In This Post: Creative Business Rebranding Strategy. How to kickstart a creative business rebranding strategy, plus a look inside a recent rebranding by lifestyle and restaurant photography duo, Casey and Lauren Krauter, of Love, Leon.
So, you’re toying with the idea of changing up your business and putting a creative business rebranding strategy in motion, huh? As someone who recently waded through the waters of a professional rebrand myself, I feel you if you’re somewhat daunted by the notion of overhauling your brand – your baby – in the name of trying something new.
There is an inherent intimidation factor attached to the process of rebranding, some risks involved, and that makes the decision to undertake a rebrand a major one, whether you’re running a small business (like mine) or a major corporation, like Microsoft or McDonald’s.
It’s the former category, however, in which I am most interested, and it’s what is providing the fodder for this post. The why’s of small creative business rebranding are interesting in that they often are about much more than the overtly “business-y” term suggests. There is often so much more than meets the eye – more heart and soul infused into the decision making than anything else. In many cases, the impetus for a rebrand stems from more than just the basic desires to grow and to make more money.
There are many blog posts and informational websites out there that lay out the how’s and when’s and where’s and who’s of business rebranding strategy, but for my purposes today, in pursuit of providing some solid motivation and inspiration for culinarily creative entrepreneurs, I wanted to explore the why’s of it all. Because that’s where it gets good – that’s where the heartbeat of our businesses beats the strongest. Why are we doing this? Why bother? Why are we going about this sea change in how we present ourselves and our brand to the world?
Are you hoping to kickstart an evolution for your business, a logical next-step in a process of pragmatic, ordered growth? Or, rather, do you want to start a revolution? The latter refers to a more all-encompassing shift in your business, a type of pivot to your mindset … a change in aesthetic, intention, mindset, mission, goals – all of it. A revolution tends to be a bit bigger and bolder in its influence over small business rebrands, and I thought it would be fun to dive into that topic here a little today.
In this post, I want to spend just a little time with that question – the question of “why” specifically, as it relates to creative business rebranding. I understand that the need to do this often also comes from something more personal – a need that has little to do with profit margins or bottom lines. It’s often so much deeper than that, more poignant and intangible, even.
With small business rebranding, it’s not all just business-as-usual and bottom-line focused decision making, as was the case with my interviewee today, Lauren Krauter of Love, Leon Photography (lifestyle, wedding, and restaurant). For her and her partner/husband Casey, the need and desire to rebrand was born from something almost entirely unrelated to bottom lines and dollar signs.
As someone who finds others’ stories of creative business adventuring endlessly inspiring, I wanted to dig into the recent rebranding of “Krauter Photography” into “Love, Leon” and try to better understand why this successful and growing photography business went through a significant brand overhaul in 2018. If you’re reading this, and happen to be pursuing or playing with the idea of rebranding your own business, it is my hope that by reading Lauren and Casey’s rebranding story – their own revolution – you’ll glean some inspiration and motivation to take the plunge yourself. Because as you’ll see from their story, it can be so worth it, once all is said and done.
1) To start, can you give an overview of your brand: who you are, what you do, when/where you do it, and why …
Casey and Lauren Krauter, photographers based out of Indianapolis, IN, We welcome travel and specialize in intimate photography, weddings, elopements, and couples, but we also enjoy shooting families and restaurants, too. Our tagline:
“Intimate photography for adventurous souls and wild love.”
Guided by the wisdom of Lauren’s grandfather, Leon, our images tell stories of joy and giddy anticipation for the start of an incredible life together. We strive to create an intimate space for you to connect on a deeper level, to feel loved, uplifted, and inspired, encouraging your wild and free spirit to soar.
We are committed to creating a free space that allows you to simply enjoy and take it all in, without worry or stress. The experience will make you feel alive, courageous, valued, comfortable, confident, connected to yourself, your partner, and the infinite possibilities of your life together. Our hope is that you feel like you have best friends by your side (and a stack of photos to flip through to remember your story).
2) Why the rebrand? Why now? These questions seem totally linked to me, so you can go into detail on both points as you see fit here. Was there a specific catalyst that caused you guys to make the move to rebrand your business; something sudden or did the desire to make the change build over time? Maybe there was a problem that you were trying to solve, or a competitive advantage that you were trying to gain?
We hoped to better reach the people we were meant to serve, essentially. “Krauter” is hard to say, spell, remember. I was seeking a rebrand and the name change was a pleasant, scary surprise! For a more in-depth explanation to this question, check out their own blog post:
“In the process of changing our business name I was prompted to think of words that were meaningful to me, as well as key words that describe our business. Words like intentional, uplifting, adventurous, organic, intimate, peaceful, and natural made this list. These words, while accurate, didn’t feel quite right. There was still something missing. However, the word “Leon”, my late grandfather’s name, came to mind effortlessly, like it was meant to be …
Now with photography, it looks like creating a comfortable space, speaking truth and providing proof with our photos. My hope is to set people free to love who they truly are, love who they see, and to feel empowered to rise to their fullest potential, the way I too have been set free. At the end of this specific journal entry, without thinking, and with tears falling down my face, I wrote, “Love, Leon.” I knew he was with me. And I knew that this was the new name for Krauter Photography.” – via www.loveleon.co
3) What are you trying to convey to your clients and your potential clients/customers with this rebrand?
