Yes, if you have a new product, service or launch coming up and your brand does not yet feel like it fits, the best time to refresh it is before that project starts, not in the middle of it. A refresh done ahead of time means you spend your time on the launch, instead of apologizing for a logo or a color palette that no longer matches what you sell.
I like to put this into a simple exercise:
Imagine it is four months from now, you are headig into another new season and starting to plan ahead. New projects, offerings, products, etc. How do you want to feel about your brand when that happens?
What does a letter to your future self have to do with branding?
I once wrote an email built around exactly this idea, and it is still the most useful way I know to decide whether a refresh is worth it. You write a short letter to yourself, set to arrive a few months out. Sites like futureme.org let you schedule one. Then you ask yourself a few honest questions in it.
- Have I prepared for the new product or service I want to offer?
- Do my brand, my copy, and my processes feel cohesive?
If the answer to the second one is no, that is your cue. Your future self will be busy. They will not want to be redoing the foundations while they are trying to launch.
I personally write future me emails ALL THE TIME. I ask my future self if I accomplished any of my big goals. I share current events (gas prices, economic updates). I share cute stories about our daughters and ask what they’re like now. And, naturally, some tough love about what I’ve been procrastinating on.
How do I know my brand needs a refresh before a launch?
Start with how you feel when you open your own website or social profile. If you hesitate to send people there, that is information. A few other signs worth checking:
- Your offer has changed, but your brand still describes the old one.
- Your logo, colors and fonts look different from place to place.
- You are putting off updating things because you know they will not match anything else.
- You are excited about the new project but feel overwhelmed when you think about the brand work it needs.
That last one is the feeling I want you to avoid. If you refresh your brand early, the picture in the letter is different: you open your new brand assets and feel excited to use them, instead of overwhelmed by what is not done.
Do I have time for a refresh if I am planning a launch soon?
It depends on the route you take. A fully custom brand takes much longer. A semi-custom brand starts from a design I have already created and then personalizes it to your business. Each one takes about two weeks from start date to finish, and custom lettering or calligraphy can add a day or two.
I customize one design at a time, working around my other brand and template projects, and I take only three semi-custom clients per month. That is why I suggest planning the refresh well before your launch date. The booking steps come first: a 30-minute discovery call, a deposit and brand homework, and then a design day on the calendar.
What does a semi-custom brand cost?
The semi-custom branding options are a Starter brand at $3,000 and a Signature brand at $5,000. That page lists what each tier includes, so read it through before choosing. I try to release new designs about once a year, and the page always shows what is currently available.
What should I do first?
Write your own letter. Give yourself ten minutes, ask the questions above and see what comes out. If the answers point to a brand that is not ready for what is next, you have your answer. If they do not, you just saved yourself a project.
I’ve had a handful of clients come to me with an offering or product in mind for the next quarter, but felt stuck and, honestly, not excited about marketing it because they didn’t love their brand first.
Because, ultimately, the more you love your brand, the more confident you are to put your next big thing out there.
Frequently asked questions
Start before the project it is meant to support. Semi-custom brands take about two weeks from start date to finish, but there is a booking process first (a discovery call, a deposit, brand homework and a scheduled design day), so give yourself a real runway rather than a few days.
Not necessarily. A refresh can mean a brand that is already designed and then personalized to your business, which is how semi-custom branding works. A fully custom brand is built from scratch and takes longer.
The Starter brand is $3,000 and the Signature brand is $5,000. Check the page for what each tier includes before you decide.
I take only three semi-custom clients per month, so availability is limited. The semi-custom page has the current details and the booking steps.
That is worth noticing early. Ask whether your brand, your copy and your processes feel cohesive. If they do not, the brand is usually the piece to settle first, because the rest can follow from it.
If you click on my affiliates/products/advertisers links, I may receive a tiny commission. P.S. the products that I share are the ones I believe in.
