Rebranding–which can include updating your positioning, messaging, visual identity, website, and more–is a big investment of time and capital. To the outside world, it signals an intention to mark a new moment in your organization’s history and to be perceived differently.

When done effectively, an updated brand can undoubtedly create powerful new opportunities for impact that more than justify your investment. But a rebrand, in and of itself, is not transformative: It will not change your organization. Rebranding is actually a record of a transformation that has happened or is already underway.