Re-branding? But we already have a brand...

As a product manager, it's hard to draw the line between what you're capable of doing and what you're responsible for doing.  For me, this tends to be marketing activities.  I've found that the role of marketing has changed in the last few years, and continues to change.  More companies are focusing on social media, pushing content, and campaigns, and forgetting the need to focus on the marketing basics. 

I am in the thick of redesigning a website, and today the topic of branding came up.  It's extremely important to have your branding down before you can embark on a new (or redesign) journey.    Today I found myself wondering what our brand was and how the new design fit into that.  The problem was, I didn't have a brand to fall back onto which forced me to rethink how often we look at our branding.

There were several resources I found that help with branding and re-branding.  The one from Inc Magazine started off with this: "Evolution is inevitable", which I think captures the exercise of re-branding - it's inevitable.  You have to be willing to pivot (start-up or big company) and bring your company up to date, and possibly change your company's strategy.

Alot of what I learned is echoed in what you need to determine your vision.  A few things to think about when branding (or re-branding) your business:

• Who's your target market?
• What are their painpoints?
• What is your mission statement? (I realize these may be outdated, but they are still valuable)
• Does your logo match your mission? 
• Do your products match what your brand represents?
• Are you employees aware of your brand?  Do they live it?
• Who is the face of your business?  
• Is your branding consistent?

Have you ever re-branded?  If so, how did you find the process?  Are any of you branding a business right now?  I think that even before setting your vision, this is the most important aspect of starting a business.  What do you recommend for making it easier?