So you’ve updated your brand image, improved your website and produced some great looking brochures. What next?

For many established brands the re-design is just the tip of the iceberg. When McDonald’s wanted to change it’s image from a Fast food restaurant to a casual dining experience it failed. The public perspective, it’s view of the entire brand and all its collateral is that it was and is a fast food restaurant and no amount of rebranding, staff-uniform changes or ‘easy on the eye’ interior design upgrades changes that.

Be sure to consider carefully the cost of changing public perception of your brand. If you’re making wholesale changes, make sure you’re ready for the hard slog associated with changing public image. Just ask the ‘big drinking’ Irish, ‘loud’ Americans and ‘boring’ Germans.

Need an example closer to home? Try not to raise an eye next time that client acknowledges they’ll fly you ‘business class’ to London – with Ryanair.

– Alan