There are many reasons that businesses decide to rebrand – and keeping their image fresh is just one of them. Rebranding typically points towards a change in marketing or audience, or perhaps even how the business sees themselves. Whatever the reason, from a bad reputation that a business wants to get away from, to creating some distance from a similar brand, businesses should know how to rebrand safely and securely.
For a business, keeping a fresh image is extremely important. Sometimes, businesses find that their style of branding has become outdated, and they look towards upgrading. With a rebrand comes all manner of possible issues, including data insecurity. As a business who went through their own rebrand not so long ago, we can vouch for just how many issues it brings up. Any business considering a rebrand should also consider the data risks that come with moving around their business and what parts of their brand they need to secure before they start remodelling.
Online Data
Any data that your business has online is significantly harder to secure than any that you have offline. For online data, you may want to hire an expert. Your team will need to go through every piece of your online identity to figure out what you should keep and what you shouldn’t. Really, it all depends on the circumstances behind your rebranding. If it’s for a bad reputation, you’ll basically want a clean slate; which means deleting as much as possible and wiping that part of your company off the map.
For a simple rebranding, such as a change in direction or logo/marketing material, having some of your old branding graphics online isn’t a bad thing. Nothing negative can come of it; unless your change in direction could be considered the complete opposite of what your company did beforehand. You should also consider any keywords associated with your company, and how your SEO ranking might be affected.
Offline Data
Offline data, while easier to rid yourself of, can be as time-consuming as online data sorting. When it comes to deleting files on your company computers, leave it up to your IT experts to ensure that you’re clearing things out in the best way.
However, any paper documentation (such as invoices, credit statements, employee documentation, anything with your old brand that you don’t need for tax or legal reasons), should be professionally shredded. This type of secure shredding can usually be done by a third-party company who can take all of your paper documents, make a record of what you asked to be shredded, and then shred them under surveillance before properly disposing of the shredded paper. After the process is completed, your business should receive a list of the shredded items, as well as information on what happens to the shredded pieces – typically, they are recycled or sometimes incinerated, depending on the shredding company.
Always complete a thorough sweep of your business while rebranding, to ensure that all old documentation is disposed of, so that your newly branded company can start rebuilding as quickly as possible. Finally, rid your business of any items that show your old brand; such as stationary.
At Greenaway, we support business owners going through a rebrand at every stage. We provide them with an easy and secure way to destroy all of their old documentation, old branded uniforms and even packaging, so that they can avoid the pitfalls of data or identify theft. If you would like to know more, just get in touch with the team today.
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