The Power of a Refresh
October 6, 2015
I use Asana – a wonderful productivity enhancing, program management app. Asana is entrenched as part of my everyday ritual. I can’t imagine living without it.
Yet, like most other habits, my relationship with Asana is largely back of mind. The app is an important tool, but I rarely consciously think about it.
This week, Asana launched a very well done refresh, including a fresh new logo redesign. Interestingly, the net effect brought the brand front of mind for me again.
I was reminded how central Asana is to my everyday work life. I went to the blog and the website and discovered new features that are even more helpful. I learned and appreciated more than I have in the past year. The brand refresh helped renew my relationship.
My experience with Asana is very similar to that I have with Apple and other important brands. A software or hardware refresh often has the same impact. I learn more. I’m reminded of how important the brand is to my everyday life and I recommit to the brand again.
Given my ADHD, that all lasts just a few days. But, the impact is extremely powerful.
All of which leads me to believe that brands should think differently about how regularly to refresh.
Conventional wisdom suggests a five-year refresh cycle, at the minimum. I think that dated advice is no longer helpful.
Instead, I’d be looking to refresh some element of the customer experience twice yearly to keep customers actively engaged with your brand.
This doesn’t mean taking steps as dramatic as those taken by Asana. But, it does mean being much smarter and more aggressive in keeping your brand front of mind with your core marketplace.
I’d start today to craft a regular refresh plan and roadmap. Begin with an assessment of user experience needs and opportunities. Then craft a plan with logical stages – from regular clean-up to transformative regeneration. The return will more than offset the effort.
Posted under: Branding Strategy, Changes in branding, Customer journey mapping, Demand Driving Strategy
