In early 2015 the popular show Mythbusters launched their new season with a new look and a new tone. For those of you not acquainted with Mythbusters, it is a science based show that takes a look at popular myths and legends and then tests whether they could actually happen. It is hosted by special effects experts, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman. When they rebooted, Mythbusters made some very deliberate changes to the show and by looking at some of those changes, ecommerce businesses can learn a thing or two if a reboot is in their future. Let’s get started.
1. Optimize your customer’s introduction to who you are
Literally the first thing that a fan of Mythbusters will see changed is the show’s introduction sequence. Every single episode, before this new season, kicked off with a narrator giving an overview of what would be coming up on that episode with clips from the upcoming episode. While this was effective as far as telling the viewer what to expect, when the clip from the intro finally came around during the episode, you could usually bank on it being used in a different context than in the preview. With the new series, though, each episode has a customized opener that not only gives clues about what is to come, it provides intrigue and desire for a viewer to continue watching the episode without spoiling the surprises in the content.
Businesses can learn from this change in a very real way. If you are rebranding your company or product, you cannot afford to spoil the introduction. The phrase “you only get one first introduction” comes to mind. If the first thing a visitor runs into when first finding your site is uninteresting, incorrect, or even offensive, your visitors will be very unlikely to become customers or even stick around your site.
2. Improve your look
There’s not much that’s sexier than good design, and Mythbuster’s new graphics overhaul hits the nail on the head. Now, instead of just having scenes that outline what each Mythbusters project will involve on a blueprint background, the graphics are superimposed directly into the scene where the action is happening. This technique adds context to the scene without having to cut away from the action to explain what is going on.
Similarly, a very important part of rebranding is changing the aesthetics of your business so your customers never feel unsatisfied with their experience and want to find out more.
3. Rediscover what makes you great.
This is really the crux of rebranding. For Mythbusters, the reboot focused on going back to their roots. When Mythbusters first started, it was all about using Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman’s experience as special effects experts while they created ways to test myths. As their show progressed, the episodes moved away from the creation of props and the construction of myth testing. Many felt that Mythbusters had devolved into a show about blowing stuff up with a bit of science thrown in. The new season, however, has returned to its roots and is showing more of the background work of creating props and the projects and could not be more welcome.
For businesses going through a rebranding, this is the point of the entire endeavor. Everything you put in to rebranding is about rediscovering what makes your business great and helping your customers discover it as well. If you design websites and you are rebranding, building an incredible website will show your skills as a designer and will let your customers see your passion and skill for what you do.
To wrap up
Everyone gets stuck in a rut sometimes, individuals and companies can get stuck in what is comfortable and never push the envelope. Rebranding can be a frightening thought, but the lessons from the Mythbusters reboot can help you move forward and let successful change happen.