re branding.
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Repositioning vs. Rebranding Page 6 Rebranding Strategies Page 18 Is It Time to Rebrand Page 32 Rebranding Fails Page 44
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EDITOR’S NOTE There are several contributors that go into choosing between items on the grocery store shelf. Growing up, I would make most of my purchases based off of the packaging design, or various branding attributions that contribute to the identity. I recognized how important a business’ branding reflects their trustworthiness, professionalism, how compelling they are, and overall identity. Because of this, I became interested in the effects of rebranding an existing business and how it can benefit. Throughout my studying and researching, I discovered how incredibly complex rebranding is, and how it isn’t always beneficial. I compiled my research and perspective on rebranding through this magazine. I hope it benefits business looking to reband, and spreads awareness on the topic altogether. Enjoy!
madeline
3 rebranding | Editor’s Note
CONTE 01
Repositioning Vs. Rebranding
Rebranding Strategies 20 Rebranding Strategies
08 McDonald’s Repositioning
24 Air Bnb
10 Starbucks’ Repositioning
26 The Dos and Don’ts of a Rebranding Strategy
12 Brand Repositioning and Rebranding Strategies 16 Repositioning Vs. Rebranding
4 rebranding | TOC
02
ENTS 03
Is it Time to Rebrand? 34 Comcast Logo Change 36 Four Ways to Know when it’s Time to Rebrand Your Business 38 Is it Time to Rebrand?
04
Rebranding Fails 46 Corporate Rebranding Dos and Don’ts 50 Poor Rebrand: Royal Mail 52 Seven Terrible Rebranding Failures
5 rebranding | TOC
1
repositioning vs
s. rebranding 7 rebranding | Section Name
MCDONALD’S REPOSITIONING By, Rebecca Fulleylove Ever since it was launched, McDonald’s positioned itself as a familyfriendly low-cost restaurant. Till the early 2010s, the company lacked digital innovation and was known for applying the one-size-fits-all approach to all its outlets. It also received a lot of criticism for having had a menu that had a bad impact on the body. And the brand also had bad relations with its employees. This made the brand to be less trusted and made the customers try other alternatives. This made McDonald’s draft a strategy to reposition itself. This is how it went – The company repositioned itself as a modern, progressive burger company and changed its philosophy from “billions served” to “billions heard.” It included various digital kiosks within the stores and unveiled a program called “Create your Taste” where customers could build their own burgers using digital kiosks. It even launched a mobile application to enhance the digital customer experience. All this was supported with aggressive marketing to target the ‘younger audience’.
The company also executed a repositioning strategy in the late 2010s where it launched a completely new format for McDonald’s franchises. This format is called the “to-go” location, which is a stripped-down version of McDonald’s dedicated to takeout orders. This new format doesn’t include tables and chairs but is full of touch screens for customers to order. And since the ordering is done only digitally, all of the human employees work on fulfilling the orders, which results in faster order processing. Even the menu is streamlined only favourite items like fries, chicken nuggets and the classic Big Mac.
8 rebranding | Repositioning Vs. Rebranding
9 rebranding | Repositioning Vs. Rebranding
STARBUC REPOSIT
10 rebranding | Section Name
CKS TIONING By, Aashish Pahwa
Starbucks failed when it tried to penetrate the coffee
The actual brand value proposition was built on friendliness
industry in Australia in the early 2000s. The company
but the company spaced away from it by focusing more on
launched its first store in 2000 and tried to penetrate by
generating steady customer turnover. The employees used
taking its existing brand promise of ‘coffee as a service’ to an
automatic machines and were so busy with work that they
existing matured market. Starbucks didn’t fit the Australian’s
hardly conversed with the customers or provided them
tastes. The company charged more than the local cafes and
with a different experience. And Starbucks followed the
served sweeter coffee options than the locals preferred. As
same menu and strategies in Australia that it followed for
a result, the company saw its losses go up to $105 million
other countries, ignoring what actually was desired in the
in the first seven years and had to close 70 percent of its
market. It even followed its no advertising strategy which
underperforming locations by 2008.
backfired. This called for repositioning. So in 2014, when the Withers family (who own the 7-Eleven stores) bought the
Here’s why it didn’t work out for the brand:
Australian license for Starbucks, they repositioned the brand to be more ‘Australian’. The menu was changed according
The market was already saturated and the company offered
to the Australian tastes, the coffee was made more of an
nothing new – in-store furnishings, magazines, music and
experience, and stores were reopened strategically with the
wi-fi were already provided by the other local brands.
focus shifted to cater to the tourist population than the locals.
11 rebranding | Repositioning Vs. Rebranding
brand repositioning and rebranding strategies: words of caution By, Marilyn K. Dayton
Many companies (and ad agencies, for that matter) confuse rebranding with repositioning, using the terms “rebranding” and “repositioning” interchangeably. Know the difference between rebranding and repositioning and which one you need is often the difference between success and failure.
Rebranding Versus Repositioning While rebranding—the development of a new brand image — is often an important part of successful repositioning, by itself, rebranding generally represents cosmetic changes. And while rebranding often works in the world of packaged goods, without underlying change, rebranding alone rarely works in business-to-business marketing. That’s because business-to-business marketing isn’t driven by 30-second commercials, merchandising, and package design. Business-to-business marketing is driven by relationships and actions. If you’re a business-to-business company and you engage an ad agency for rebranding, they’ll probably do great work, and you’ll feel really good about your new image. Unfortunately, many people get lulled into thinking rebranding is going to solve their problems and make prospects want to buy their stuff. It rarely turns out that way.
