With fonts going in and out of style, layouts growing in popularity and content evolving, it doesn’t seem surprising that magazines are constantly in need of rebranding.
Now, it sure sounds like a daunting task and perhaps, you are debating whether or not magazine rebranding is truly worth it, but have no fear. You are about to learn how to totally transform your magazine in just three simple steps!
Step One: Do your research!
So, you’ve decided that you are going to rebrand and give your magazine a fresh, new look. But what should you do first? Well, to get the ball rolling, you should first ask yourself these two questions: who are we and what are we all about? Now, these are two questions that should be answered (primarily) by your team and your readership in order to get to grips with the magazine’s image and its desired image. Through this, you can really understand what content you are going to produce and who it is aimed at.
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Now during this phase, you should try to get some insight from your readership, after all, these are the people who matter most! You could do this through a range of methods but surveys or questionnaires are perhaps the easiest and the most far-reaching. These will really help you to understand what they would like to see evolve and what they want to stay the same; what colour schemes they like, if they would like more pictures, more columns, more quizzes. You can pretty much ask them anything you want and get an honest opinion.
So, you’ve reached out to your audience but don’t forget about those who are the beating heart of your magazine, those who make the magazine what it is: the writers and producers. Through talking to them, you will gain an insight into how they feel about the current branding and what they feel must change. Allowing them to express their preferences will really help mould the magazine into something that everyone can be proud of.
The more you research and the more information that you gather, the better placed you will be to create a magazine that will speak to your audience and launch smoothly!
Step Two: Get creative!
Okay, this is where it all happens! This is when you create something really special.
So, you’ve accumulated all of the research and data that you can and you’ve investigated what your audience and staff are looking for. Now, it’s time to translate all of this into designs that will wow your readers, in other words, it’s time to create.
At this stage, you should start to look into the colour palettes and schemes that you think will best suit your magazine. If you don’t want to totally change the colour scheme, you can always just refresh it slightly with a new accent or a change in the tones.
After this, it’s time to look into the initial designs for logos and fonts. This can always be tricky and often time-consuming as you’d be surprised how much people’s opinions on fonts vary but it’s something that shouldn’t be rushed. The same goes for your logo. This will no doubt become the calling card of your magazine – its one distinct feature – so make sure you think carefully and consider all your options.
Finally, draw up some ideas regarding new names and straplines. With every rebrand, there comes a need to evolve slightly and a revitalised strapline could be the perfect touch to complement your new brand.
So, get those creative juices flowing and rebrand!
Step Three: Rollout your brand-new magazine
Well, here you are with your new branding all ready to launch. The designs are confirmed and signed off on and you can’t wait to get your magazines rolling out and see the audience’s reaction. But your job isn’t over yet. Be sure to proof the magazine thoroughly in order to avoid any mistakes and perhaps most importantly, ensure that you are really happy with the new branding.
The last thing you want is to put out a magazine and realise that you would prefer it another way or that you need to make some tweaks! It doesn’t look very professional and could become costly! Do it right the first time.
Well, now you are ready to create a superb rebranding for your magazine! Go forth and create.