The experience will make you feel alive, courageous, valued, comfortable, confident, connected to yourself, your partner, and the infinite possibilities of your life together. Our hope is that you feel like you have best friends by your side (and a stack of photos to flip through to remember your story).
4) As of right now, what has been the initial response from your followers?
The response has been good; some {people} have reached out, the message of Love, Leon resonating with them. I think a lot of people can relate to wanting to live a legacy now.
5) Have there been any major hurdles, curveballs, or significant difficulties that have stuck with you this far?
Getting over the fear of vulnerability in sharing the meaning behind Love, Leon. Showing up honestly, with intentionality isn’t necessarily common in this industry. Making this about much more than photography, I didn’t know how it would be received.
6) What was your strategy when it came to the aesthetic side of the rebrand? How did you ultimately come to decide upon your new look, and who did you work with to get there? How long did the whole process take?
Jennifer with Studio Pine. I started the process with her in December, with a workbook that really focused on the life and business I wanted to create and who I wanted to serve. It was really comprehensive and the process caused me to do a lot of inner work. I really enjoyed it! Aesthetically, we were striving for natural, organic, intimate, sophisticated, but a comfortable worn-in feel.
7) If you had to isolate the exact target audience for your fresh brand, who would that be? Who is your “tribe” so to speak?
Love, Leon is for you, the couple seeking a uniquely intimate and meaningful experience on your wedding day. Not just wanting your photo taken, you long for a soulful experience and an effortless connection to your photographers, just as you are with friends and family.
Because we value your story first and foremost, we will remind you of who you are. We will highlight your true essence and reflect your spirit through our photos. We will capture moments that are full of life and movement, to beautifully reflect your important day, but also the heart of who you are together. We cannot wait to connect with those of you who share our excitement for life, sense of adventure, and desire to create beauty in everything around us.
OUR COUPLES:
They love snuggling on the couch after a long day hike on their favorite mountain. They are adventurous free spirits, who follow the compass of their heart. They treat everyone who comes across their path as a friend and are always up for a good laugh. They value intentionality and quality, the kind that comes from feeling comfortable in their own skin and proud of the life they’re creating together.
They are planning an intimate wedding or adventurous elopement- somewhere beautiful and inspiring to match the gravity of their promises to one another.
8) My own recent rebrand of “Harvest and Honey” into this site, My Kitchen Little, is a revolution, rather than an evolution. I see an “evolution” as a stepping stone in a business brand that I think will continue to evolve (i.e. working on it/figuring things out). Yours seems like a total revolution to me as well – a milestone and a breakthrough of sorts, very spirit-driven and soulful, which is inspiring and so beautiful. Would you say that’s accurate?
Yes, thank you for saying that! It felt like a meaningful breakthrough and time in my life and business. Getting back to WHY we do what we do – why we do anything – will do that for you, I think. I go further into this in this blog post.
In sum, Lauren and Casey’s rebranding of their creative business was born from an innate desire to make their brand more accessible to their clientele and more authentic – more true to themselves. That’s where the revolution lies; small yet so significant. It all seems to have stemmed, in part, from a practical desire to raise visibility and reliability. They thought their former name was less catchy and somewhat difficult to pronounce – a potential deterrent to future clients. They shared a much deeper, more soul-gripping desire to better align their brand with their own mindsets and overall approach to life. Anchored by a new name that carries so much heart and story – so much personal value – Lauren and Casey’s newly rebranded business is filled with intentional messaging and thoughtful strategy that is actively felt by their clients, right from the start.
For me personally, I was intrigued by their name from the minute I first heard it. It was slightly mysterious, wonderfully different and unique, and it made me immediately curious … I wanted to know what it stood for, what it and they were all about. That is just the type of curiosity that can either lead potential clients straight to you, or running in the opposite direction. But the fact that Love, Leon backs its new name up with a clearly defined mission, message, and overall aesthetic, helps its proprietors carry the uniqueness and “mystery” of their rebrand through to a place of understanding and clarity for their clients. This, to me, makes it a rebranding home-run. A perfect revolution.
So. Are you nervous to take the leap into your own small creative business rebrand? Intimidating though it may be, it can prove its worth over and over again, once all is said and done. For me, this has absolutely proven to be true. If you’d like to talk about your own creative business, don’t be shy to reach out! I would love to know about your journey – scars, successes, and everything in between – and I would love to support you along your way.
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