Encyclopedia Rebrandia

The act of changing the way that an organization or brand appears to the public.

Rebranding is a strategy that involves changing a company’s existing image, identity, or positioning in the market. The process can include a rejuvenation of the brand’s name, logo, packaging, marketing materials, and messaging to better align with its goals and target audience.

Rebranding is often done to refresh a stale image, appeal to new customer segments, reflect changes in the business, or move away from negative connotations. A successful rebranding project aims to create a positive impact on customers and stakeholders, to increase brand awareness and loyalty, and, ultimately, to drive business growth.

I.a – The necessity of rebranding

At certain stages in a brand’s development, rebranding becomes a crucial strategy to maintain relevance and competitive edge. As consumer preferences shift and new competitors emerge, a brand that once resonated with its audience may begin to lose its impact. Rebranding allows a company to redefine its identity, aligning itself more closely with current market trends and the evolving values of its target demographic. This process can rejuvenate a brand's image, making it more appealing to both existing customers and potential new ones.

So, what can necessitate embarking on a rebranding journey? There are multiple catalysts:

• The decision could be aspirational—to position the brand for scalability, elevate its position in the market, and influence the perception of its audience.
• It could be functional—to bring the brand’s identity from a traditional into a digital space, future-proofing it as the brand’s digital presence grows.
• The decision could be essential due to business shifts—perhaps a merger or a business buy-out has taken place.
• Perhaps the decision is directional, spurred by a change in leadership or brand function.
• Or it could be corrective—to address negative perceptions and outdated associations that the brand has picked up.
• Maybe the thinking is strategic, to get the brand ready for globalization and growth.
• It could even be opportunistic—to capitalize on a growing market, expand into new markets, or celebrate a brand milestone.

In a globalized economy where brands compete not just on products and services but also on the experiences they deliver, rebranding provides the necessary momentum to stay ahead. A company is intrinsically locomotive - either growing and scaling upwards, or stagnating and allowing competitors to take market share. By presenting a refreshed and contemporary brand identity, companies can inspire loyalty, drive engagement, and ultimately achieve sustainable growth.

See also: Getting your rebrand right

I.b – Brand perception and shifts

Brand perception is crucial to a company’s success, as it directly influences customer behavior and loyalty. Various factors, including customer experiences, marketing efforts, social media presence, and public relations, shape this perception.

Rebranding plays a vital role in managing and shifting brand perception, especially when a brand needs to adapt to new market realities or recover from negative associations. For instance, when a brand is perceived as outdated or irrelevant, rebranding can inject new life and relevance into its image. By altering visual elements, messaging, and overall brand positioning, a brand can more closely align with relevant trends and values. This strategic shift helps to attract new audiences while retaining existing customers who appreciate the brand’s commitment to staying current and responsive to their needs.

Rebranding to help shift a brand's perception can also be essential when entering a new market, expanding to new geographical locations, or launching a new product. Although this falls under the category of a brand refresh rather than a full rebranding, updating a brand identity to fit into a new space can be a huge factor in a successful launch or expansion.

“It's important, every once in a while, to have that moment of self-reflection, to refocus and ask important questions. Is the brand fulfilling its promise? Is it aligned with its values? What do we believe in? How do we communicate that to the world? And how do we visualize that as well?”

Leo Porto, Founder & Creative Director at PORTO ROCHA

See also: Reflections on rebranding with PORTO ROCHA

I.c – Rebrand or refresh?

Determining whether a company needs a full rebrand or a more straightforward brand refresh hinges on the extent of change required to achieve strategic goals.

A full rebrand involves a comprehensive overhaul of the company's brand identity, encompassing changes in name, logo, mission statement, and overall brand strategy. On the other hand, a brand refresh is a more subtle update aimed at modernizing and polishing the existing brand identity without altering its core essence.

The choice between a rebrand and a refresh depends on the brand's current position, market conditions, and long-term objectives. Often, a full rebrand can be time-consuming and costly; if the business objective can be achieved with a brand refresh instead, then all the better. However, a brand refresh can sometimes not be enough when seeking to reposition or elevate brand identity. In fact, in some instances, a brand refresh can just be seen as an attempt to “fix” the brand without putting in the work. Even more dangerous is the tendency to use a brand refresh as a marketing tool, creating short-term impact but damaging the brand’s integrity in the long term.

Ultimately, whether opting for a rebrand or a refresh, the goal remains the same: to ensure the brand remains vibrant, relevant, and capable of driving business success.

