How Long Does It Take to Rebrand?

The Path to Rebranding Looks Different Every Time   

Rebranding is an exciting proposition for any company or product. Reentering the market with a new narrative and look can dramatically impact the positive trajectory of your organization. Once you make the decision to rebrand, you may feel a sense of urgency to see it through. While every rebrand process is different, this article will give you a general sense of timing to help you navigate the process and the variables that influence timing.

Foundational brand elements can be developed in three to eighteen months. Yes, this is a broad range, but it provides important guidance at the extremes. If the process is completed faster, it’s probably hasty and uninformed. Any longer, you probably have too many voices contributing to it. 

Read on for more information on rebrand timing and how to avoid costly delays. This article includes the following topics:

• The Scope of Work: A complete brand strategy that changes your brand structure will require much more time than a simple logo update. With the context of your organization’s history and vision, a qualified brand agency can help you determine what steps are needed to achieve your goals.
• Client & Agency Availability: Once you decide to rebrand, it’s time to commit. If a rebrand process is deprioritized, it can lose momentum, which can be costly and detrimental to the outcome.
• Company Size & Footprint: If you work for a high-profile or global organization, there’s more risk involved; you’ll want a more in-depth discovery phase and potentially focus groups to inform your decisions. You’ll also have more layers of approvals, which can create complexity throughout the process.
  

Timing for a Brand Strategy & Visual Identity

The engagement scope is the most significant factor in determining the timeline. Branding processes vary from agency to agency, and approving the path to rebrand is the first important decision you’ll make. At Muse, we must first know what you want your rebrand to accomplish; then, we’ll define the appropriate roadmap to achieve it.

Regardless of scope of a rebrand, you can always count on a discovery process that ranges from two weeks to two months, depending on the depth and breadth of the research. A complete discovery commonly includes qualitative interviews with key stakeholders, quantitative surveys with staff, and customer and competitive research. 

After discovery is complete, you should expect the following timeline for key deliverables: 

• Brand architecture (parent/sub-brand strategy): 1-2 months
• Brand positioning & narrative: 2-3 months
• Visual identity: 2-3 months

Not every rebrand requires all stages. Each stage may be completed independently, or they may overlap to maintain momentum and efficiency if conducted together. 

Remember, this process will result in foundational brand elements, likely in strategy decks, messaging toolkits, and logo files. This does not include the launch and activation of the core brand materials (such as a website), which can take an additional six to twelve months. 

From developing brand elements through brand launch, you can count on six months to two years.

Client and Agency Availability 

While an agency will do the bulk of the work and put in the hours to bring the rebrand to life, the client (YOU!) still plays a vital role. Ask yourself these questions to manage your expectations about the time commitment required for this undertaking:

• Do you have a centralized resource to "own" the engagement? That point person can establish a small committee to support decision-making. Too many hands in the cookie jar slow the process. Be intentional about when you bring contributors and decision-makers to the table.
• Is your centralized resource prepared to commit time to the project? The agency point of contact is often the person who supports project implementation, schedules benchmark presentations, and represents your team's feedback. The time commitment for this role will vary based on the size of your team, but it typically requires more effort at the beginning of the process and 2-5 dedicated hours per week for the project's duration.
• Who are the stakeholders, and how do they contribute? Rebranding often requires input and approvals from employees and stakeholders at many levels. Please ensure everyone at all levels understands the objective and has a voice in what’s important to them. Your CEO might not be interested in the font selection, but they will probably have something to say about the overall mission statement or logo design. 

When considering timing, your agency team’s capacity is also critical. From an agency perspective, helping a company rebrand requires deep focus and shouldn't just “fit in” between other marketing projects. Rebranding requires immersive thought and strategic decision-making. A dedicated team specializing in branding is required to give your rebrand initiative the focus it demands.  

An agency’s timeline might depend on how many agency people touch your project. A large team isn’t always better since their time can be scattered and will add time to the project. A one-person team often doesn’t provide the varied points of view required to assess strategic and creative work. You’ll want a small, specialist team that can quickly engage in the business of getting to know your business.