Rebranding for success

The founders of Aesthetics Lab give their insights on how to refresh your brand identity

Branding is essential for any business; it is a way of establishing its unique identity. It becomes even more important in crowded and competitive markets such as aesthetics. It is what sets you and your business apart from the competitors, create emotional connections with your audience, and builds long-term loyalty.

THE KEY COMPONENTS OF BRANDING INCLUDE:

1. Brand identity: The visual and verbal elements that represent the brand, such as the logo, colour scheme, typography, and tone of voice. These elements create a consistent image that consumers can recognise.

2. Brand positioning: The strategic placement of a brand in the market to occupy a distinct place in the minds of the target audience. This involves defining what makes the brand unique and why consumers should choose it over competitors.

3. Brand ethos: The commitment a brand makes to its patients, outlining the value they can expect from its products or services. This promise forms the foundation of consumer trust and loyalty.

4. Brand experience: The sum of all interactions a consumer has with a brand, from initial awareness to purchase and beyond. A positive brand experience reinforces the brand’s identity and builds a strong relationship with consumers.

5. Brand equity: The value a brand adds to a product or service, based on consumer perceptions and experiences. Strong branding can lead to higher brand equity, resulting in patient loyalty, price premiums, and a competitive advantage.

It is not uncommon for a brand to outgrow its branding at least once in its lifetime. While constant changes to the brand may have a negative effect on your patient’s loyalty and trust, a well-timed and needed brand uplift can lead to more clients and better positioning within the industry.

When we founded Aesthetics Lab in 2015, we chose crisp grey and white colour pallet, our logo reflected the sentiment behind the words aesthetics and lab, our ethos – bridging the gap between the pampering of a spa and efficacy of a clinic. After being in the industry for four years, we concluded that our clinic and its offering outgrew its original branding. The branding no longer reflected what we were and how patients perceived us, moreover it prevented us from attracting more patients and expanding our business. With ever changing trends and constant influx of newcomers in the aesthetic industry, we knew we had to update our branding to reflect our position as one of the top and well trusted clinics on the market. Furthermore, we were ready to expand due to high demands from patients from west and south London, and to appeal to those areas, we knew our brand had to have a “facelift”. We also wanted to make our brand resonate to international markets as that kind of expansion was something we knew our brand would be capable of.

The main purpose of rebranding is to refresh, reposition, or revitalise a brand to better align with changing market conditions, consumer preferences, business goals, or competitive pressures. Rebranding can be essential to ensure that a brand remains relevant, competitive, and appealing to its target audience.

There may be many reasons for rebranding, from simply being more relevant in the market due to changing trends and consumer preferences, to targeting a new audience and differentiating yourself from your competitors to addressing a negative image or reflecting changes in company’s strategy and values and of course expansion to international markets.

Ultimately, the goal of rebranding is to create a more effective, relevant, and appealing brand identity that drives business growth and enhances patient loyalty.

Successful rebranding requires careful planning, clear objectives, and strategic execution.

HERE ARE SOME OF OUR KEY TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL REBRANDING:

1. Understand the reason for rebranding

-Identify the “why”: Clearly define the reasons behind the rebranding effort. Whether it’s due to market changes, targeting a new audience, or addressing a brand crisis, understanding the purpose will guide the entire process.

-Assess the current brand: Analyse your current brand’s strengths, weaknesses, and market position. This helps identify what to retain and what needs to change.

2. Research and understand your audience

-Conduct market research: Gather insights into your target audience’s preferences, behaviours, and needs. Understanding your patients’ expectations will help shape the new brand identity.

3. Define your brand strategy

-Clarify your brand vision and mission: Ensure that your new brand identity aligns with your company’s long-term vision and mission.

-Develop a unique value proposition: Clearly articulate what makes your brand different from competitors and why patients should choose you.

4. Engage internal teams: Involve employees and key stakeholders early in the process to ensure alignment and buy-in. Their support is crucial for a smooth transition.

5. Maintain consistency across all touchpoints

-Unified visual identity: Ensure that your new logo, colours, typography, and other visual elements are consistently applied across all platforms, from packaging to digital media.

-Consistent messaging: Your brand voice, tone, and messaging should be consistent across all channels, reinforcing the new brand identity.

6. Plan a strategic rollout

-Phased implementation: Consider a phased approach to rebranding, allowing you to manage the transition smoothly and address any issues that arise.

-Launch campaign: Plan a marketing campaign to introduce the new brand to the public. This could include advertising, social media, public relations, and special events to generate buzz and excitement.

7. Monitor and measure success

-Set clear metrics: Define what success looks like and establish KPIs to measure the effectiveness of the rebranding.

-Gather feedback: Monitor patient reactions to the new brand, and be prepared to make adjustments based on feedback.

8. Stay true to your core values

-Retain brand equity: While rebranding, ensure that you don’t lose the essence of what made your brand successful in the first place. Keep elements that resonate with your loyal patients.

-Avoid alienating existing patients: Carefully manage the transition to avoid alienating your current patient base, especially if they have a strong attachment to the old brand.

9. Prepare for challenges

-Anticipate resistance: Expect some resistance to change, both internally and externally. Have strategies in place to address concerns and objections.

-Flexibility and adaptation: Be ready to adapt the rebranding strategy if unforeseen challenges arise. Flexibility is key to overcoming obstacles.

These are our top tips of how companies can effectively manage the complex process of rebranding and achieve a successful transformation that resonates with their target audience and drives business growth. We base this on our own rebranding efforts, which overall were successful in reinforcing our position as a leading provider in the aesthetics industry, helping to attract new clients while retaining the loyalty of existing ones. This strategic rebranding has not only modernised our brand but also ensured its continued relevance and growth in a competitive market.

AESTHETICS LAB FOUNDERS

Tania Zahoor Rashid, with a background in Economics and Accountancy, co-founded Aesthetics Lab in 2015 after a decade in diverse industries and personal skin challenges. Her global experience drives her passion for skin health, making her a prominent industry voice. Marsha Starcevic, after 13 years in corporate roles, co-founded Aesthetics Lab, merging hospitality with effective cosmetic treatments. She also coaches executives and consults for businesses. Kristina Hutchins, with experience in law, management, and beauty, focuses on enhancing client confidence and well-being through aesthetics, ensuring Aesthetics Lab’s continued excellence in patient care and service.