“A refresh is a tool to purge architectural relics or to break stagnation from a tired visual language. A rebrand is for when something is stopping the brand from delivering on its potential.”

Hugo Timm, Creative Director

I.d – AI & automation

With the advent and rising adoption of artificial intelligence into business processes, it's an inescapable fact that undertaking a rebranding journey nowadays means considering how and when to utilize this new technology. Although there are many opportunities that arise when incorporating AI and automation techniques into a rebranding process, there are significant challenges as well.

Even in its simplest form, quantitative AI tools can help process and parse vast amounts of market data, consumer feedback, and brand performance metrics, allowing for more targeted rebranding strategies.

Some brands are also using this new technology to perform frequent “micro-refreshes,” where the visual language of a brand is more fluid and changeable than ever before. This can allow for a more nebulous approach to brand-building, as the brand becomes less about a visual identity and more about an emotional connection to its audience.

However, as with any tool, there can be a temptation to rely too heavily on AI. Technology is not a substitute for human creativity and thinking. Allowing the data provided by AI to dominate the rebranding strategy can lead to a diluted and emotionally bland identity.

In a similar way, automation tools can be a fantastic way to help in populating a new visual language, and tools like Frontify’s template features can make creating new assets easier and smoother. These tools require implementation and training, but a rebranding is the perfect time for a brand to consider adopting them into its workflow.

See also: Reflections on rebranding with JKR & Nordstrom Rack*

II.a – Pre-rebranding decisions to make

Before embarking on a rebrand, a brand must be tasked with making some key decisions. These decisions will shape the course of the rebranding process, and provide key advantages to the journey ahead. They include:

• How to choose the best agency to partner with for a rebrand?
• How much will a rebrand cost and how should it be budgeted?
• How to best manage the change internally, bringing everyone on board across the business before launch?
• How to put brand governance processes in place to ensure the hard work is implemented properly?

A solution like Frontify can alleviate and support a brand’s execution of all of the above considerations, and make the rebranding experience as seamless as possible.

• Cost & budget: When considering a rebrand strategy and budget, a brand must make sure all costs – including agency, toolkits, design and tools, and software – are accounted for. Considering a brand guidelines platform that will host the new brand identity, promote brand governance, and increase awareness of the brand internally and externally, will save money and in the long term.
• Change management: Change can be a difficult thing to enact and adopt. By getting a headstart with digital brand guidelines that will host all of the new assets, brand identity, templates and more, a company can introduce not just its new brand design, but the new way in which the brand design is used. Having an easily accessible platform that allows teams to engage with the new brand and understand it allows a brand to tackle a lot of the confusion and frustration that can come with a rebrand project head-on.
• Brand governance: More often than not, brand governance falls to the creative, brand and marketing teams. However, true brand governance should be the role of every stakeholder in the company. This is more important than ever during a rebranding journey. With a tool like Frontify, brands can empower every member of every team with the knowledge and tools to be brand guardians. Having one centralized space where the new identity lives and breathes can give the whole company reassurance that they are making as much of an impact in brand governance as brand and design teams are.

See also: Dump your PDF guidelines

II.b – Partnering with the right agency

Selecting the best possible partner agency is a critical step in any rebranding process. The strategists and creatives at a design agency serve as strategic allies, bringing expertise, fresh perspectives, and specialized skills that can significantly impact the success of the rebranding effort. They can enhance and elevate a brand’s rebranding vision, providing insights and a fresh perspective that isn’t immediately apparent. Their experience can be invaluable in avoiding common pitfalls and capitalizing on opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked.

A partner agency can help to deliver much-needed tech updates during a rebranding, particularly in leveraging Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems and brand-building platforms like Frontify. This expertise can hugely streamline the rebranding process from start to finish, giving the new brand identity a home and a seamless rollout experience for stakeholders and external partners.

The right agency becomes an extension of the internal team, aligning with organizational goals and driving the rebranding process toward measurable, impactful results. The time and care taken in choosing the right partner will always pay off throughout the rebranding process and beyond, setting the stage for a successful brand evolution and long-term market positioning. See also: Reflections on rebranding with Borussia Dortmund

II.c – How rebranding has changed

Rebranding has undergone a significant transformation in the past ten years, adapting to the rapidly changing digital landscape and evolving consumer expectations.

