A company rebrand is an exciting milestone—but it also comes with a mountain of behind-the-scenes work. Updating your website and logo is just the beginning. What many teams underestimate is how many materials must be updated to match the new brand.
If your organization is facing this challenge, don’t panic. With the right process, tools, and support, you can update content after a rebrand smoothly and efficiently. This guide walks you through the key steps and strategies for updating your content after a rebrand.
Why Rebranding Your Content Matters
During a rebrand, consistency is everything. Outdated logos, fonts, or messaging in internal or customer-facing content can confuse your audience and erode trust. Even worse, inconsistencies may raise compliance concerns or delay product launches.
Whether your company is refreshing its visual identity or has undergone a merger or acquisition, your existing content must evolve. Updating content after a rebrand ensures that every asset:
- Reflects your new brand identity
- Aligns with updated style guidelines
- Maintains professional formatting and tone
- Avoids confusion during onboarding or sales
- Prepares you for publishing, localization, or future growth
According to McKinsey & Company, design-consistent companies outperform their peers. That consistency starts with updated, branded content.
Step 1: Audit your existing content
Start with a content audit. This helps you understand the size of the project and prioritize updates.
Create a spreadsheet or database to track:
- Document titles and owners
- File types and formats (Word, InDesign, PowerPoint, etc.)
- Locations (shared drives, cloud platforms, local machines)
- Branding status (old logo, old styles, outdated colors)
- Functional needs (reuse, localization, publishing)
Your goal is to identify all documents that contain visual branding, outdated messaging, or legacy formatting. Prioritize high-visibility and high-risk content first—such as client-facing files or regulatory documents.
Step 2: Define brand guidelines and templates
Before updating your documents, make sure you have a clear set of branding standards. This includes:
- Fonts, colors, and logos
- Preferred heading styles and hierarchy
- Tone and voice guidelines
- Template layouts for key formats (Word, PPT, PDF)
- Approved language for product names, taglines, and disclaimers
If you don’t have these guidelines defined yet, this is the time to build them. ProEdit’s content formatting services can help create style guides and templates that work across teams and departments.
Step 3: Migrate and convert legacy files
Many content libraries include documents built in legacy tools like FrameMaker or older versions of Word, PowerPoint, or Quark. These formats often cause problems with editing, compatibility, and visual consistency.
Use this opportunity to convert your files to modern tools and templates. That way, your rebranded content is easier to maintain, localize, and share. ProEdit’s content conversion services support tool migration for everything from training materials to user guides.
Common conversion scenarios include:
- FrameMaker to Word
- PDF to InDesign
- Word to HTML or XML
- PowerPoint to SCORM for e-learning
- Legacy slide decks to branded presentation templates
If you’re unsure whether your files are still usable, start with a sample conversion before committing to a full rollout.
Step 4: Apply formatting and style consistency
Once your documents are in the right format, it’s time to apply your new styles and structure. Rebranding isn’t just about the logo—it’s about the full visual experience.
Make sure each file reflects:
- Correct logos, headers, and footers
- Brand-compliant fonts and colors
- Consistent margin and layout rules
- Standardized table and list formats
- Clear visual hierarchy for headings
Even well-written content can feel outdated if the formatting is messy. ProEdit’s content formatting services ensure that every file matches your brand’s professional tone and visual identity.
Step 5: Update tone, messaging, and citations
Visuals are just part of the story. If your rebrand includes a shift in messaging, tone, or terminology, you’ll also need to revise your content accordingly.
This may involve:
- Replacing legacy product names or taglines
- Updating company references or URLs
- Rewriting content to match new tone and voice
- Applying consistent phrasing for legal disclaimers or compliance notes
- Checking for outdated references or obsolete screenshots
Our editing services team works alongside formatting specialists to revise content as part of the rebranding process.
Step 6: Proof, test, and roll out in phases
Before releasing rebranded documents, proof each one carefully. A second-editor review is critical to catch formatting issues, missing updates, or overlooked brand elements.
If your content library is large, plan a phased rollout. For example:
- Phase 1 – Update high-visibility customer-facing files
- Phase 2 – Rebrand internal training and HR materials
- Phase 3 – Revise legacy documentation and archives
- Phase 4 – Build templates and training for future content creators
A phased approach prevents bottlenecks, reduces risk, and allows teams to provide feedback before final rollout.
Bonus tip: Build a maintenance plan
Rebranding isn’t just a one-time project—it’s an ongoing commitment. Once your content is updated, create a plan for maintaining consistency moving forward.
This may include:
- Training team members to use templates
- Assigning brand “owners” for each department
- Scheduling regular audits or reviews
- Tracking documents using metadata or version control
You’ve done the hard work—now protect it by keeping things aligned.
Need help rebranding your content?
Rebranding your content library can feel overwhelming—but you don’t have to do it alone. ProEdit offers flexible, scalable services to help you:
- Audit and plan your content updates
- Convert legacy files into usable formats
- Apply formatting and style rules
- Edit for tone, clarity, and consistency
- Deliver high-quality, ready-to-use content—on time and on brand
Visit our rebranding services page to learn how we can help.
Contact us today for a free consultation or quote.
See also:
Success Story: Rebranding Content for a Global Medical Device Manufacturer