Thinking of re-branding or have advice for others considering re-branding?

[Former_Member]

Our Meet the Vendor spotlight is on Candelles this week who recently re-branded her line of natural soy candles. (You can read the article here:
http://bit.ly/meetthevendor)

I've worked at Etsy for over 5 years now and have watched so many sellers evolve from borderline hobbyist to full fledged, professional designers. I always love change and freshness but I'm curious to know why (and how) so my question for you all is ...

Have you re-branded? If so, what motivated you to do so? (Bonus points for before and after photography shares!)

If you haven't rebranded but are considering it, what's holding you back?

We're also still accepting nominations for future Meet the Vendor posts so if there's anything you'd like to share or a seller you'd love to hear from, let us know! http://bit.ly/mtvnominate

Looking forward to reading your posts!

[KidEssence]

I re-branded in the summer of 2014. I took the Etsy Summer Seminar on branding and it was AMAZING! My favorite seminar by far! I learned so much regarding branding and streamlining a business. I finished the process in December of 2014 when I officially changed my business name from TLeeCustomDesigns to KidEssence. I wish I knew how to share photos here! It was an awesome change and well worth it! Once I finished rebranding, but business has skyrocketed! And now, even my mom can correctly tell others the name of my business!!

[ShopIdeable]

Here is my before:
bit.ly/1PRbHjr (an image on google)

Here is my after:
etsy.me/1nwZqub (from my etsy store)

I re-branded due to the great advice from EW, just prior to starting EW. I had it in the plans to do...but, starting EW gave me the push I needed to get it done sooner rather than later. I did it all myself (to save $) and am so glad I received that advice from Etsy.

[Former_Member]

Thanks for sharing!

Tricia, good call on the business name! I took a look at a few of your very first sold order pages and definitely see a difference - your shop is so much more cohesive now! Great job.

And Jennifer, so glad to hear we were able to help encourage you to take the plunge! Such a small tweak made such a huge difference - your line looked so great at AMNH early last year :)

Keep up the great work, everyone!

[SpotLightJewelry]

(Hope these links work)

SpotLight Jewelry Packaging Before Rebranding
https://www.instagram.com/p/znOjITHWgm/

SpotLight Jewelry Packaging After Rebranding
https://www.instagram.com/p/_Aw7QEHWhE/

I used to design all my own business cards, banners, packaging etc. It wasn't horrible, and considering I have no art background whatsoever, I like to think I did a pretty decent job (lol!) I also thought I was saving money. When I finally found Jamie on Etsy (FreshLavenderDesigns) I fell in love with her style and decided to finally take the plunge and hire a "professional". I think it's one of the best business decisions I ever made and I loved supporting another home grown business on Etsy.

There are so many jewelry shops on Etsy that I absolutely love, and I noticed that every jewelry shop I was enamored with had beautiful packaging with a cohesive shop design and flow and I wanted that for my business. I know it's made a huge difference in not only shop sales, but the way my business is viewed overall. It's fun to read shop reviews from customer's who comment about how much they loved the packaging.

My goal for this year is to get my own website up and running and possibly change my shop name and rebrand one more time (because I'm a crazy person) before finally settling down. I've been open for 6 years now on Etsy and it's been such a blast to continually grow right along with my business. The original rebranding was a little overwhelming (deciding on all the new designs, having to reorder all my business cards, packaging etc, figure out new dimensions, fonts, etc.) but I would do it again (and probably will one more time) in a heart beat :) It's all about the journey.

[ShopIdeable]

Looks great, Cat! Can't wait to see what look you do next! Rebranding is a lot of work (but fun in a twisted sort of way)...so, kudos to you for wanting to go through it again :)

Thanks, Michelle. Etsy has made such a difference in my family's life. Silly to say, but it's true.

[KidEssence]

Cat,
I hear you! Hiring a professional to do all my logo designs was a great decision for me too! i ended up choosing a personal friend who is a graphic designer. She did a FABULOUS job and yes, I paid her. She really took the time to consider my shop brand, my inspiration (my daughter) and my products all to incorporate it into the logo. I too can't wait to see what your next steps are!

Michelle, Thanks! You guys should really offer that seminar again or every few years. It was so valuable!

[SpotLightJewelry]

Love your tag line Tricia! :D And your new box designs look so clean Jennifer. Well done! Re-branding is a ton of work, but also a lot of fun too. It will be exciting to see the final outcome :)

[KidEssence]

Thank Cat! It IS a ton of work, but if it's necessary for the survival of your business, it's worth it.

[michemozaix]

I am smack dab in the middle of a total re-brand! I'm hoping to bring in a partner to handle the whole process as well as current and ongoing PR. I'm searching high and low for someone who has marketing experience for handmade (preferably an Etsy seller!)
My problem has been that I am NOT in my target market and it's been a real struggle to get the marketing, SEO and social media stuff right. At this point I want to just step back and 'make product' and hand the rest over to someone better qualified.
Hopefully, I'll find him/her soon and bring our REVERSIBLE Mosaic Tile Jewelry to the masses!

[KidEssence]

Michem, your products are gorgeous! Good luck with the rebranding. It really is a ton of work, but so worth it! Especially if you put a ton of effort into it. If you are on social media, I'd suggest starting to follow people that are your target market to get an idea of who they are.

One cheap way that I found help was I reached out to our local high school. Most high schools have a business program/department for kids to take business classes. I was able to easily get a business teacher's contact info and reached out to her regarding the need for an intern. I was fortunately able to get the most fabulous, passionate about business, responsible and mature 16 year old I've ever met! She handles most of my marketing as that is what she's really passionate about. Plus those kids know social media better than anyone else! It's been great! A local community college is another place to find interns to help with this stuff as well and homeschool networks in your area. A lot of high school and young college students are looking for internships anyway.

