How to Know When It's Time to Rebrand

In 2015, I launched my blog as pineappleandprosecco.com, and officially rebranded to daniellegervino.com 3 years later. When I first started Pineapple & Prosecco, I had no idea what it would turn into. I had no idea that in just one short year, it would officially become a company; I had no idea that it would become my second career, affording me a full-time salary; I had no idea it would become an extension of me.

Sitting at my dining room table in an empty house, I came up with the name Pineapple & Prosecco fairly quickly. Actually, let's call it like it is - impulsively. I had taken some time off between the decision to end my teaching career and start fresh, and had been playing around with the idea of creating my own website. I didn't have a plan or a purpose for doing so, but I just knew I wanted to do it. Essentially, I wanted something to keep me busy.

"I'll start a blog!", I thought, "and I'll call it...hmm...Pineapple & Prosecco? Two of my favorite things!" Except, really, they're not.

How I knew it was time to rebrand

Pineapple & Prosecco started on a whim. It wasn't a well thought-out decision, and when I launched, creating a brand came second fiddle to growing a following. Though I managed to make it work a bit backwards, I don't recommend it. Why? Well, because look where I ended up.

My brand felt immature & irrelevant

Pineapple & Prosecco felt immature and irrelevant to me, as I began to realize what a quick and impulsive decision naming my brand was. I often felt embarrassed when people asked me what my blog name was.

It didn't feel like my brand anymore

When I heard people talk about "Pineapple & Prosecco", although it was my brand, it didn't feel like my brand.

I wanted to be proud of the name behind my brand

My business had changed so much from year 1 to year 3, and I wanted to be proud of the name behind it as it continued to grow.

I was bored of it

I felt bored with Pineapple & Prosecco, and the name didn't roll off my tongue like it used to.

What needed to change within my brand

I had built my brand around Pineapple & Prosecco, which meant that while I was dropping the name, my content, for the most part, would remain the same. That said, there were some foundational updates that needed to be shifted as I looked at my business through a new lens.

An upgraded user experience

I loved my first blog design at the time and worked so hard to build a website that was conducive to my readers. Some say the "era of the blog" is no longer, as many influencers have moved towards social media-based platforms, ditching the full blogger-reader experience. But I never wanted that to be the case here. One of the reasons I started my blog is because I love to write, and I planned to continue to do so, with a user-experience that was engaging and easily navigable.

What about social media handles?

I can distinctly remember how worried I was about changing my social media handles. "NO ONE will know where to find me!" I perused Facebook groups, seeking advice from other bloggers who had rebranded, hoping someone would share a snippet of advice that totally changed my frantic perspective.

Ultimately, I gave in to what I thought would be total chaos and surrendered to the fact that a change is a change; something that would undoubedtly take a little getting used to, but ultimately something that would push my brand in the right direction.