should not only reflect who you are and what you do, but it is something to have fun with. Your brand should deliver your business message while letting your personality shine through.

A rebrand can be a very interesting journey, so much so that I have written an article as I wanted to share my own experience.

The story so far…

After a solid foundation having studied art and graphic design, I knew the career path I was destined to take was in design and print. I cut my teeth at Christie’s, going on to work with such mega brands as Shell and even Porsche as a graphic designer and printer.

In 2004, exhausted and extremely disillusioned, I had left corporate life behind me. Don’t get me wrong, I’d had an amazing career working for such incredible clients. I had a wealth of knowledge and experience which I wanted to impart to businesses who ordinarily wouldn’t be able to afford the prices of big London design agencies. This excited me. It floated my boat.

I was flying solo, with a fine pedigree (excuse the pun) and getting recognised for it.
 

The problem…

Some sixteen years on from developing my own business I found myself, like most business owners, in the most unusual situation. We were in the middle of a global pandemic; the first national lockdown had been declared and I actually found myself with time to really look at my business. I had already rebranded three times over the years, but the rebranding question had raised its head again. My brand was lacking something. I had decided that I wanted a more warm, welcoming and visually engaging look. More fun than before.

My brand values are creativity, innovation, integrity, quality, passion and experience and once again this needed to reflect in the branding.
 

The solution and the art of rebranding…

I love injecting the fun of what I do into every aspect of my business. Our dog, Buster, a beautifully handsome Rhodesian Ridgeback, was an initial inspiration for the logo. The design went through many variations until I found the right look. The whole process is an evolutionary one. Start with your base idea and through various incarnations, it will evolve naturally. Albeit through many redesigns

Considering endless variations of colour palettes, I knew that I wanted something bold, rich, elegant, and above all, fun. Most importantly it would have to be engaging from the first sight.

The right message

The orange and brown tones spoke to me. They were professional looking without being too corporate. These colours even feature in high fashion and work really well. It suited my brand as soon as I saw them together. When advising a client while developing their brand they will be able to get a feel of my high standards from the branding I have created for myself.

Having chosen the colour palette, I was more than happy with I was now ready for the hard part. The re-write and redesign of the website itself. It is relatively easy for me to write for you and your brand because I have the benefit of being outside of your business and looking in. I will see you as your potential clients will. However, when it’s my turn I am so close to my own business I can tend to lose perspective. I see why a business comes to us to do the job for them. I had to look at my website with new eyes. The content has to be to the point. Not too brief, yet not overloaded with too much information. Finding that perfect balance is an art form and one I pride myself on.

How I work

I like to imagine the client journey when they visit my website. As I say to clients, it has to flow, keeping their journey in mind so that when they have the right amount of information they will get in touch. Luckily, I am proud to say that I learn from the help and guidance I give to my clients. My passion is in developing their brand with them.

To complete the process, I implemented a Branding with Archetypes exercise. Effectively this is giving your brand its own DNA or human traits. My branding archetypes are artist, nurturer, humanitarian, hero, maverick, sage, alchemist, jester, romantic, ruler, explorer, innocent. My brand has strong beliefs with a creative and caring dominance.

So, take it from someone who has gone through this several times and knowing the perfect practices, as well as the pitfalls, it is not an easy process, however, it is one I am rather an expert at. As I have said previously, the rebranding process is an evolution. It will take as long as it needs while still within the required time frame and budget.

How about you?

Hopefully, this has given you an insight into my work. Reassuring you that you are in the safest of hands when you choose me and my team for your rebranding.

I would also like to extend an invitation to you for a free external brand audit which will give you a clear understanding of how well your brand is reflecting you and your business at the moment. This will involve a review of your:
- logo
- visual assets
- branding messaging

If you have any questions or would like to take up the offer of a free external brand audit, then please get in touch.

**Image credits Hound Dog Creatives**