One of the most notable shifts has been the adoption of a digital-first approach. While traditional media still plays a role, a brand embarking upon a rebranding journey must now account for how it appears and functions across various digital platforms. In conjunction with this, there’s now a heavy emphasis on responsive design in order to account for the variety of screens and devices on which the new brand identity will appear. Flexible logos, scalable design elements, and even adaptive copy can be developed, widening a brand’s visual language to ensure the new brand identity is versatile yet recognizable.

The emphasis on brand purpose and values has also become more important over the years. Increasingly, brand consumers (especially younger generations) want to align with brands that reflect their values and ideals. As a result, rebranding projects often require considerable time, thought, and resources to solidify and articulate their brand mission and values.

This shift goes beyond mere visual changes, requiring brands to demonstrate an authentic commitment to their stated purposes through actions and communications.

“We don’t want to fall into the trap of talking the same way about the same thing all the time — repetition kills curiosity. Our aim is to keep consumers on their toes — without straying too far away from who we are.”

Matthew Bostock, Creative Lead at Bang & Olufsen

See also: B&O: Rebranding from functional to experiential

III.a – The strategy behind rebranding

While it can be tempting to jump straight into creative work, this can often put the cart before the horse. Starting the rebranding process with research, analysis, and goal-setting will hugely help a brand further down the line, as it seeks to maximize the chances of a successful, smooth roll-out. Preparing a strategic approach includes:

1. Setting objectives. Having clear objectives and strategic goals can help a brand to ensure that the rebrand presents tangible business opportunities and isn’t just a vanity project.

2. Conducting a brand audit. A brand audit takes a strategic look at the existing brand and its performance to identify opportunities for improvement. A comprehensive brand audit focuses on the three core areas of consistency, visibility, and reputation.

3. Identifying the target audience. A brand’s target audience will influence not only the strategy behind the new identity but also the creative direction it will take.

4. Analyzing competitor positioning. Conducting in-depth competitor analysis is a great way to gain insights into the strengths and weaknesses of a brand pre- and post-rebranding. It can allow a brand to aim for distinctiveness, or market trends, depending on what the goal of the rebranding is.

See also: How to perform a brand audit

III.b – What’s in a rebrand?

Although the approach and reason may change, every rebranding journey follows the same path:

1. The process begins with a comprehensive brand audit of the current brand positioning, strengths and weaknesses, and areas for improvement. This step provides crucial insights that inform the entire rebranding strategy.

2. The next step is developing a new brand strategy. This includes defining the brand's vision, mission, values, and unique selling proposition. This step is particularly important in a full rebranding, whereas in a brand refresh, it's more of a reaffirmation. If multiple sub-brands or product lines are involved, this is also an opportunity to refine the brand architecture.

3. With the strategy in place, the creative phase begins. This involves developing new visual elements such as logos, color palettes, typography, and imagery that reflect the updated brand identity. It also includes refining the brand's messaging and tone of voice.

4. An optional but incredibly helpful step in the modern rebranding process is setting up a brand-building platform to serve as a centralized repository for all brand elements, guidelines, and resources. Platforms like Frontify or other digital asset management systems are implemented at this stage, allowing for easy access, distribution, and version control of brand assets.

5. Once the new brand identity is finalized, it's codified into comprehensive brand guidelines that document how the brand should be represented across various media and touchpoints. The new brand identity is expressed in a full suite of brand assets, including templates, marketing materials, digital assets, and any other necessary branded items. All of these can be organized within the new brand-building platform.

6. The final step is to roll out the new brand identity. Typically, this begins with an internal rollout, complete with communication and training to ensure all employees understand and can effectively represent the new brand. The external launch follows, often staged across different channels and touchpoints. Throughout this phase and beyond, the brand-building platform plays a vital role in providing teams with access to up-to-date assets and guidelines.

7. Post-launch, the focus shifts to monitoring the rebrand's impact, gathering feedback, and making necessary adjustments. The brand-building platform continues to be instrumental in this ongoing process, allowing for efficient updates and ensuring the brand remains consistent and relevant over time.

See also: 3-stage rebranding checklist

III.c – Eternal principles

Although the shape and face of rebranding have evolved heavily over the years, some foundational truths remain about the process. These are vital to keep in mind in order to increase the chances of a successful rebranding.

First of all, authenticity remains a cornerstone of successful rebranding. Changes in a brand’s identity must stay true to the values and culture of the brand. In fact, a large driver in many rebranding journeys is an effort to re-align the company’s image to their values. Failing to keep the brand’s core in mind or rebranding simply to deliver short-term market impact can leave a brand’s external identity at odds with its internal message.

