The Essential Re-branding Strategies You Need to Know

Last Updated on August 13, 2024 by tech-n-design

We explore the essential re-branding strategies you need to know to successfully revitalize your business with re-branding. It’s a powerful tool that can help you refresh your brand image, attract new customers, and adapt to the ever-changing market conditions.

Understanding and tracking the health of your brand post-rebranding is crucial. For insights on this, consider exploring our article here.

Understanding Rebranding

Rebranding is the process of altering a company’s image and identity to form a new market perception, which often involves developing a new marketing strategy.

Creating the desired impression is a significant part of the process, and enables a business to accomplish numerous objectives, such as connecting with new customers, increasing brand recognition, and updating the brand logo to increase Google ranking.

Rebranding efforts are finalized upon public announcement, often accompanied by brand awareness efforts to promote the new brand identity.

A total rebranding strategy involves a complete brand overhaul, which includes changing the brand’s characteristics, such as its name, logo, or design, in order to create a new identity in the minds of consumers. A company’s website serves as a key communication and business development tool for a contemporary professional services firm, serving as the platform to effectively convey a narrative to each of your target audiences.

Definition of Rebranding

Rebranding involves changing a brand’s characteristics, including its name, logo, or design, in order to create a new identity in the minds of consumers. This process often requires revising the brand’s values to accurately reflect the company’s current values, as well as developing imagery and shapes that contribute to a brand’s identity.

A brand refresh, on the other hand, generally entails making minor adjustments to a company’s visual identity, like its logo or design components, while maintaining the overall brand essence unchanged.

Importance of Rebranding

Rebranding serves to revamp a brand’s image, draw in new customers, and adjust to evolving market conditions. It can provide a business with the opportunity to connect with new customers, increase brand recognition, and enhance their Google ranking by transforming the company’s brand identity.

Colour plays a significant role in rebranding, as it has the potential to make a significant impact on a brand’s image, and certain colours are now strongly associated with the brands that utilize them.

Key Reasons for Rebranding

Key reasons for rebranding include adapting to changing market trends, targeting new demographics, and overcoming reputation issues. Adapting to changing market trends serves as a key motivation for rebranding, as it enables a brand to remain pertinent, distinct, reliable, and expanding in the eyes of consumers.

Targeting new demographics can prompt a rebrand by requiring a modification of the brand’s message, values, and culture to appeal to the new audience. Rebranding can provide a number of potential benefits, such as:

• Developing a compelling brand story

• Increasing brand appeal

• Restoring consumer trust

• Repositioning the brand in the market

Changing Market Trends

Market trends have a significant impact on branding. Brands must stay abreast of market trends in order to effectively position themselves and communicate with their target audience. A business can gain insight into changing market trends that necessitate rebranding by:

• Conducting market research

• Monitoring industry trends

• Analyzing customer feedback

• Keeping abreast of competitors

• Assessing their own performance and sales data

For example, McDonald’s rebranded as Makudonarudo when entering the Japanese market, showcasing the importance of adapting to new markets and trends.

Targeting New Demographics

Targeting new demographics necessitates a brand to reposition itself and adjust its messaging to attract a distinct audience. To target a new demographic, a brand should:

1. Begin by collecting data and conducting research

2. Create customer personas

3. Revise the marketing message

4. Utilize marketing automation

Starbucks, for example, implemented a ‘what’s old is new again’ strategy, revitalizing their brand and appealing to a new demographic.

Overcoming Reputation Issues

Reputation issues refer to any negative associations or experiences that a company has had in the past that may harm its public image. Rebranding can help to create a separation from these past issues and restore consumer trust.

Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s, and Chipotle are some examples of companies that have rebranded to address reputation issues.

Types of Rebranding Strategies

There are several types of rebranding strategies available, including partial rebranding, total rebranding, and brand refresh. A partial rebrand involves a modification of a brand’s visual identity to accommodate new offerings or markets, while a total rebrand necessitates a comprehensive transformation of a brand’s identity, encompassing its mission, vision, and values.

Each rebranding strategy serves a different purpose, depending on the company’s goals and objectives.

Partial Rebranding

Partial rebranding entails making slight modifications to a brand’s visual identity while preserving its fundamental essence. This approach enables the company to revitalize its identity while preserving brand loyalty and equity.

Notable examples of successful partial rebranding in the business world include Dunkin’ Donuts, Tupperware, and Domino’s, which strategically adapted their visual brand identity to accommodate new offerings or markets, while preserving some components of their original brand.

Total Rebranding

Total rebranding involves a comprehensive transformation of a brand’s identity, encompassing its mission, vision, and values. Companies that have achieved successful total rebrands include:

• Keds

• Stella Artois

• Airbnb

• Pizza Hut

• Old Spice

Total rebranding requires following a series of steps, including:

1. Defining the purpose of the rebranding

2. Carrying out research on the company and its target clients

3. Developing a brand strategy with goals and objectives

4. Executing a brand discovery process that includes a visual and communication audit

Brand Refresh

A brand refresh is a less drastic approach that focuses on updating specific elements of a brand’s identity, such as its logo or colour palette.

Refining the brand story is a key factor, evaluate the target audience and product category, update design elements while maintaining a consistent theme, review the business mission statement, and analyse the competition when considering a brand refresh.

Steps to Implement a Successful Rebranding Strategy

Implementing a successful rebranding strategy involves several key steps:

1. Research and analysis

2. Redefining mission, vision, and values

3. Developing a new brand identity

4. Launching and promoting the rebrand

Each of these steps plays a vital role in ensuring the success of the rebranding process and achieving the desired objectives.

