Rebranding: When to Change Your Business Name

Rebranding is a tricky topic, especially when it comes to changing your business name.  We’ve been working with a local business for a number of years, and last year they not only relocated but also changed business names. So how do you deal with this from a marketing perspective?

Don’t ditch the old name completely

You’ll find that your loyal customers need to adjust to your new location and name. It is therefore an idea to keep the contact details and references on the website and Google Local entry for a while. You can either put the old name in brackets beside it or “formerly old name”.

Integrate new and old business logos

Find a way of integrating both logos for a transition period. For example you could use the new logo as the profile picture on your social media but have both showing on the header picture. Customers will soon get used to the idea of associating the old and new logo with your new business name.

How long to transition from old to new business name?

change business nameIt is very difficult to decide how long you should leave it before excluding references to the old name entirely. It really depends on the reasons why you had to change your name in the first place. If it was a copyright issue or business breakup then it is probably best to stop references within a couple of weeks/months. However if you are keeping the name due to customer loyalty then you can leave the references up for longer.

Other Tips
• If in effect two companies are merging, you will need to pick which Google Business profile or social media profile to use and make sure you either merge or delete the other account
• Don’t ignore online directories like Yell and Thomson Local – you will either need to update the entries or request they are removed
• Take advantage of the rebrand to revamp your website with a fresh look

For more tips including website URLs, social media accounts and Companies House advice, you might wish to read our article on Rebranding your Small Business – what to consider.

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