Consistency across touchpoints is another timeless principle of rebranding. A unified front is crucial for building recognition and trust at the best of times, but it’s doubly important after a rebranding as a brand introduces its new look to its audiences. Although this has always been a core principle of successful rebranding, it's even more critical in the age of countless touchpoints and channels.

Finally, stakeholder engagement remains crucial in rebranding. This doesn’t just include customers and investors, but partners and employees too. A brand is built of its people, and bringing them on board early in the process will always result in an easier rollout, as teams are excited and engaged rather than being blindsided by the new direction.

“Rebranding is one of the most efficient tools when you need to do, for example, a repositioning of a company or a product. It gives you an opportunity to move away from current brand associations you don’t want to bring with you and make sure you reposition towards the future with all the attributes needed to take a desired, profitable position.”

Marte Alvfalk, Global Senior Brand Manager at Tietoevry

See also: Reflections on rebranding with Tietoevry

III.d – The risks of rebranding

A key component of rebranding planning is preparing for the challenges and risks of the process. Whether they be the natural risks of such a significant undertaking or unexpected pitfalls that arise along the way, learning about these risks can help a brand avoid and mitigate them.

1. Loss of brand recognition. A major risk that every brand faces as it rebrands is a loss of brand recognition and subsequently engaged customers. If the rebranded design is too different from the old one, the audience might simply not recognize it and switch to competitors' products and services. This can lead to a loss of brand equity and market share. This risk is often mitigated by keeping key recognizable elements while changing up others.

2. Alienating loyal customers. A common occurrence in industries with high brand loyalty, such as sports, fashion, and food. A drastic rebranding can often feel like a betrayal of the relationship that customers have with a brand – especially if the rebranding is accompanied by a shift in the market positioning. Engaging these customers to keep them feeling seen and heard can often help to maintain this valuable relationship.

3. SEO setbacks. Changes to company names, product names, or domain names can significantly impact search engine rankings. Years of SEO work can be undone if not managed carefully during a rebrand. This can result in reduced online visibility and a drop in web traffic and leads. Developing a comprehensive SEO transition strategy, including proper redirects and content migration plans, is essential to minimize this risk.

4. Technical capabilities. Many rebranding companies underestimate the technical challenges involved in implementing a new visual identity across their infrastructure. Outdated systems and asset management solutions can halt the rebranding process or prevent it from launching successfully. Properly implementing a modern DAM solution can help to remove this unexpected pitfall.

5. Inconsistent implementation. A rebrand is only as strong as its implementation. Inconsistencies across different touchpoints can confuse customers and dilute the new brand's impact. This often happens when the scope of the rebrand is underestimated or when there's a lack of clear guidelines and oversight. Utilizing a brand management platform like Frontify can ensure consistency by providing easy access to up-to-date brand assets and guidelines for all stakeholders.

6. Employee engagement. Employees are the frontline representatives of a company, and play a crucial role in embodying and communicating the brand to customers. However, if they feel disconnected from the new identity, or struggle to understand and internalize the new brand values and messaging, it can undermine the entire rebranding effort, potentially resulting in confusion for customers and a weakened market position.

See also: Creating a bold and inspiring new brand with Kia Europe

IV.a – Internal perception

While a robust external rollout of a rebranding is vital to complete the process, if a company doesn’t take care to bring its stakeholders on board, then the rebrand will almost certainly falter and fail. A brand’s employees are its first and most important brand ambassadors, and having involved stakeholders from various departments early on in the rebranding process helps to unlock key insights and valuable perspectives from professionals who care greatly about the brand.

As the rebranding journey continues, bringing teams on board with the company’s revitalized direction can help make the adoption process more straightforward and streamlined. Training programs can help not only introduce the new identity, but also contextualize and rationalize the thinking behind the new direction. It can also help in showing how to utilize the new brand assets to the fullest.

If a brand-building platform such as Frontify is being used or adopted, this is an excellent place to showcase a new brand to internal teams, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the brand’s new look. The new brand guidelines can be explored at will, generating excitement amongst teams and turning them into champions for the brand’s new identity.

See also: Reflections on rebranding with Mutabor

IV.b – Changing minds

One of the biggest challenges encountered on the rebranding journey is changing the mindset of a brand’s target audience. In particular, long-time loyal customers who often have a strong emotional connection to a brand’s identity. People naturally resist change, and this resistance can be significantly pronounced when it comes to familiar brands that have been part of their lives.