12 rebranding | Repositioning Vs. Rebranding
There are some cases in which rebranding is the only thing
When you come across true true non-corporate brands in
needed to reposition a business-to-business company or
the B2B marketplace, most of them have their origin as the
brand, however, these cases are rare. They happen
result of an acquisition of another company, the anticipated
when the company or brand already has strong, relevant
or desired spin-off of a division, or a product or service line
differentiation, is currently doing everything right, and the
not so closely related to the historical operations of the
sole purpose of rebranding is to more persuasively reflect
corporate owner. The goal of a truly independent business-
what it is already doing. Rebranding often plays a role in
to-business brand is to build brand equity, to increase
repositioning, but it’s later in the repositioning process—
the value of the brand. And that value is driven by focus,
and never before clearly identifying the optimal positioning
differentiation, and broad relevance. You want the brand
and determining the brand strategy.
to continue to grow in strength and independence from its corporate owner. That’s where the value and the ability to
Repositioning goes deeper than rebranding. Repositioning
transfer (sell) that values lies.
involves identifying the right markets and the right positioning. Determining the right moves to establish the company or
We help clients refine and reposition B2B brands to
brand as a market leader. Aligning staff members. Refining
maximize brand equity and apparent self-sufficiency
and aligning product and service offerings. Identifying,
from corporate ownership, thereby strengthening brand
introducing, and integrating new practices that deliver the
propositions and driving profitable, sustainable growth.
brand and drive differentiation.
Whether you have a truly independent business-tobusiness brand or primarily a corporate brand, we
And lastly, making sure that marketing communications
can help you reposition the brand to compete more
vehicles support the desired position in the marketplace.
effectively, to earn greater margins, and to win business more easily.
While rebranding is often a valid and valuable part of repositioning, rebranding is most often about the wrapping. Repositioning is about making sure the gift is as good as the wrapping and ribbons. So, before you spend a bunch of money on wrapping and ribbons, think about whether that’s really where the problem really lies. Brand Repositioning Brand Repositioning in the B2B worls is often about repositioning the corporate brand. Where brand repositioning is different from corporate repositioning is when brand repositioning is focused on B2B products or services that can largely travel independently from their corporate owners. An independent brand is something that can stand on its own. Strong brands don’t rely on their corporate owners for credibility. For example, as a consumer, does it matter to you whether Tide is owned by Proctor & Gamble or by Unilever? In the business-to-business world, most brands are really corporate brands. Even if you have a branded product line or service line, it’s the reputation of the company behind it that carries the weight. That’s because business-tobusiness purchasers’ brand associations relate more to the company and the relationships they have with it, than to the company’s product or service lines.
Rebranding Strategies There are some cases in which corporate rebranding is the primary initiative needed to successfully reposition a company or brand. Rebranding strategies and rebranding initiatives are appropriate and needed when the company or brand already has strong, relevant underlying differentiation, is currently doing everything right, and the sole purpose of rebranding is to reflect what the company is already doing in a much more compelling, persuasive manner. In short, corporate rebranding is about strategically polishing the apple with sharper, more differentiating positioning. Most companies in need of rebranding suffer from generalized positioning. Usually a company doesn’t want to narrow its message too much for fear of missing opportunities. Therefore, the company doesn’t strongly position itself as an expert in its sweet spot. As a result, people searching for what the company does best don’t recognize the company as an expert, and the company needs to fight harder to win the business it is really good at, business it should win easily every time. On the other hand, conventional wisdom is that more generalized positioning gives a company more opportunities. The reality is this generalized corporate positioning positions a company as, you guessed it, a generalist. To win business, generalists have to not only win over other generalists, they have to also beat out specialists. If your company really is an expert in a focused area, does your positioning reflect it? If not, you should consider corporate rebranding. We often work with B2B companies to hone their positioning through corporate rebranding, sharpening the message to make it more compelling.
“An independent brand is something that can stand on its own. Strong brands don’t rely on their corporate owners for credibility.”
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“Putting a fancier mask on the same person doesn’t change the way people perceive the person them self.” During rebranding, we look for those factors that can most tangibly and credibly differentiate the company in its optimal market. There is no cookie-cutter approach to B2B corporate rebranding. Each situation is different. Corporate rebranding, however, almost certainly includes changes to your marketing messages, i.e., the words used to persuasively position your company. In addition, rebranding may include changes in the design and delivery of key communications vehicles. Words of Caution Unfortunately, many marketers and ad agencies view corporate rebranding as a change in corporate reality. This alone rarely yields significant results. Sure, occasionally a corporate logo may need an update, but that typically isn’t going to solve much unless other changes occur. Our experience in the B2B marketplace has been that designdriven rebranding initiatives almost never achieve the desired business results. Beware of internal and external voices that promote the need for a new corporate identity as a panacea for the company’s problems. Also, be sure to assess whether it’s rebranding or repositioning that you need. While corporate rebranding can make a significant difference in attracting and securing new business, its benefits will be short lived if you don’t deliver on your brand promises or if more significant change was really needed. If you’re not sure whether it is corporate rebranding or repositioning that you need, talk to us. We’ll give you an honest, candid assessment.
repositioning vs. rebranding By, Derrick Daye
16 rebranding | Section Name
Another way to envision this is to think of a brand as a person. If a person rebrands himself, he gains or loses weight, changes his hairstyle and color and wardrobe and perhaps changes his name. If the person repositions himself, he changes his values, attitude, personality or behavior. Any combination of these changes can occur together or separately. Branding Strategy Insider helps marketing oriented leaders and professionals like you build strong brands. BSI readers know, we regularly answer questions from marketers everywhere. Today we hear from Lisa, a marketer in Washington D.C. who asks: “What is the difference between repositioning and rebranding?” Thanks for your question Lisa. Rebranding has become quite popular, especially for brands that want to shed a previously negative image. For instance, Philip Morris rebranded itself to Altria. Or brands that are facing increased competitive pressure like McDonald’s. Rebranding is simply changing the brand’s identity. It typically includes changing most or all of the brand identity elements such as the name, icon, colors, type font and tagline. The identity change may also be accompanied by brand repositioning. However, a brand can be repositioned without changing its identity. Repositioning focuses on changing what customers associate with the brand and sometimes competing brands. This usually entails a change in the brand’s promise and its personality. Taglines often change with brand repositioning (to communicate the new promise). And sometimes the identity itself is updated or refreshed to reinforce the change in the brand’s positioning. However, most brand repositioning projects do not result in completely changed identities. That is, usually the brand name does not change. And frequently, neither do the identity elements other than the tagline and perhaps a slight identity system updating. In summary, rebranding is an identity change. Repositioning is a change in the brand’s promise, personality or other associations. These changes can be performed together or separately.
