A brand is more than skin deep

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A rebrand can fundamentally change the way a company is perceived, and that can translate into greater trust and more sales.

By Charlie Haywood, creative director at Hotfoot Design.

But rebrands are considered by some to be an unneccessary investment - and sometimes the doubters have a very good point.

The fact is a rebrand will do little to improve a company's fortunes, unless it is more than skin deep.

A superficial layer of sparkle will do nothing to solve underlying problems, as the failing internet giants Yahoo, AOL and Myspace all found out post-rebrand.

The purpose of a rebrand is to communicate and amplify the values that make your company different and special.

Part of the process of rebranding is to uncover and refine those things so your unique customer value proposition is clearly understood by everyone within your company, and by your target customers.

In other words, it is to make apparent what is already there, and then build on it.

If your USP is delivering unbelievably great custom solutions, then your brand should communicate that. If you have a tremendous heritage, yet you're dynamic and agile too, this needs to shine through. Premium yet still friendly and approachable? Let's make that clear. An effective brand helps your customers understand who you are today, and where you are going tomorrow.