How to Announce a New Company Name
A new name for your company can inspire your business if handled well. Getting the word out about the change should be your priority once you have legally modified the name, and your employees, the local business community, and clients and customers need to be informed. Focus on outlets that reach these people, make the announcement exciting and invite everyone to be a part of the new branding of your company.
The people who mean the most to your business should be the first to know about any major change, including one to your moniker. An appealing way to introduce the change is with a dinner. Take your workers out for a night on the company tab. Give them a souvenir of the night, and announce the name change by handing out pen sets embossed with the new name.
A traditional and effective way to announce a new business name is with a news release or conference. Carefully word a brief note regarding the change, concentrating on how you expect the name to better reflect the vision of your enterprise. Invite members of the business community and reporters to your facility for a short meeting in which you give the information.
Celebrate the new name with something special for your customers. Advertise in local papers and online regarding the special day for your announcement. Make the event grand, with discounts on products and services, giveaways and coupons. Use banners and balloons out front of your facility, if it opens directly to the public, inviting everyone in for a reopening. Hand out small promotional items bearing the new name as reminders to your customers.
Notifying each of your clients and business associates personally is one of the best ways to announce the name change. Direct mailing a postcard with a brief statement helps make these people feel like insiders in your business. You can use this context to give a simple account of the reasoning behind the change. Always remember to express your thanks for their interest in your endeavor.
Saturate the online world with announcements of the business name change. Make it more than noticeable on the front page of your company website, and include a brief reminder on all other pages. Look to social media sites as other avenues for your announcement, such as your Facebook or MySpace pages. Update online directories with your new information, and make sure you include your former name for clarity. For example, you might put "X Company, formerly operating as Y" so those already familiar with your company can find you.