OME STORY... HOW TO REBRAND

The Ome Smart Doorbell is our very first product.  But we wanted a new name that would get us ready for creating other smart products.  Our old name, ‘Ding’, worked for our smart doorbell but wouldn’t work for all the other designs we were excited about.  But how would we choose a name and branding that set us apart from other smart homes companies?

We wanted the new brand to...

• Let people know that we design smart homewares.
• Reflect our philosophy that smart tech can still be homely and tactile.
• Show that our products are simple to use and always designed to make your life easier rather than adding over-specced complications.

It was a lot to demand of our new branding.  Also running legal checks on a new name can be the toughest part.  How do you find a name that is recognisable but also available as a URL?

Here are Ome’s top tips after rebranding for our smart doorbell:

1. Find a Wonderful Branding Agency

Ome worked with Bibliotheque to rebrand. This was essential for us. As a startup, it is easy to imagine you can do everything in-house. But will your team have the headspace alongside day-to-day operations?

2. Write a Brief You Believe In

Really hammer down your objectives and make sure you have done the work to explain who you are to your branding agency. If you decide to keep the rebrand in-house, don’t skip this step! You will consolidate your identity through this work. Be sure to identify what you love about your existing brand too so that you don’t lose what is working.

3. Agree a Clear Project Plan

Work with your lovely agency to agree timings and catch ups. Watch out for the legals on a name as these can really delay your rebrand.

4. Make Decisions

Your current branding is close to your heart. You can have a hard time breaking up with it and letting a new name into your affections. But this can really slow down your decision-making process. Here is a trick we used to get a feel for each new name. Make a sentence for the following using the suggested name.

Does it work with your products or service?  This is the Ome Smart Doorbell.
Does it work for employees?  Gina, you’ve got the job at Ome.
Does it work for investors?  We’d love you to invest in Ome.

5. Shout About Your News

This is the fun part! Get ready to tell all your followers, investors and partners. Just like you, your customers can be attached to your old name so it’s important to let everyone know why you’re rebranding and what excites you about the new name.

We love the final result of our Ome logo. The font weight has a real presence but Bibliotheque softened the corner radiuses to stop the letters feeling chunky.  The even weighting and spacing of the letters make sure the text is not overbearing, giving a really impactful result. Our favourite is the hidden H that hints at the word ‘home’.