Brands are living entities. They make mistakes (sometimes on purpose) that we can overlook if brands stay true to their core identity. This makes rebranding far more nuanced than just a simple visual refresh.
Rebranding becomes an intricate balance of transformation and consistency — which is where many brands stumble. Yes, rebranding isn't cheap and can cost up to $250,000. But it’s an investment in your most valuable asset: how customers perceive and connect with your brand.
One way to make sure this investment pays off? Brand management platforms.
The rebranding process is far from linear
The complexity of managing a rebranding becomes clear in the numbers. Looking at our brand-building trends report, the number of brand assets has been growing 458% in just three years, and 64% of companies are still managing their brand through SharePoint or PDFs. Teams are drowning in content that needs to be continually updated, approved, and distributed. That’s even before the rebranding.
The challenge isn't just about adding new logos and color schemes, it's about maintaining momentum and customer trust during this change. Jaguar’s recent infamous rebranding — from a familiar automotive brand to an electric, design-forward concept — demonstrates this well. Observers were left confused seeing the iconic brand leave its heritage in the backseat, opting for a bold, unfamiliar vision. Even traditional, beloved brands must carefully manage change.
But get it right, and the impact can be transformative at any scale. Comfort Union, a small family-owned HVAC contractor, drove a 90% rise in inbound calls and 60% sales growth (year over year) through their strategic rebranding. Similarly, San Antonio's economic development organization attracted over $1 billion in investments by reimagining their brand narrative.
So, what does "getting it right" actually look like? Our work with global brands reveals five key challenges that every rebranding team needs to tackle:
- Centralization becomes critical: With 67% of teams creating separate guidelines just to keep processes moving, Templafy's experience proves the value of having one source of truth for your brand assets. By having brand materials accessible and updatable where people already work, rebranding can happen fast and with minimal disruption.
- Multiple touchpoints demand constant attention: As Borussia Dortmund discovered, brands today need consistency across digital channels, sales materials, and physical spaces. Brand management platforms such as Frontify help teams maintain a unified visual and messaging approach across these diverse touchpoints.
- Outdated systems slow momentum: Teams have to consider the infrastructure of their updated brand, not just the visual changes. Implementing new branding is difficult without proper (or up-to-date) tools.
- Digital and physical rollouts clash in timing: While Nordstrom Rack could update their e-commerce presence overnight, transforming 300 physical stores required significant planning. Each channel has its own unique challenges that demand careful, strategic collaboration between teams.
- Global coordination gets complex: Regional offices need different levels of brand access and training, as do external partners or agencies. For Bosch, which manages 470 subsidiaries in 60 countries, the key was a gradual, strategic rollout across teams and regions.
Addressing these challenges requires more than just good intentions — you also need the right framework. Brand management platforms provide that foundation.
Brand management platforms explained
A brand platform is a central hub for all your brand information, resources, and assets. Think of it as your brand's digital home where guidelines live, collaboration happens, and consistency thrives.
The best digital asset management (DAM) software for your brand is one that fits your business needs. However, most DAMs offer common solutions to key rebranding challenges.
- Single source of truth: No more scattered files or conflicting versions means your teams can access and use the latest approved assets and brand guidelines directly in their workspace.
- Smart asset management: As brand assets multiply (and they will!), intelligent search and filtering options let you find what you need. DAMs help teams organize everything from logos to templates, making rebranding updates efficient across channels.
- Flexible rollout support: Your brand platform becomes the go-to source for managing implementation, whether you're launching all at once or in phases. You don’t have to worry about outdated assets slipping through because teams access what they need at the pace that works for your brand.
- Seamless tech integration: Connect your brand platform with the tools teams already use daily — from Figma to Slack and OpenAI. It’s not just about improved efficiency, it’s also about meeting teams where they work their best.
- Built for global control: Set who can access and edit different brand elements, and save teams hours of manual file sharing or unnecessary admin. The Kansas City Chiefs use this approach to let partners and regional teams access only the assets they need, maintaining brand control while speeding up implementation.
- Monitor performance: Use analytics in your DAM dashboard to track how teams use brand content (or how it performs) and let this data inform future content marketing decisions.
According to our State of marketing efficiency in 2025 report, almost 60% of companies admit they could manage brand assets more efficiently. CMOs are equally split between prioritizing unified brand experience (39%) and demonstrating ROI (39%).
Platforms like Frontify offer a solution to both challenges.
The best time to adopt a brand management platform
A brand platform adds value at any stage of your rebranding journey. Whether implemented before or after your rebranding, they offer distinct advantages at each stage.
Pre-rebranding: Laying the groundwork
Setting up a brand platform before you start on your journey creates a strong foundation for the upcoming change. Your teams can learn the system with familiar assets first, making the transformation smoother when new brand elements arrive.
- Consolidate your brand assets across different stages: Brand transformations can be messy. Brand platforms simplify wrangling multiple brand identities into one manageable space. When Thycotic and Centrify merged, they used Frontify to navigate this complex transition, achieving 39.5% brand awareness within six months — nearly double the industry standard.
- Eliminate administrative overhead before rebranding: Avoid scattered files and manual processes when the focus should be on the execution of your brand strategy. Like Schwäbisch Hall, which moved from PowerPoints and PDFs to a centralized system, letting teams focus on strategic brand development.
- Speed up team alignment and onboarding: New team members should be able to understand your brand. Süddeutsche Zeitung made sure of that by using Frontify to help new employees instantly grasp corporate fonts and brand strategies to become brand ambassadors from day one.
Post-rebranding: Sustaining the momentum
Already completed your rebranding? At this phase, a brand platform helps protect your investment while supporting your brand's continued growth.
- Improve creative workflow efficiency: Creative teams shouldn’t waste time on unnecessary admin. Spring Health upgraded its outdated DAM and, as a result, sped up template creation from six weeks to a matter of days. This has saved teams 16 hours per design and given team members more autonomy in content creation.
- Create a single, authoritative source of brand truth: How do you let regional teams tell their story while keeping your brand consistent? Ivoclar solved this by replacing PDF guidelines with a central platform used by 3,500 employees and 100 partners in 30 countries, giving local teams the freedom to innovate within a unified brand framework.
- Implement granular access control: Not everyone needs to see everything. Uber's approach with over 20,000 users shows how controlled access ensures the right people have the right materials at the right time, protecting your brand's integrity while supporting global collaboration.
Make your rebranding count
Rebranding goes beyond swapping out logos. It's an opportunity to reimagine how your brand connects with its audience.
Brand platforms turn the overwhelming rebranding process into something manageable. They give teams the foundation to stay aligned and focused on telling their brand's story authentically.
