Tips for Rebranding Your Bar

Rebranding your bar could be exactly what it needs to increase foot traffic, generate buzz, and breathe new life into a place that has a lot of potential. It can also provide you with a newfound motivation and passion to keep going, especially if things have gotten rough.

Whether you’re trying to liven things up after dealing with the business effects of COVID-19 or you just think it’s time for a change, rebranding may be the way to go.

But, how can you make sure you’re doing it the right way?

If you truly want your bar to stand out from the crowd, you need to make a good first impression with your rebranding efforts. With that in mind, let’s look at a few different tips you can use for a successful rebranding strategy. By the end of your efforts, you could have a completely new and exciting environment for your bar, and enjoy its success for years to come.

Decide Who You Want to Be

If you want to rebrand your bar, you probably have a strong reason. Maybe you never really established a brand identity or you’ve struggled to connect with patrons in the past. Your rebranding efforts should be focused on what you want your bar to be, and the target audience you want to connect with. When you’re trying to establish that identity, consider some of the following:

• What are your goals for the future?
• Which areas need the most attention?
• What are your values and mission?
• What does your audience want?

A great thing about rebranding is you don’t have to start from scratch. Consider surveying your current customers, both in-person and online, to see what they’re really looking for. Maybe your efforts could be something as simple as changing your decor and serving a wider variety of drinks.

Or, maybe you need to undergo a complete overhaul. You might even consider choosing a new name for your business to catch the eye of your customers and connect with your values. Just make sure a name doesn’t limit your operations or compete with other bars/businesses in the area.

Your internal team will be important when it comes to input throughout rebranding. But, make sure you’re also taking your patrons’ ideas and opinions into consideration as you determine the environment you want for your bar.

Get Social

The average consumer is inundated with thousands of advertisements each day. Needless to say, most people have learned to tune them out. So, advertising your rebrand with a giant billboard probably isn’t the best way to go.

Instead, go back to that “first impression” idea and use technology to your advantage. Rebranding doesn’t just mean sprucing up your physical location. It often means changing your marketing efforts, including your website and social media.

Your website is usually the first place a potential customer will go to learn more about you. You only have a matter of seconds to catch their attention, so make sure it’s clean, mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and provides clear and concise information about what they can expect.

You should also utilize technology to stay connected with current customers and your target audience. Dedicating time to your social media accounts is hugely important. It can “humanize” your bar and let your customers know you truly care about them. If you’re trying to make your social media platforms more personal, try things like:

• Posting behind-the-scenes photos
• Hosting live stream Q&A sessions
• Posting fun videos with cocktail recipes
• Sharing photos of your food and drinks
• Asking questions
• Answering questions
• Responding to reviews

If you want to stay ahead in the bar business, it’s also crucial to let your customers know you care about being socially conscious. Prepare your business to make a difference, whether you use technology to do so or you develop a strategy for sustainability. It’s an important feature for many consumers, and weaving it into your rebranding strategy can open you up to a completely new audience.

Host a Grand Reopening

A rebranding is more than just remodeling a few things and making upgrades. It should be a complete change in the way your bar is run. Does that seem dramatic? It should be. Capitalize on it by hosting a big grand opening event to celebrate.

People love events like these because they generate buzz and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). If you can market your reopening as something that shouldn’t be missed, more people are likely to attend, tell their friends, and keep coming back.

On your reopening night, consider featuring some of your best drinks and food. That doesn’t mean you need to have a limited menu, but you want to showcase the best features of your efforts, so making certain things “special” will help to entice people to try them. Only featuring a few incredible items will also make people more curious about what else you’ll have to offer in the future.

Rebranding your bar can take time, money, and a lot of advertising. You might even need to hire people with new skillsets that you’ve never considered before. But, those are all good things. They’re necessary for growth and to keep your business on par with the ideals you’re passionate about.

Keep these tips in mind, and you can experience a successful rebranding that will keep your bar in business for a very long time.