Reconsidering the New Year for Brand Launch for Startups, Small Businesses, and Nonprofits

Let's guess: January came and went, and that much-anticipated new year brand launch never quite materialized.

Starting the year with a fresh brand redesign and a shiny new website seemed tempting, but December is fraught with unexpected challenges. From tight end-of-year deadlines and sick employees (thanks, Covid) to the pressures of holiday shopping, you and your team fell short of reaching that lofty goal. The good news? It's completely okay, and a January brand launch might not be the best option for your business after all.

Our Experience with Early Year Launches

Yes, we know... Good Bones just unveiled our own brand and web redesign at the start of the year. Hypocrites? Not exactly. What you might not know is that our website was launched well before the holidays, with our social media strategy in place for weeks. (Plus, we're kind of professionals at this branding stuff.) There are indeed many advantages to launching a brand in the new year: Your audience is ready to reengage with the world now that the holiday madness is over. Your team has renewed focus and energy after some well-deserved time off. Potential partners and clients are ready to put their replenished budgets to good use.

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Challenges of a January Brand Launch

Rushing to an Arbitrary Deadline

We've seen plenty of stumbles in rushed brand launches. Waiting a few weeks allows your team extra time to refine brand messaging and sync social channel graphics. Trust us, you'll find an errant old logo lurking in a corner of the internet you forgot about. Additionally, this time allows your team to become knowledgeable and proficient in the new brand identity, ensuring they can effectively communicate the brand values you've worked so hard to craft.

Competing for Brand Attention

The beginning of the year is often crowded with new launches and resolutions, making it a noisy time for brand introductions. By choosing to launch after January, a new brand may avoid getting lost in the shuffle of New Year promotions and initiatives.

Consumer Exhaustion

For businesses or nonprofits targeting a broad audience, most consumers are financially spent after the holidays. After indulging in spending and travel, consumers are looking to tighten their belts. Specifically for nonprofits, the season of giving and generosity has faded, with audiences now looking introspectively at their own resolutions and bank accounts. It's best to hold off on that donation pledge campaign.

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Benefits of Seasonally Aligned Brand Launches

Launching after January offers the flexibility to align your brand launch with specific seasonal moments or market trends most relevant to your audience.

Here's Good Bones' breakdown of the benefits of seasonally aligned brand launches:

February-March: A Quiet Time for Brand Activity

This period is a quiet time for brand activity. With no major holidays and most people spending time indoors on devices, you have a huge opportunity to be the lone voice and the center of attention.

Recommended industries: Health, Fitness, SaaS, Fintech, Home & Beauty

April-May: Fresh Beginnings for Brands

Spring brings fresh beginnings - a perfect time for your brand to bloom. Seize the vibes and announce your new brand when people are feeling antsy and ready to emerge from their winter hibernation.

Recommended industries: Lifestyle, Restaurants & Hospitality, Apparel

June, July: Travel and Outdoor Adventures

Vacation time! People are ready to hit the road and soak up the sun, making it the perfect time to put outdoor and adventure-related brands on their radar. Normally a quiet time for software and new businesses, we recommend tech startups avoid this period.

Recommended industries: Travel, Rentals & Airbnb, Outdoor, Apparel, Solar & Renewable Energy

August-September: Back to School

As summer winds down and students head back to the classroom, it's an opportune season to capitalize on the "back to school" mentality. Moreover, many American families are trying to fit in that last holiday trip, making it a prime time for recreational brands to capture the attention of parents ready for a break.

Recommended industries: Educational, Arts & Sciences, Recreation

October-November: Holiday brand awareness

Unsurprisingly, consumers are already in the mood to get cozy for the myriad of holidays approaching on the calendar and are making their shopping lists. Put your brand and products in front of audiences ready to celebrate. This truly is a great time for any consumer-based small business to use a rebrand to reintroduce themselves with new and improved marketing. Nonprofits shouldn't miss these months as an opportunity to reach out to sympathetic donors, both old and new.

Recommended industries: Nonprofits, Food & Beverage, Restaurants & Hospitality, Apparel, Home & Beauty

December: The Brand Launch Dead Zone

Launching a brand in December is akin to a death knell for any anticipated launch campaign. With audiences exhausted from the year and ready to disconnect, you'd be better off throwing your new brand in with those chestnuts roasting over an open fire."

Recommended industries: Absolutely no one