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rebranding strat
tegies 19 rebranding | Section Name
REBRANDING STRATEGIES: A Step-By-Step Approach By, Lee Frederiksen, Ph.d. There are many reasons why a professional services firm might consider rebranding. Most of them are firmly rooted
TWO. Start With The Business Reason
in a need to reposition the firm in the marketplace. It could
Any rebranding strategy should start with a thorough
be as simple as the merger of two firms or as complex
understanding of the business reason behind the rebranding.
as a major shift in target clients or business strategy. But
Is it driven by a need to accelerate growth? Does your firm
whatever the reason, a firm eventually faces the question of
need to compete with larger, more established competitors?
how to rebrand in a way that yields the desired business result.
ONE. Research Your Firm and Your Target Clients
Some of these business cases are very easy to make, such as a merger of two firms. Others are more subtle, such as outgrowing your image. If you are not clear about the business reason driving the effort, you run the risk of wasting
When you are clear on the business case for a rebranding,
a tremendous amount of resources. Some of the other top
the next step is to conduct independent research on your
reasons to rebrand your professional services firm includes:
firm and your clients. If you are attempting to move into a new market, that research should include your new target clients as well. The goal is to have an objective understanding of your current brand perception and competencies.
• You need to compete at a higher level or in a new market. • Your brand no longer reflects who you are. • Your firm is spun off from an existing brand.
Without this research, you will be operating from an internal perspective only. Our own research on professional services buyers and sellers shows that virtually all firms have blind
• You have a legal reason compelling you to change. • You need to simplify and focus your message.
spots and distort how the marketplace sees them. After all,
• You have a new marketing team.
we are all human. Without objective research, you will build a
• You are launching a new service line.
brand on false assumptions.
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G
“THIS IS NOT MARKETING COPY. IT IS THE SKELETON UPON WHICH MARKETING COPY IS BUILT.”
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THREE. Use Positioning and Messaging to Capture Your Brand Strategy
It is no exaggeration to say that a website and your online presence are the heart of a modern professional services firm. All rebranding strategies eventually involve
As you develop your firm’s market positioning and messaging
your website. In a very real way, a website is built on the
architecture, you will uncover the essence of your brand
framework of your messaging architecture. Together with
strategy. Your market positioning is a brief description of
your remaining online presence (think social media, for
where you fit into the market space. Are you an innovative
example), it is the full expression of your positioning.
leader or a low cost provider?
SIX. Marketing Collateral This positioning will drive many of your subsequent decisions. But you can’t just make something up. It needs to balance who
At this point in your rebranding strategy, you will develop all
you are as a firm and who you want to become. You must be
of the marketing materials that you need to communicate
able to support your positioning or your brand will be hollow.
your brand and services messages. Think pitch decks, proposal templates, brochures, one-sheet fliers and trade
Your messaging architecture articulates your messages
show booths.
to each of your main audiences. These messages must be consistent with your overall brand and supportable.
These are the tools that you will use to communicate your message. They should be firmly anchored in your brand strategy.
FOUR. Build Your Brand Identity
SEVEN. Brand Building Plan
This is the part of the rebranding strategy where you develop
The final element of your rebranding strategy is to develop
the visual elements that will communicate your brand.
a plan to promote and strengthen your new brand. How
Think firm name, logo, tagline, colors, business card design,
will you launch it internally? In professional services, it is
stationary, and the like. These elements are often described
essential that your employees embrace the new brand. After
in a brand style guidelines document, which provides a
all, they are your product.
set of parameters to ensure your brand is implemented consistently across all of your marketing materials.
It’s also important that you build the brand in a way that communicates your firm’s reputation and expertise, as well
Many folks confuse these elements with your brand. Your
as its name. It must communicate your market positioning.
brand is your reputation and your visibility, not your firm’s
Brand building is different for professional services.
name or its logo. Your brand identity is a sort of visual shorthand for your brand.
FIVE. Build Your Website and Online Presence
Some rebranding strategies fail because they try to shortcut the process. Others fail because they picked the wrong partners to work with. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Start with a sound rebranding strategy. Find an experienced
Your website is your single most important communication
partner. Give rebranding the attention it deserves and
and business development tool. It is the place where you can
the rewards will follow. A well-positioned firm that clearly
tell a compelling story to each of your audiences. It is the first
communicates its brand is a formidable competitor indeed.
place a prospective client or employee will turn to learn more about your firm.
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AIR BNB By, Inkbot Design
Airbnb was launched in 2008 as an online
marketplace for people to list their owned or rented properties. Regardless of its global success, it became pretty unclear what’s rentable and what’s not. The company decided to rebrand by adding a new brand position and a new identity. The old logo was replaced with a new one; they changed the brand font and created a bespoke colour called Rausch. That colour was named in honour of the street where the story of Airbnb started, delivering the emotion and passion of the brand. The new icon “The Bélo” highlighted four principles — People, Places, Love, and Airbnb, blended into a single “A” shape.
24 rebranding | Rebranding Strategies
R B For Airbnb, rebranding meant to define a clear brand that would be understandable, approachable and attractive to its audience.