The key to overcoming this challenge lies in clear, consistent communication that explains the rationale behind the rebrand and emphasizes how it benefits the customer. Addressing the potential resentment over the loss of familiar branding requires empathy and acknowledgment. Creating opportunities for feedback will make a brand’s audience feel seen, heard, and listened to and in a ready frame of mind to accept the changes.

Choosing the most suitable method of rollout can also have an impact on audience perception. For “big bang” rollouts, where most of the new look is unveiled and implemented in a short period of time, an audience can often be swept up in the momentum and treat the rebranding more favorably. However, the brand has markedly less control over influencing this reaction, and if it's negative, then it can cause the rebrand to falter and stumble. Alternatively, a “phased” rollout might lessen the impact of the rebranding venture but can allow a brand to guide the narrative with more finesse and finetuning.

Ultimately, actions speak louder than words, and demonstrating tangible improvements in products, services, or customer experience can help win over skeptics. By consistently reinforcing the benefits of the rebrand through every interaction and using tools like Frontify to ensure a cohesive brand presence, a brand can gradually shift perceptions and build enthusiasm for the new brand identity among its target audience.

See also: Rebrandings that worked

IV.c – Going global

Rolling out a rebrand on a global scale presents a unique set of challenges even atop the normal complexities. For global brands, such an undertaking represents a huge investment of resources and effort but can also be a huge opportunity to grow their presence across the globe.

Quite apart from any other considerations, the logistics of coordinating a global launch require meticulous planning and execution. Varying market regulations can make each geographical location unique, and distribution channels can vary hugely from place to place. Legal considerations are another layer of complexity, as brand names that are protected in one country may not be in the next. Lastly, cultural perceptions of the brand can have a marked impact on the proposed rebranding rollout, and brands must tread carefully and conduct thorough research in order not to misstep and negatively impact their audience perception.

Many brands in this position opt for a phased rollout strategy, allowing for adjustments based on initial reception in key markets before expanding worldwide. Utilizing a centralized brand management platform like Frontify can be crucial in ensuring consistency while also allowing for localization differences for teams across the globe.

See also: Rolling out a worldwide rebrand
See also: How Zoopla manages all things brand in Frontify

V.a – 12 months of rebranding

The excitement and buzz generated in the launch phase of a rebranding can make it seem like the work is all completed, but in reality, it's just the beginning of a critical journey to establish and reinforce the new brand identity.

In the immediate aftermath of the launch, companies often face a period of adjustment as both internal teams and customers adapt to the new brand. Internally, there may be challenges in consistently applying the new brand guidelines across all materials and communications. Frontify's brand management platform can be invaluable during this phase, providing easy access to updated assets and guidelines to ensure consistency across the organization.

Externally, companies might encounter mixed reactions from customers, ranging from enthusiasm to confusion or even backlash. Monitoring and responding to these reactions promptly and appropriately is crucial for maintaining positive brand perception. This is also a great time to gather feedback from both employees and customers, using tools like surveys or focus groups to understand how the rebrand is being perceived and where adjustments might be needed, setting the stage for continued growth and evolution in the years to come.

See also: Delinea: Delivering an award-winning rebrand with Frontify

V.b – Staying true to a rebrand

While every brand launches a rebranding with the intention to maintain its new identity and design, this isn't always the case. Lack of consistency with the new visual language can lead to confusion and inconsistency, and often, the result is a muddying of the brand waters and a reversion to old techniques and visuals.

Regular training and brand reinforcement are vital in the lead-up to and the aftermath of a rebrand launch. Many brands implement a brand ambassador program, where enthusiastic and educated employees act as champions for the new brand within their departments.

Adversely, sticking too rigidly to a new brand can cause stakeholders to feel stifled and shackled. Building a visual identity that allows for flexibility within consistency is baked into a successful rebranding process, and allowing teams to experiment with the new design ensures that it can adapt to changing market conditions and consumer preferences.

Ultimately, though, the cornerstone of maintaining brand consistency lies in robust brand management software. Utilizing a DAM solution like Frontify can significantly enhance a brand's ability to stay consistent post-rebrand. The brand-building platform serves as a centralized hub for all brand assets, guidelines, and resources, ensuring that everyone in the organization has access to the most up-to-date brand information. Features like version control help manage the brand's evolution while maintaining a clear record of changes. By providing a single source of truth for all brand-related matters, a brand-building platform plays a crucial role in maintaining brand integrity and consistency across all touchpoints.

See also: Klarna: Beyond bold (re)branding