Whether it’s time to upgrade your brand or change it completely because so many elements of the original aren’t working, sometimes rebranding is necessary. Once everything is in line, how you choose to launch the rebrand is critical for its success.

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A sloppy launch strategy will be ineffective at best, while the right strategy can set a rebrand up for success. Below, eight members of Business Journals Leadership Trust discuss what they believe are the best launch strategies for a rebrand and why.

1. Execute due diligence.
Make sure you execute enough due diligence to back up your approach before execution. I see many brands that jump right into the process without planning. – Christopher Tompkins, The Go! Agency

2. Identify and build around the entrepreneurial reason.
The key to any successful rebrand strategy is that the focus is not on the rebrand itself. Rebranding falls flat when the intent comes across as superficial to the audience. You need to identify the entrepreneurial reason for the rebrand. Then, you can build a campaign around articulating that entrepreneurial moment to your audience and demonstrate how this company evolution is going to serve the audience. – Nathan Fisher, Mindshare Capture Consulting

3. Prepare rebranded assets for a synchronized transition.
Slowly rolling out a rebrand can confuse customers. Instead, prepare your rebranded marketing assets for a synchronized transition on launch day. This includes an updated website, social media, signage, business cards, online ads, uniforms, etc. Fully brief all employees about the value of the changes. Then, you are ready to spread the word with an exciting event and captivating advertising. – Lincoln Jacobe, 6 Pillars Marketing

4. Sponsor an event with merch and rebranded items.
For a big rebrand, go out with a splash and include experiential marketing where you sponsor an event with merchandise and physical rebranded items that get your items in the hands of the people. You can then take that content generated and push it out on various media platforms to drive further performance and engagement. – Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne Advertising

5. Implement structural, operational changes first.
A company should not rebrand until it has implemented structural and operational changes to which the new brand can speak. Without these changes, rebranding is no different than putting lipsticks on a pig per se. Rebranding is not a marketing exercise. Rather, it is a strategic initiative that should be adopted at all levels of the organization prior to marketing showcasing it. – Quoc Nguyen, Arthur Lawrence, LLC.

6. Ensure your new identity works for existing and new supporters.
With a rebrand, you want to ensure your new identity moves you forward to attract a new audience while allowing your existing supporters to also move forward with you. There needs to be an echo of who you once were within the new look and messaging so you don’t abandon loyal followers that have shaped you. – Ben Fant, Farmhouse Branding

7. Set the right mood a few weeks ahead of relaunch.
Start setting up the right mood a few weeks before you are ready to launch the rebranding. Inform your customers and target audience that something big is in the pipeline without being too specific. Build excitement and anticipation so that everyone eagerly awaits your reveal. Don’t forget to mention the exact date when the big reveal is coming so that you don’t make your audience weary. – Peter Abualzolof, Mashvisor

8. Attend a branding workshop for understanding.
It all starts with strategy. I love attending branding workshops to align, strategize and understand what’s authentically true about a brand aspirationally. What trends are resonating with target customers? How differentiated are you in the marketplace with competitors regarding products and positioning? What makes you great? What space can you own, and how does that tie into customer trends and beliefs? – Scott Harkey, OH Partners