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THE DOS AND DON’TS OF A REBRANDING STRATEGY By, Jordan Devos Companies with strong brand recognition know
had already been conducting ad-hoc user research
that it is a hard-earned position requiring strategy,
while hosting Airbnb guests at their fit-for-purpose
design, and constant attention. When the time
loft. The team then embarked on a year-long immersive
comes to reconsider, revamp, and redefine the brand
research phase that took them to all corners of the world
image, there is a mountain of things to think about. A
where they experienced the brand as users do.
rebranding strategy can be daunting. Combined with numerous internal interviews and However, there are many companies who have gone
extensive competitor analysis, the team uncovered
through the experience of rebranding and have come
common beliefs and values among everyone who
out the other side with a lesson to share. Learning
interacted with the brand. The research successfully
from the wisdom of others (or lack thereof) is the first
brought focus to the brand as a community of belonging,
step towards a successful rebrand.
which they manifested in every brand touchpoint.
REBRANDING STRATEGY DOS
2
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It can be argued that a brand is made up of the people
REFOCUS THROUGH RESEARCH
A rebranding project is no place for the fear of commitment. It’s a time to search every nook and cranny to uncover what it is that makes a brand exceptional and unique.
Airbnb Airbnb’s rebrand is based on extensive research and alignment of internal and external values. Airbnb rebranded in 2014 by DesignStudio. Airbnb is an online marketplace where hosts rent out their homes or rooms to traveling guests. When DesignStudio kicked off the rebrand project, they
26 rebranding | Rebranding Strategies
FIND INSPIRATION IN CUSTOMERS
who ascribe to it. Loyal customers can authentically point to what makes the brand great—a strong foundation for a rebrand.
Camden Market Camden Market’s successful rebranding reflects the community that makes it up. Camden Market rebranded in 2016 by Ragged Edge. They are an outdoor retail space in London with a history steeped in punk counterculture (Amy Winehouse frequented the area). It’s a community that would shun a strict corporate identity commonly found in retail destinations.
With its ear to the ground, design agency Ragged Edge aligned everything under the sentiment
4
“unfollow convention.” There is no static logo but
COMMIT TO WHAT YOU STAND FOR
rather a collection of elements, like typefaces and
Whatever a brand is dedicated to—be it inclusivity,
imagery, that are combined in ways that infuse the
happiness, or nonconformity—its stance should
spirit of the place. The rebrand process concluded
permeate through the entire company and all
with the delivery of a toolkit for the brand and community
brand expressions.
to express themselves—sans brand guidelines. Misfit gained many benefits of rebranding. Misfit’s
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LOOK TO THE PAST TO FIND YOUR FUTURE
Companies born of another era have a treasure trove of inspiration for a revived identity. A brand that evokes nostalgia while stepping into the future is one of fresh authenticity.
Co-op
new brand design strategy consistently reiterates their mission to raise waste awareness. Misfit rebranded in 2017 by Gander. Misfit is a range of cold-pressed juice made from the misshapen fruits and vegetables that go unsold because of their “unconventional looks.” The company didn’t want to simply rebrand their product but to send a clear message: “Food waste is bad news, but totally avoidable.”
Historical photos of the Co-op brand come back to life in the most recent rebrand. Co-op rebranded in
The design of the rebrand communicates this
2016 by North.
commitment in more ways than one. Bright colors are used to convey confidence, odd shapes
Britain-based Co-op is one of the world’s oldest
are celebrated in the logo, and photography
and largest cooperatives, best recognized for its
highlights the misshapen produce. Together, the
supermarkets that dot the UK. The company’s image
brand elements exemplify that food waste is not
was struggling until it looked inward and found the
necessary, creating a brand that cultivates “waste
common threads that ran throughout its history. The
awareness through passion, enthusiasm, and humor.”
original company values were dusted off and the previously iconic cloverleaf shape was brought back to center stage in a new, digital-friendly style.
5
SEE THE BRAND AS A FULL EXPERIENCE
The positive consumer reaction spread across
A brand is not made up of only the logo and typefaces
generations and geography. Creative Director at
—it is the holistic experience a company offers. The
DesignBridge, Chloe Templeman, explains that a
brand should inform every touchpoint, including the
successful rebranding is “about taking inspiration
product experience.
from past brand stories, and then putting a modern lens on it.”
27 rebranding | Rebranding Strategies
The Guardian
The rebranding process was used as an opportunity to
The new brand design of the publication spans
chart its course into the future. “We’re passionate about
across all versions of The Guardian’s products.
democratizing good and helping to accelerate universal
The Guardian rebranded in-house in 2018. The
wellness.” The company’s mission to “bring better food
Guardian is a British newspaper known for
to more people” remains at the core of the brand, but
groundbreaking journalism, famed for breaking
the new design is built for where they plan on taking
the story of Snowden’s NSA leaks. The rebrand was
the company. The photography and illustration styles,
originally done to help save losses, but the in-house
typography, and colors all paint an image of a pleasant,
team took the opportunity to send a message about
wholesome, and simple future. The brand elements are
what they stand for, and carried it throughout all
built to communicate through various outlets, not just
elements of the design.
the supermarket shelf.
Readers come to The Guardian for clarity (especially important in the height of “fake news”). The visual
REBRANDING STRATEGY DON’TS
elements of the publication are designed to enhance their product: journalism. Executive Creative Director Alex Breuer explains “the new design has readability at its heart…with a more flexible page layout in print
1
DON’T TRY TO BE SOMETHING YOU’RE NOT
and online and enhanced use of photographic
Setting high expectations for the future of a company is
journalism and graphics, our new design is simple,
admirable, but a rebrand should never act as a curtain
confident and stylish - providing readers with the
that hides the less desirable corporate behaviors and values.
best possible experience across all our platforms.”
