When I had the idea to write about “brand rejuvenation” for businesses in the workspace services industry, I thought myself unique for using this term to describe freshening up the overall image and marketing. But, alas, the term “brand rejuvenation” is a pretty popular one as Google turned up a digital ton of articles and posts with that term in the title. Be that as it may, I want to share some thoughts on the subject as it pertains to serviced office centers. Over the course of my career, I’ve helped many of these companies revive their brands in order to attract more business and stimulate their growth. I’ll share two of the times when a brand rejuvenation should be considered.
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- When Your Edge has Dulled…
For success in the workspace industry, your brand identity must radiate descriptors like “innovative,” “advanced” and “cutting-edge”. Our customers are drawn to our unique solutions often because they offer technologies that improve their overall efficiency and working flexibility. We must take every opportunity to drive home the message that we are up to date with the latest in services to that end. So it’s important to evaluate on an annual basis if your serviced office center’s edge has dulled compared to the technologies that are currently available in the industry. That’s not to say that you have to adopt every new thing that comes on the market for your business, but you do need to keep an eye out for industry innovations that are easily integrated and of value at your serviced office center.
One of the main things to do right away to make sure your brand communicates “cutting-edge” is update the format, content, and layout of your website if it has been longer than 5 years since you’ve done so. More and more, businesses are first found online. And if your website is not up-to-date in both style and content, then you stand to lose a lot of prospects before you even know they’re interested. Web development can be a hefty expense, so be sure to fully shop the options available to you for refreshing what you already have rather than a complete re-design. Small changes can make a world of difference.
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- When You’re Expanding…
As a consultant to business owners in the workspace services industry, I’ve guided many centers through expansions and site additions. A key question to consider during this time is, “Is my brand as attractive to new prospects as it is to current customers?” This question is particularly important during expansion because the decision to add more space is usually motivated by having reached capacity with the current set up. If you reached capacity some time ago and are just now expanding, you need to make sure that your brand will attract customers of today. It could be the case that factors that lead to your reaching capacity initially are no longer motivating current members of your target audience.
The answer to this question lies in the feedback you get when you’re consulting prospects during the sales process. Pay close attention to the values your prospects communicate. Does your serviced office center and the planned expansion appeal to those values? When we survey target audience members we’ve found that chief among their values today is the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded professionals. Does your center offer a co-working space and foster a collaborative environment? If so, make sure you communicate that in your marketing and brand identity, especially if you’re focusing on such spaces in your expansion.
Please share your thoughts on brand rejuvenation. I look forward to reading your comments on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. If you own a serviced office center and would like to talk more about how to rejuvenate your brand, please contact us.
