The renewables business is ever-changing with new competitors entering the scene, and the need to establish a positive reputation as both innovative and stable in a fast-growing category. 

At Gatesman, we work with a wide range of renewables clients at various levels of business and marketing maturity, but we find that the questions they ask are the same: 

• Is it clear what my brand stands for and the relevant value it brings to my audiences? 
• If I update my brand, what level of investment and/or change is needed?
• How do I ensure any changes we make are implemented smoothly and can have the maximum impact?

To help organizations reach greater levels of dynamism and success with their branding efforts, we coach them to think about their how they deliver against these key areas:

1. Sound like a leader - Messaging must be true to an organization’s core mission and values, and relevant to its audiences. Brands can often benefit from foundational messaging audits to establish or refresh core messaging such as VMV or brand narrative, and to build flexible messaging architecture so that key messages remain consistent over time, but proof points update to match audience interests.
2. Look like a leader - Many companies reach new milestones such as growth thresholds or going public, and desire a more modern look to match their business achievements. This can range from a complete visual overhaul, to the adoption of new graphical templates that complement existing logos, but bring a fresh look to elevate the organization’s perceived sophistication.‍
3. Act like a leader – Today’s organizations are under more scrutiny than ever between ESG requirements and savvy customer expectations. Companies must be able to demonstrate that they are taking action against stated goals in the business or philanthropic area. Having activity assessed by a third party can help identify blind spots and generate ideas for efforts that may further prove action to match commitment and enable the brand to better tell its story.

How do I know whether it’s time to Renew My Brand?

If you answer yes to two or more of the questions below, you should seriously consider exploring your rebranding options. 

1. When was the last time you updated your brand? If it was 5 years or more, count this question as a “yes.”
2. Has your business experienced greater than usual growth (acquisition, entering new markets, adding new products, etc.)?
3. Have you recently gone public?
4. Are you concerned about your reputation against competitors (new competitor joining the market, competitor making changes that appear to leave you behind)?
5. Has your Board or other key stakeholder mentioned any concerns about your branding?
6. Have outside stakeholders (news media; social media communities) been talking about you differently than you would have expected or wanted? 
7. Are you losing historically loyal customers or struggling to connect with new ones? 
8. Have your marketing “open” or “click-through” rates been declining despite historically being fairly consistent?

Change sounds scary.  How hard is this, really?

Renewing your brand can take a light touch or a heavy hand, but either way, the benefits can be great:

• Greater clarity of purpose
• Greater consistency of messaging
• Greater engagement with employers
• Greater interest from investors
• Greater confidence from customers

Still not sure?

Feel free to reach out to me at senglish@gateesmanagency.com. We can schedule an introductory meeting and initial consultation. No strings attached.

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