General Mills
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Rebranding a company should be authentic. The new
BRAND FOR YOUR FUTURE COMPANY
The new brand shouldn’t represent what a company has become, it should articulate what it will become and communicate its future vision.
Chobani Chobani’s new brand identity positions the company for its future endeavors. Chobani rebranded inhouse in 2017, led by Leland Maschmeyer. Chobani is a leading yogurt producer in America that uses only natural ingredients. Since it began in 2005, the company has built a respectable reputation born from its dedication to craft, taste, and nutrition.
General Mills logo comes across as insincere and inauthentic. General Mills rebranded in 2017. General Mills is a global food company best known for its boxes of breakfast foods on which America grew up. But as most large conglomerates try to find their place in a customer-driven marketplace that touts company values and authenticity, they have a lot to prove—and to lose. When General Mills refreshed their brand, they jumped on the brand bandwagon and amplified the strength, longevity, and trust that are the pillars of their company. But the simple addition of a heart to the logomark made consumers see an insincere mask that misrepresented the company. It’s hard to ignore the amount of control and profits the super-entity has gained with mass-produced foodstuffs—hardly redeemable with a tiny red heart.
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2
DON’T LOSE YOUR IDENTITY
Arnell Group, the intellectuals that conceptualized
As design trends come and go, a company should not
from science and design—reminiscent of Da Vinci’s
follow the pack blindly. Brands should first understand
heaps of drawings. The team linked the new logo to
what is most true about their differentiator and identity.
Mona Lisa’s facial proportions, geometry of aesthetics,
Pepsi’s “Breathtaking” brand strategy, pulled inspiration
the earth’s gravitational pull, magnetic fields, and
Tropicana
perimeter oscillations.
Tropicana’s rebrand was discontinued mere months after launching. Tropicana rebranded (and re-rebranded)
The confusion and outcry from soda drinkers and
in 2009. Tropicana is a PepsiCo-owned fruit juice maker,
brand experts alike was further fueled by the price tag
best known for its cartons of orange juice. The brand
of $1 million for the resulting scientific nonsense.
had built recognition by way of the red and white striped straw stuck in an orange that appeared on every container. When Tropicana went through the rebranding steps and launched a new packaging design, the team had done away with the iconic symbol and simplified everything within the look, just as competitors had been doing. In one fell swoop, they lost all brand recognition and sales dropped dramatically to 20%. The original design was quickly reinstated, but the fumble will go down in branding history.
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DON’T CHANGE EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE
A brand is made up of many touchpoints that reinforce the company in the mind of the consumer. But when a rebrand upends too many of those touchpoints, it can be disorienting.
Weight Watchers Weight Watchers changed too much in a rebranding proposal. The rarely seen secondary logo of the Weight Watchers brand was the only element
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DON’T OVERCOMPLICATE THE CONCEPT
that carried over in the rebrand. Weight Watchers rebranded in 2018.
The rebranding process can take months, but the final
Weight Watchers is a global weight loss company with
concept should be simple enough to be explained in
a strong history. But as social discourse is ditching
less than 30 seconds. Overly complex ramblings are
numbers on a scale for measures of wellness, the
ripe for ridicule.
company decided to pivot its focus. In doing so, Weight Watchers shortened its name to WW, which stands for
Pepsi
Wellness that Works (or is it Wellness Wins?), replaced
Pepsi, a contender in the battle of America’s favorite
the primary logo with a much lesser-known secondary
fizzy soda, has a long history of rebrands and logo
logo, and updated its visual language. The intentions
changes. Any multibillion dollar company won’t take the
were valid, but the execution left customers feeling lost.
process of rebranding lightly, but there is a risk of taking it too far.
29 rebranding | Rebranding Strategies
In an effort to explain the new identity, the company tweeted, “Weight Watchers is now WW. We have
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DON’T IGNORE THE LAUNCH
a mission: to inspire healthy habits for real life—for
Brands aspire to connect emotionally with consumers. A
everyone. We’ll always be the global leader in weight loss.
rebrand should be introduced in a way that acknowledges
Now we’re becoming the world’s partner in wellness.”
and respects that relationship.
As a brand that connects with consumers during a deeply personal and emotional journey, a sense of
Gap
familiarity and consistency would have gone a long way.
Gap had no rebrand implementation plan. For loyal consumers, Gap’s rebrand was like having the rug pulled
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DON’T DESIGN IN THE DARK
The rebranding process—especially when it involves a logo—deserve time and rounds of revisions. Without the knowledge and perspective of outsiders, a brand can become very shallow.
Yahoo Yahoo was too concerned with minute logo details. The public reaction to the new logo was lukewarm in comparison to the excitement of the people who made it. Yahoo! rebranded in 2013. Yahoo is a web service provider in the same market as Google. When Marissa Mayer became CEO, she initiated a rebrand and immediately immersed herself in the efforts. “I rolled up my sleeves and dove into the trenches with our logo design team… We spent the majority of Saturday and Sunday designing the logo from start to finish, and we had a ton of fun weighing every minute detail.” Seasoned designers know the value of stepping away from a design in order to look at it with fresh eyes. Equally important is the fresh perspective of people who haven’t been involved. It’s easy to develop tunnel vision when designing a new logo. At some point, a design team has to look up from the minute details to assess how the logo represents the brand within a marketplace.
30 rebranding | Rebranding Strategies
out from under them. Gap rebranded in 2010. This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning “Gapgate” of 2010. The global apparel company, Gap, made a massive error in judgement when it revealed its new logo. The critique on the actual design of the logo is long and brutal, but it overshadows the haphazard way in which the change was executed. With no warning at all, the 24-year old logo disappeared and was replaced with a relatively generic new version. Gap loyalists were caught off guard and brand enthusiasts were baffled. There was no rationale, no pitch for future visions, no acknowledgement of the strong brand that helped establish Gap. There was such uproar (in part because of the seemingly random design style) that the company reverted back to their trusted logo in a matter of days.
