Encyclopedia Rebrandia: The launch

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