[SolProano]

I just spoke today with a photographer who will hopefully shoot my next product line! It's so exciting. I still need to find a model and a make up person, hopefully the photographer can make good connections for me.

What held me back for so long was budget, and reaching out! I didn't know where to ask for help. Last night I finally spoke with a fellow jewelry designer whose photographs I admire and she gave me the contact. Now it's rolling!

Only editing to add that I'm pretty sure a good thought photoshoot will bring my message forward and my target market closer to me!

[Former_Member]

I need a total rebranding (to be exact, I should just call it branding...) I need to have a streamlined, modern look that covers everything from the stamp I would use on my pottery, to the stickers, hangtags, and packaging, to booth signage and linesheets. Slightly ashamed that I can't come up with something myself; can't afford to hire a designer. That's it in a nutshell. *sigh*

[Former_Member]

I recently applied for the trademark of my company name, so depending on the outcome I may or may not re-brand. Regardless, I'm in the process of consolidating my skincare line so that my brand image is consistent.
It has been an interesting process!

[BlackCrystals]

I've done some re-branding over the last year, and I feel like it's something I'm continuously trying to tweak. Oddly enough though, it's probably one of my favorite parts of running my business, haha! I think it's fun to come up with new designs. Although, it can be a struggle at times to stand out from the crowd and have your own unique look.

Here's my before earring cards without my logo:
https://img0.etsystatic.com/060/0/6116581/il_570xN.689592638_56ki.jpg

Here are my new earring cards with my logo. (I finally switched to white as I was able to find a shop who uses recyclable white paper, yay!) :
https://img1.etsystatic.com/105/0/6116581/il_570xN.916465209_99u0.jpg

[UncomplicatedStyle]

I consider rebranding all the time. My shop name was thought up when my business was definitely a hobby. Once I streamlined it, and decided to treat it as a business, I was fortunate enough to have it take off. But in looking at my search term stats under "all time", my shop name both with and without spaces are in the top ten. So I changed logos and have been trying to change Lemon Lime Creations' look without changing the name. I do own the trademark for Lemon Lime Creations, so there is that to consider in renaming it as well.

[DowntownPress]

When I opened my Etsy shop, I based it on my already existing local writing studio. I added letterpress printing, so I added the words "and Press" to the name. It's too long for an Etsy shop, so I kept the same name. But, I wonder if it is misleading? Should I change the name completely? How difficult is it to rebrand and rename an existing business?

[mementocatshop]

To celebrate being accepted onto Etsy Wholesale, I recently gave my packaging a bit of a facelift...

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCEnM2iInEN/

I wanted to emphasize more of the quirky and whimsical nature of my designs... hopefully I've done that! It's a bit of a risky move on my part I think, but it feels more in line with what I feel my brand aesthetic is and who I am as an illustrator, so fingers crossed.

[Former_Member]

I am loving all these before/afters - so helpful.

I'm doing a little rebranding myself, nothing major - changed my shop banner, refining my Instagram feed, and retaking photos with a different background. I'm trying to be less Cracker Barrel (someone described my stuff that way once...it hurt) and more...something...not sure what it is yet, but I know what it ain't!

[lapisbeach]

Love all the shares so far - I am talking with a designer now for a rebranding....

Is anyone else like me? There are so many options - it paralyzes me - I need someone do narrow down my options for me - to "feel" my strange line of jewelry and figure out how best to represent it! I still dont even know what to call my bracelets - which are my best sellers ..... I call them cuffs - cause they are wide and "fit" the wrist ..... but when I see cuffs in categories -most are not even a close comparison..... sigh :)

I'd like someone to work off my instagram - where I do think I have a pretty cohesive picture of my work @lapisbeach

Anyway- love all of your shares- and I an envious of those who have a clear branding picture!

Can I "win" a branding makeover please ???? hahaha!

[heartsabustin]

I redid my packaging, added turquoise ribbon to the boxes (because I have a serious thing for turquoise) and the last time I did my Moo cards, I used just two pieces of jewelry and the background color is - you guessed it - turquoise blue. I think it's hugely exciting to see my packages going out now, all nice and neat and pretty.

I think I still have an old picture of my packaging on my About page, and I'm pretty sure I have pics of the new packaging on my Instagram feed. The old pic is when I started evolving and thinking more about how I presented my products.

I love my job. It's so cool. :D

[Anjami]

The branding of your product is so very, very important. I was lucky in that I married a graphic designer and I had taken photography courses and can do my own photos and finishing.

You might have great luck finding a student enrolled in a university near you that would like to build his portfolio by working on your logo and packaging materials! This is a wonderful solution for appeasing a budget and helping an up and coming artist. You could post your search on their student boards.

:) - Joanna

[Former_Member]

I have been so very fortunate to work with a graphic designer who happens to be a friend. My before branding was inconsistent with no clear logo and it didn't feel like a complete line of products.

I always knew that my soaps were special but they were hidden in a boring kraft paper box. He designed a custom box with unique labels for every scent.

Here's his before and after quick mockup. https://www.instagram.com/p/2EG192GmyG/?taken-by=12linestudio

The finished boxes and labels can be seen here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/4HMN_xmmzb/?taken-by=12linestudio

We are in the process of taking product photography of everything and will create booth signage and my wholesale catalog from his illustrations.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BB8iYTWNv1J/?taken-by=taylorstreetsoapco

It's exciting and a great designer probably won't be cheap but it pays off in the long run. If your brand looks professional, clients will buy from you!