The Importance of a Rebranding Strategy Rebranding should be an endeavor based on research, introspection, and strategy. The process should not be rushed or deprioritized—rather, it should be done carefully all the way through the launch. By taking the time to find out what makes a brand desirable, a rebrand can leverage the best characteristics of a company and hone a deeper connection with consumers.
It’s clear that success comes to the companies that understand who they are, what they want to become, and how to value the people who are loyal to the brand.
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3
is it time to rebra
and? 33 rebranding | Section Name
comcast logo change:
34 rebranding | Is It Time To Rebrand?
poor timing By, Massimiliano Taddei Comcast was an American cable operator company, which turned into one of the most hated customer services in the United States. In 2010 Comcast made the decision of changing names, hoping to show the customer that they had overcome their customer service issues. However, a logo swap usually doesn’t result in people forgetting a history of bad practices. By changing the brand identity Comcast’s hope was that people would quickly forget their previous negative experiences with the brand. However, the brand could also have put more time and energy into improving customer support, company structure, or internal practices. Since after all, changing the name of a company does not change its reputation! What can we learn from Comcast’s corporate visual identity change? Restore your reputation alongside spending money on changing a brand design. Or, simply focus on listening to your customers to avoid drastic changes in your visual brand identity only to dump a bad reputation!
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four ways to k time to rebrand By, Amanda Bowman Many entrepreneurs and business owners believe that a company's "brand" is simply the company's name and
Companies should rebrand to better differentiate from the competition.
logo. That's not true, of course: A brand is more than just its underlying company's name and logo.
If your company name is generic and similar to that of other businesses, you’re hurting your brand. A generic logo will
Yet, it's also true that that a name and business logo are key
similarly hurt your brand. A related problem occurs when you
ambassadors for a brand, so it's important that both be strong.
use stock art in your branding or marketing materials: You may be hurting your brand because everyone recognizes stock art
Your company's own brand is the sum total of the experiences
when they see it; and those photos may turn up being used by
your customers and prospects have with your company.
your competitors.
A good brand communicates what your company does and how it does it. A good brand also establishes trust
This is where rebranding comes in: It can help your business
and credibility with your prospects and customers. And
stand out from your competitors' by showcasing the things
because a brand evolves over time, many companies,
that make your company different and better.
including some of the most successful ones, rebrand. Even the best companies change their brand identity. For You may have noticed recent rebrands by Dunkin' Donuts,
example, did you know that Google started with the name
Weight Watchers, Uber, Unilever and others. That's why it's
"Backrub" or that Accenture started out as "Andersen
worthwhile to look closely at why companies rebrand and
Consulting"? It's not unusual for a company to outgrow its
what your own company should know to successfully rebrand
name and look for a fresh, unique business name that can help
your business. When should a company even consider
grow its business. Maybe it's time that your company do the same.
rebranding? Here are ways you can know when the time is right.
36 rebranding | Is It Time To Rebrand?
know when it’s d your business Companies should rebrand to give new life to outdated branding.
Companies should rebrand to outgrow their poor reputation.
It's possible that your Comic Sans font, flash-based website or
Uber's recent brand overhaul was necessary to break
1990s color palette is dragging your brand down and making
ties with its bad reputation and visibly demonstrate a
your business look outdated. What are you going to do? The
commitment to a new, improved culture. If your business is
answer is "rebrand," something even the most successful
struggling to overcome a negative reputation, a rebrand
businesses do, as seen from the various iterations of the
can help consumers see you in a fresh new light.
Airbnb logo. Smart companies rebrand because they know that good
Companies should rebrand when their business evolves.
design can make or break a business, because they know they've outgrown their original mission. Maybe your business
Sometimes, a business gets the opportunity to expand
started off selling personalized t-shirts, but now you want
or target a new market. When that happens, it's important
to add customized coffee mugs. If your branding revolves
to ensure that your new customers and prospects can
around t-shirts, customers won't know that they can look to
connect with your brand. That's what happened with
you for mugs, too.
Pabst Blue Ribbon, a low-price U.S. beer popular with fraternities and hipsters. China’s version of PBR -- the stately
This is a common problem,. and we always advise clients to
sounding Pabst Blue Ribbon 1844 -- sells for $44 a bottle!
make sure their business name is not too narrow or literal.
This happened because Pabst saw a chance to re-market itself to the Chinese craft beer market -- a market unaware of its budget reputation in the United States. By doing its homework, Pabst expanded into a new demographic and significantly grew its business. 37 rebranding | Is It Time To Rebrand?
Is It Time to Rebrand? HERE ARE SEVEN REASONS IT MIGHT BE By, Katy French For many marketers, a rebrand is a tantalizing idea. It’s also
7 Signs You Need to Rebrand
a time-consuming process that you need to think deeply about before you dive in. Yes, a rebrand can feel like a fresh
There are certainly reasons to consider a rebrand, as we’ll
beginning, but it’s not always necessary or beneficial. Just
cover below. However, while these may be applicable, no
because you don’t like your brand’s logo doesn’t mean you
decision should be made without doing significant research,
need to scratch everything.
having serious discussions with leadership, and crafting a strong execution plan. (No one has time, money, and energy to
As has been well-publicized, a disastrous rebrand can hurt
waste on a sloppy execution—and, we promise, the Internet
both your reputation and your bottom line. Lest we forget,
will not be kind to your final results if you do it haphazardly.)
Gap’s 2010 logo redesign lasted exactly one week, while Tropicana’s sales fell 20% after their 2009 rebrand.