Research and Analysis

Thorough research and analysis are key to understanding the current market landscape, target audience, and competition. Gaining insights into these aspects can help a company make informed decisions about its rebranding strategy and ensure a more successful outcome.

Effective methods for measuring brand perception during the research phase include brand perception surveys, qualitative research, and online monitoring.

Redefine Mission, Vision, and Values

Redefining a company’s mission, vision, and values is key to ensuring they align with the new brand direction. Companies should consider questions such as: What activities are we undertaking? How are we executing them? What is our purpose in doing so? This introspection helps in creating a brand identity that accurately reflects the company’s mission, goals, and objectives.

Develop a New Brand Identity

Developing a new brand identity, which reflects the brand’s identity, involves:

• Creating a new logo

• Choosing a color scheme

• Selecting typography

• Establishing a voice and tone

• Designing packaging

• Selecting imagery

These elements should accurately reflect the company’s brand identity, including its updated mission, vision, and values. Companies should identify key elements to incorporate into their new identity, choose colours and fonts that reflect their brand personality, and develop a voice and tone that is consistent with their brand.

Launch and Promote the Rebrand

Launching and promoting the rebrand involves creating a launch plan, developing promotional materials, and engaging with customers through various marketing channels. This helps create awareness and generates excitement among consumers, ultimately contributing to the success of the rebranding efforts.

Some successful rebrand launch strategies include:

• Introducing the rebrand internally

• Changing the logo to signal the rebrand to customers

• Planning the marketing mix and executing the rebranding campaign

Successful Rebranding Examples

Some successful rebranding examples include Airbnb, Dunkin’, and Old Spice, which have all managed to revitalize their existing brand and attract new customers through effective rebranding strategies.

These companies showcase how rebranding, when done correctly, can result in increased brand recognition, loyalty, and an improved brand image, leading to overall success.

Airbnb

Airbnb rebranded to better connect with its audience and differentiate itself from competitors, resulting in increased brand recognition and loyalty. The rebranding process included the introduction of a new brand identity, featuring the “Bélo” logo, designed to encapsulate the ideas of people, love, places, and Airbnb.

The purpose of the rebranding was to foster a sense of belonging within the Airbnb community.

Dunkin’

Dunkin’ rebranded to focus more on its coffee offerings while maintaining its iconic colors and font. The changes included:

• Shortening its name from ‘Dunkin Donuts’ to ‘Dunkin’

• Altering the font type to a slightly more rounded choice

• Investing $100 million in modernizing their stores

This rebranding strategy successfully appealed to a broader audience and emphasized Dunkin’s popular beverage products, particularly coffee.

Old Spice

Old Spice repositioned itself as a brand for both men and women, leading to increased sales and a more diverse customer base. The company utilized several approaches in its rebranding campaign to target women, such as featuring an attractive, masculine character in their commercials and incorporating humour and personality into their marketing.

These strategies enabled Old Spice to expand its reach and consequently led to a substantial rise in sales.

Common Rebranding Mistakes to Avoid

When undertaking a rebranding journey, it’s important to avoid common mistakes that can hinder the success of the process, such as neglecting customer feedback, inconsistent messaging, and rushing the process. Avoiding these pitfalls can help ensure a more successful rebranding outcome.

Neglecting Customer Feedback

Ignoring customer feedback can lead to a rebrand that fails to resonate with the target audience, resulting in wasted time and resources. Effectively gathering and integrating customer feedback during a rebrand can be achieved through various strategies, such as:

• Surveying

• Utilizing the A.C.A.F. Customer Feedback Loop

• Interacting with customers in real-time

• Monitoring social media platforms

• Addressing customer reviews

Inconsistent Messaging

Inconsistent messaging can confuse consumers and dilute the impact of the rebrand, making it difficult for the brand to establish a strong identity.

To avoid this issue, ensure that all marketing materials and communication channels convey a consistent message that aligns with the company’s brand identity and values.

Rushing the Process

Rushing the rebranding process can result in a poorly executed strategy that fails to achieve its objectives and may even harm the brand’s reputation. Approaching rebranding with research is key, introspection, and careful planning rather than rushing the process.

FAQs: Re-branding 101

How do you know when it’s time to rebrand?

A rebrand may be needed when a company’s brand no longer reflects its current values or offerings, if the market perception is outdated or negative, to target a new demographic, or in response to significant changes in the market or industry.

What are the key steps in the rebranding process?

The key steps include: assessing the current brand, defining new branding goals and strategy, designing new brand elements (like logo, colour scheme, tagline), planning and executing the rebranding campaign, and monitoring the impact and feedback post-launch.

What are the risks associated with rebranding?

Risks include alienating current customers, confusion in the market, potential loss of brand recognition, high costs, and the possibility that the rebrand does not achieve the desired objectives.

How do you measure the success of a rebrand?

Success can be measured by increased brand awareness, improved public perception, market share growth, customer feedback, employee engagement, and ultimately, an impact on sales and revenue.

What role does employee engagement play in a successful rebrand?

Employee engagement is crucial as employees are brand ambassadors. Their understanding and advocacy for the new brand can greatly influence the success of the rebrand both internally and externally.

Can social media influence the success of a rebranding strategy?

Yes. Social media can be a powerful tool for introducing a rebrand, engaging with audiences, gathering feedback, and building momentum around the new brand identity.

Conclusion

Rebranding is a powerful tool for businesses to stay competitive and adapt to changing market trends.

When you understand the different types of rebranding strategies, follow the essential steps to implement them, and avoid common mistakes, you can revitalize your brand and attract new customers.

Remember, a well-executed rebrand can breathe new life into your business and propel it forward.