Encyclopedia Rebrandia: How to plan a rebrand
To rebrand or not to rebrand?
Deciding to rebrand requires deliberation and thought. We’ve created an Encyclopedia Rebrandia — a repository of all things rebranding, a start-to-finish road map for the journey complete with insights from design agencies and newly rebranded brands.
Before any other decisions can be made about the style of a new logo or what tone of voice to employ, a crucial element of a rebranding process must be considered: Is it necessary, and what is the aim?
I.a – Should you rebrand?
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- Or it could be corrective—to address negative perceptions and outdated associations that the brand has picked up.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.
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*