That said, if you want to know if a rebrand is the right move, here are seven reasons why it might be.
As the adage goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But how do you know when the time is right?
38 rebranding | Is It Time To Rebrand?
01.
02.
You Look Like Everybody Else In Your Industry
You’re Going After A New Audience
Industries change and evolve, and savvy brands do their best to keep up. However, sometimes brands start to think in hivemind and subconsciously adopt each other’s traits. There’s no differentiation, no originality, no standing out. (For example, Netflix and YouTube are both streaming-video services that use a red, white, and black palette. When Twitch launched with an in-your-face purple palette, it made a strong visual statement to differentiate.) Another reason brands can start to look like alike is because they try to one-up each other through rebrands. Just because a competitor changed a logo doesn’t mean you have to. When a rebrand is reactionary, it rarely feels authentic, unique, and original. You can see this phenomenon happening all across the tech industry, as type designer James Edmonson of Oh No Type Co pointed out: If you’ve fallen victim to this, a rebrand might be the only way to claim your space and steal the spotlight. (Not sure where you stand in your industry? Follow our tips to do a competitive analysis to find out.) Example: The Parkinson’s Foundation brand identity could have been mistaken for pretty much any nonprofit organization cause, from “saving the ocean” to “mentoring underpriveleged kids.” But a 2018 rebrand by Ultravirgo helped bring focus, life, and a cohesive feel that reflects the organization’s unique mission.
Sometimes your company is looking to attract a new group of people, but your branding is not primed to help you connect with them. (Unsurprisingly, many brands have struggled to attract millennials, whose media consumption habits and values differ from other generations.) Your brand should always speak to the people you’re trying to reach, so in this case, a rebrand may be the right choice. However, you don’t want to do anything that would alienate your existing customer base (again, think of the Gap reaction). Ideally your rebrand would be something that enhances your brand identity in a way that appeals to both existing and new customers. Example: Coca-Cola’s recent rebrand of Diet Coke (with help from Kenyon Weston) is aimed at grabbing millennial attention through new flavors and fresh, sleek, colorful cans.
03.
04.
Your Brand Has Expanded
Your Brand Is Painfully Outdated
With any success comes the urge to expand—regardless
This is probably the number one reason brands want to
of industry. However, many brands have identities that don’t
rebrand. If the look and feel of your brand is stale and
reflect their current brand strategy or offerings. They may be
you’re embarrassed to go on your website, a rebrand
constrained by cumbersome logos that don’t adapt well for
might be in the cards.
the web or by names that are too product-specific. This is a common problem for industries that evolve If you haven’t had a rebrand since your founder’s great
quickly. (FYI, Google has had seven logos over the last
grandfather started the business, you’re probably in need
20 years.) The instinct to rebrand is understandable;
of a rebrand that is modern, flexible, and future-proof.
however, there is a difference between an old logo and an outdated logo. If you have a well-established brand,
Example: Over the last 87 years, Ad Age has evolved from a
it’s best to do solid audience research before tossing the
one-sheet to a multi-platform media brand. Its 2017 rebrand
old one out. Again, the infamous Gap logo disaster saw a
by OCD gave the brand a bolder, more colorful identity, suitable
backlash because they brand tried to “modernize,” when
for web, print, and any other media.
consumers felt far more connected to the iconic logo. Example: Sometimes modernization is simply a subtle tweak. In 2016 Pentagram designed a new logo for Mastercard, creating a modern feel while retaining the iconic overlapping circles. It was a simple way to bring their ‘90s-inspired design into the future.
05.
06.
It Doesn’t Reflect Your Values
You’ve Dealt With Bad Press
As you surely know, people (especially millennials) want to
As Tungsten Branding President Phil Davis told Ad Age in
align themselves with brands whose values they share. If
the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, “Good branding
you’ve crafted a strong brand strategy and articulated your
can’t cover up bad behavior.” However, if you’ve found
Brand Heart (your purpose, vision, mission, and values), you
yourself in hot water and have taken measured steps to
should know what your core principles are.
make things right and align your values to your practices, then a rebrand might help you move on.
However, if your Brand Heart has evolved or wasn’t properly articulated when your brand identity was created, it may not
Example: The Lance Armstrong Foundation rebranded as
be reflected in your brand identity.
LIVESTRONG after its founder was embroiled in a doping scandal. The new name is so popular that its earlier iteration
Example: ACLU’s mission is “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.” To introduce a patriotic, inclusive feel, they collaborated with Open to rebrand with a new logo that incorporates red, white, and blue—and is flexible enough to be personalized for individual chapters.
has been pretty much forgotten.
07. You’ve Merged Or Acquired With new ownership or partnership comes a new era, so it makes sense to rebrand. (According to the 2017 Landor M&A Brand Study, which analyzed the behavior of S&P Global 100 companies over the past 10 years, 74% of all companies rebranded an acquired asset within the first seven years.) But this type of rebranding should be done with care— and with common sense. For example, Verizon was a successful rebrand, born from the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE. However, Yahoo was widely mocked when it was renamed Altaba.
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Remember: Don’t Make the Decision Lightly A rebrand may right for you as long as it aligns with your brand strategy. If you do decide that it’s the way to go, take care to approach your rebrand methodically and strategically. If you’re ready to proceed, follow our rebrand tips to help things go smoothly from start to finish. Get buy-in. You need everyone on your team to be aligned before you dive in, so make sure everyone is on board from the beginning. Communicate why you’re rebranding. Having reviewed the reasons above, you should know exactly why you’re rebranding. Most importantly, make sure your team understands knows the reason, as it will influence every decision they make throughout the process.
