Prepare for Launch
Big congratulations. You have a shiny new brand to unveil to the world. Everyone is eager to get it rolled out—but how exactly do you approach the runway? How do you even begin the enormous endeavor of updating all of your brand assets in the universe?
These may be the questions on your mind, among many more. When you’re a small startup, the list may be manageable. But when you’re a medium or large-sized company with 1,500-15,000 assets to update internally and externally, how do you stay organized and efficient in the process while retaining your sanity?
If you’re looking for guidance and a plan to kickstart the initiative, you’re in the right place. We’ll cover the framework of approaching a brand launch rollout, so you’re dialed in. Since Rebel recently went through a rebrand in 2021, we will share a few lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid. Finally, you may find it helpful to download our handy brand rollout template so you can build, plan, and execute like a pro.
But first, let’s briefly run through the basics.
Brand Launch Framework
What is a brand rollout?
Mission—update all brand assets. A brand rollout is the final stage in the branding process, where all of your assets and every touchpoint that does or will exist are updated with the new branding. In short, it’s when you roll out your new brand to unveil it to the world. It can be a massive undertaking and a lengthy process depending on the size of the company.
When do you do a brand rollout?
Phase 04—Implementation. Generally speaking, there are four phases in the branding process. For reference, check out the Rebranding Roadmap to track along. The brand rollout is the fourth and final stage of the process following the brand development phase. Whether it’s a net new brand to the market or a rebrand, the implementation phase at the end is generally the same.
How do you do a brand rollout?
Carefully, methodically, and strategically. What makes a brand rollout successful is having a solid plan of attack and a well-resourced team. A key element to the brand rollout process is a tactical plan that dictates what brand assets will get updated and when those will take place—given the time and resource constraints.
We have a handy template you can dive into to fast-track your prep time.
How to approach a brand rollout is twofold.
Consider what needs to be updated and where.
Consider when these items need to be updated and if there are any hard and fast timelines that will dictate priority.
From there, you should have a good idea of the scope of work that will need to be tackled, providing a clearer picture of the resources needed to set up a winning project team.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s drill into the framework that will set you up for success.
Framework
Get ready.
Gather all of the information. Take inventory of any and all assets that need to be updated. This may require cross-departmental cooperation. Be as thorough as possible. Keep in mind, you don’t know what you don’t know. Put out feelers to anticipate if there are any forgotten or future provisions coming down the line. To gather the information, you can create a form to distribute internally within the organization that feeds the data into a spreadsheet. The form we used had the following fields: Asset, Department, Internal or External Facing, Priority Level, and Submitter Information.
- Pro Tip Start this process early—even while the brand development (phase 03) is still underway. That way, you have a list of all the assets gathered and ready for launch.
Lessons learned. A quick follow-up call to confirm the information, requirements, assets, expectations, etc., with the submitter before you put it into the queue can save a lot of time and chaos later in production. A 15-minute call could suffice, or you could gang up multiple requests into one meeting with the submitter and knock them out. You and the submitter(s) will be surprised to learn what you didn’t know through this process (you can thank us later). This level sets the expectations and informs what work needs to be done. For example, if you receive a request to update the new employee orientation booklet, the submitter may also be expecting a copy update. Knowing up front what all is required and what the actual scope is can help you properly prepare the team so you’re not thrown a ton of wrenches during the process.
Set.
Prep for take off. Generally speaking, this is where you’re collating all the information that the production team needs to know to succeed. Next, you’ll set up the plan of execution and how you’ll work together.
Project team
Requirements, specs, and constraints
Resources allocation (talent) and time estimation
Logistics
Brand resources (brand guide, logos, templates, photos, etc.)
- Pro Tip When it comes to prioritization of the long list of assets, the best approach is to segment them into tiers. Here’s where the spreadsheet template comes in handy. Set the priorities in order of 0-3 with time constraints in each bucket. (i.e., Level 0 is ASAP, Level 1 items need to be completed in 0-3 months, Level 2 in 3-6 months, etc.) You generally want to prioritize external, public-facing assets over internal assets. Things like the website, socials, email signatures, etc., get updates first. Lower visibility items such as the employee handbook, swag, and process guides can come later down the line.
Lessons learned. A common misconception is that you’re only swapping out the old logo in place of the new logo. In most cases, that is not the full picture. Therefore, don’t only allocate design time; you may be short-sighted. For example, a copywriter may need to rework the copy or rethink the entire approach—especially if any new brand voice work was done. Another example could be that a sales piece may require a new product photo shoot in addition to updating the graphics. Be crystal clear on what work needs to be done upfront so everyone is happy with the updated asset.
- Pro Tip When it comes to workflow strategy, we broke it up into weekly sprints and utilized a Kanban-style workflow to move through the production process from start to finish. The columns we used were Copy, Copy Approval, Design, Design Approval, Q/A, Finalize, Communicate, and Done. If you choose this method, your columns may differ from ours, and they may evolve as you go through the process. Ours certainly did.
Go.
All systems “go.” Hit the ground running, starting with the first tier, then move on to tackle the rest in sequential order to the end. It really is a race to the finish line with all hands on deck in the beginning—this is something to prepare yourself and the team for. Though it’s rewarding to breathe new life into the organization with a shiny new brand, this is not an overnight process. Timelines vary from 6 months to a year or more. The process can be long, with many people waiting on the finished assets since yesterday. You’ll be faced with long hours and high demands. Keep the stakeholders informed of progress, and don’t forget to celebrate mini milestones along the way. Keep the team energized. This process can be long and tedious, so make sure to express your appreciation often and don’t lose sight of the importance and passion behind the work.
Lessons learned. New needs will come up after you’ve started the process. For example, an executive may suddenly decide to front-load a few forgotten assets or want to squeeze in a surprise brand launch campaign that wasn’t previously on the radar. Project Managers / Project Leads should build extra time in the timeline for these contingencies so it doesn’t completely derail production.
- Pro Tip We recommend weekly team syncs or stand-ups. You may even want to go for 2x a week, depending on the needs and communication preferences. These syncs keep everyone accountable, moving steadily, and able to problem solve quickly on the spot versus a drawn-out back-and-forth chain of messages. Happy branding.
Approaching a brand launch and needing a rollout plan? Download our brand rollout spreadsheet template as a cheat sheet to get organized.
