Resources of Interest: Affiliate Members of Interest: Go-To Rebranding Advice from AAM’s Affiliate Members
Marketing and branding consultants help organizations undergoing a rebrand to develop a strategic, visually cohesive identity that resonates with their target audiences. We asked the Affiliate members of AAM who specialize in marketing and branding consulting: “What is your go-to piece of advice for anyone getting ready to go through a rebrand?” See what they had to say in our Affiliate Members of Interest.
——————————————————————————————————————————-
“Before worrying about how to position yourself in the marketplace, first consider who you believe yourself to be, what your unique value is and who it matters to. There’s often a huge gap between identity and messaging…and most of the time, that gap is bridged when leadership does the hard work of determining their unique value and niche and including those elements in their brand messaging.”
Kristy Gusick
CEO & Founder
——————————————————————————————————————————-
“If you are about to embark on a rebrand and use printed materials such as business cards, letterhead, printed envelopes, presentation folders and/or other printed marketing materials, engage your printer early in the process. They can provide cost savings and turnaround time feedback on your printed materials that designers do not always take into consideration. Same goes for promotional merchandise that is used by the firm. When taking on a project like this, you want to make sure you are using a printer that will assign a dedicated Project Manager to manage your project from the planning phase to the delivery phase, which will help ensure you come in on or under budget and that you can meet your required delivery date for your launch.”
Brandon Miller
Director of Marketing & Business Development
ALL-STATE Int’l d/b/a – ALL-STATE LEGAL
——————————————————————————————————————————-
“Pin down the single feeling you want people to have when they meet your company, then let that emotional north star shape every choice – from the logo and tone to the last customer email.”
Cortney Stapleton
CEO
——————————————————————————————————————————-
“Before diving into the visuals, get grounded in your ‘why.’
Rebranding isn’t just about a new logo or tagline; it’s an opportunity to realign your firm’s identity with your strategic vision. My go-to advice is to start with deep internal alignment: clarify your purpose, define your ideal client and understand what differentiates your firm today and into the future. Involve key stakeholders early, and don’t be afraid to have the tough conversations around what needs to evolve and what must stay true.
When you lead with intention and let strategy guide design, the end result is a brand that resonates, reflects your values and fuels sustainable growth.”
Heather Robinson
Marketing Manager
——————————————————————————————————————————-
“First, be clear on what is driving the need to rebrand. Rebranding can be expensive, and your need to conduct this initiative should be based on significant things happening with your firm and/or the market that will positively impact your clients and the firm. Your rebrand should be based on what you want to convey to the market and must be mindful of how your clients will receive, react, and resonate with the new branding.
Second, do your research. Interview clients, internal personnel and referral sources/centers of influence. Research what your competitors are doing for gaps, opportunities, strengths and weaknesses. This will build the framework for the rebranding and messaging. We recommend having a third party conduct this research, if possible. You will gather more candid insightful feedback by having a neutral party performing the interviews and research.”
Judy Bodenhamer
Founder & Managing Partner
——————————————————————————————————————————-
“Before you rebrand, be prepared to invest in research. Your brand should reflect who you are today with a hint of where you want to go tomorrow. It’s uniquely you and should be differentiated from others in the industry. That means knowing what your clients actually think of you and how you’re perceived in the market. If you skip this step, you’re rebranding in the dark. You’ll focus on the pretty and not the strategy (and we’re way past that, marketers). You don’t need big research budget, but you do need real insight to anchor change. Plus, selling your firm on your rebrand direction will be easier when the focus is on matching it to the research and not individual preferences.”
Katie Tolin
Founder and Chief Growth Guide
——————————————————————————————————————————-
“Focus on your story. The brand story connects people to why your work matters and how it’s different. It will anchor your marketing and growth efforts. Invest time and curiosity to do that important research and identify your firm’s story.”
Dawn Wagenaar
Principal and Brand Strategist
Ingenuity Marketing Group, LLC
——————————————————————————————————————————-
“’Know thy audience’—it’s the cornerstone of any successful rebrand.
When firms embark on a rebrand, there’s often a temptation to let personal preferences drive decisions, like choosing colors, logos, or messaging, based on what partners or internal teams like. While internal alignment is important, your brand ultimately exists in the mind of your clients and prospects.
My go-to advice is to park your personal preferences at the door and instead, ground every decision in a deep understanding of your audience:
- Who are they?
- What do they value?
- How do they perceive you today—and how do you want them to perceive you tomorrow?
Invest time in client interviews, market research, and competitor analysis. Let this insight guide the creative process. When you build your rebrand from the outside-in, you’ll create something that not only looks good but truly resonates and drives growth.”
Siouxsie Jennett
CEO
——————————————————————————————————————————-
“My go-to piece of advice for a firm getting ready to go through a rebrand is to conduct primary research to understand brand perception, focusing on collecting perspective from key personas: clients, past clients, prospects, referral sources and especially employees. Looking at brand perception from multiple vantage points helps paint a 360-degree view of your existing brand, its differentiators and where there are opportunities.”
John Tyreman
Founder & Chief Podcast Officer
——————————————————————————————————————————-
About to embark on a rebrand? You will need to consider all your stakeholders. Make sure you’re including voices beyond leadership in your rebranding process. Consider surveying and interviewing other staff, clients and even referral partners. They often have unique perspectives into the authentic attributes of your firm’s identity that can take your rebrand from good to remarkable.
Mike Jones
CEO & Managing Partner
——————————————————————————————————————————-
For a full list of Affiliate members who specialize in marketing and branding consulting, please visit the Affiliate Marketplace on the AAM website.
About Kayla Juba
Kayla Juba is the Marketing Manager at Brown Plus, a premier accounting and advisory firm providing attest, tax and advisory services to clients across the Mid-Atlantic region. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication/Journalism from Shippensburg University. Kayla has more than 12 years of experience in marketing communications and has worked in accounting marketing for over seven years. Prior to joining Brown Plus, Kayla worked in event planning and fundraising for several nonprofit organizations in the Central Pennsylvania area.
Welcome to CPA Growth Trends — your source for information, insights, tools and best practices to drive growth within an accounting firm.
Beyond the Database: Building a CRM That Fuels Business Development
Nikki Burgeson | UHY-US
In this episode, Chris Camara speaks with Nikki Burgeson about the critical role of CRM systems in business development, particularly within professional services.