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4
rebranding fails
Corporate Rebranding Dos & Don’ts
By, Brian Lischer When you’ve rebranded as many companies as
If you’ve decided to embark on a corporate rebranding
we have, you start to notice certain patterns. There
initiative, let us first say: congratulations! You’ve made the
are some approaches to corporate rebranding
right decision and we can assure you the investment
that time and again pay valuable dividends. And
will pay off many times over. Next, we suggest you
then there are some that (despite our warnings
familiarize yourself with the following “dos” and “don’ts”
and predictions) lead inevitably to costly failures
of corporate rebranding. They may just save you a lot of
at some point down the road.
time, money, and aggravation when all is said and done.
46 rebranding | Section Name
Corporate Rebranding Dos Do Thorough Brand Research If there’s one thing every corporate rebrand can benefit from, it’s brand research. Thorough research gives you critical insight into the way your customers experience your brand. It helps you identify your ideal customer so that you can craft targeted messaging that’s uniquely compelling for your most valuable audience segment.
Do Differentiate Your Brand The whole point of branding is to separate your company from the competition. But the reason you stand out should be authentic. This is what we like to call “meaningful differentiation.” Determine the unique value propositions only your brand can offer and meaningful (and valuable) differentiation will follow.
Do Create an Unforgettable Tagline There’s nothing like a great tagline to ensure your audience remembers you. Clever, pithy, poignant or powerful, taglines speak volumes with just a few words. Talk about an economic use of words. Beyond conveying a unique value proposition, there’s one thing every tagline should be in the minds of your audience: sticky.
Do Define a Brand Compass A brand compass is the most valuable branding tool there is. Working to define each element of the brand compass is the most fundamental part of the corporate rebranding process. Only by understanding and clearly articulating your company’s purpose, vision, mission, values, and strategic objectives will you be able to position it for success within the competitive landscape.
Do Define an Authentic Brand Personality Your brand’s personality is central to attracting the right types of customers—and keeping them. Customers relate to brands they identify with. Understanding your brand’s behaviors and characteristics enables you to craft an authentic and relatable personality that your target audience will naturally gravitate toward.
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Corporate Rebranding Don’ts Don’t Skip Internal Brand Research You might think you know how your employees feel
Don’t Overlook Brand Architecture Mergers and acquisitions are commonplace these days, and each one has unique branding challenges. The brands that come out the other end with a unified, cohesive narrative are the ones that took the time to carefully engineer their brand architecture. Those that don’t are destined to deal with the consequences of confused customers and frustrated stakeholders. Even if you’re not in the midst of M&A activity, you should always consider what a corporate rebrand entails for your brand architecture.
about your brand, but the reality may surprise you. Internal brand research gives you a comprehensive look at how your employees interact with customers—and with each other. Since they are quite literally the face of your brand, it’s important to know whether or not your employees are aligned with your culture and values.
48 rebranding | Rebranding Fails
that come out the other end “withTheabrands unified, cohesive narrative are the ones that took the time to carefully engineer their brand architecture.
”
Don’t Make a Promise You Can’t Keep Your brand promise is a fundamental commitment to
Don’t Haphazardly Roll Out Your New Brand
your customer. There are many qualities that make
Months of diligent work and emotional energy go into
a brand promise great—authenticity, uniqueness,
rebranding a company. Yet when they finally get the
believability—but the most important part of your
chance to unveil it, many companies think the work is
brand promise is that you keep it—every time. When
done. It’s not! A great new brand deserves a proper
customers trust you to keep your central promise,
rollout, which involves advance planning, strategic
brand loyalty is sure to follow.
unveiling, and coordinated events. A well-executed rollout will ensure you get the most out of your new brand.
Don’t Forget to Establish Brand Metrics They may not be the sexiest part of the corporate
Conclusion
rebranding process, but brand metrics are the most
With all the things to consider when planning a corporate
tangible way to measure your rebrand’s ROI. Three
rebrand, it’s not a project your internal team can handle
types of metrics are important to track: Perception,
on their own. Not only is rebranding well worth doing,
Performance, and Financial. Each type provides
it’s well worth doing right. Our final piece of advice
different insights into your brand’s performance,
is to research, vet, and select the right branding firm
allowing you to make course corrections for
for the job. Since corporate rebranding is always
future performance.
a collaborative process, you can bring your newly learned “dos” and “don’ts” to the table and make sure your rebrand is done right.
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Poor Rebrand: Royal Mail 50 rebranding | Section Name
By, Tony Hardy In January 2001, Royal Mail (the UK’s biggest mail carrier)
too long, too fussy and it hardly rolls off the tongue.
announced a new company name and brand: Consignia.
There are articles online titled things like “Consignia: Nine
What does it even mean? And surely they could have
Letters That Spelled Fiasco” which give an in depth look
chosen a better logo design? Mike Verdin of BBC News
into the name and what a shambles the rebrand was.
called the new name “A duffer. A howling waste of money.” Shortly after one year with the name, the head honchos In theory, the name fits the description of the company
reverted back to Royal Mail and mostly everything was
perfectly. In practice however, people didn’t like it. It was
forgiven, Consignia was forgotten about, except in design blogs where they are still bringing it up over 10 years later. 51 rebranding | Section Name
07 Terrible Rebranding Failures Your Business Can
01
topicana Tropicana is a well-known brand popular for their straw sticking out of an orange. This classic image was to portray the fact that their orange juice is 100% juice. But in Jan 2009, the company decided they needed an image makeover––a full rebrand. The actual orange became less obvious as its only reference was moved to the cap of the juice container. And rather than show the usual outside of an orange, Tropicana decided to show the actual product, a clear glass full of orange juice. The new message focused on that the juice was freshly squeezed, accompanied by the campaign “a squeeze is natural” displaying families hugging. The problem was that people didn’t recognize the new Tropicana brand. All at once, they had changed their logo, packaging, message, and typography. So when customers went shopping for orange juice, they picked from Tropicana’s competitors. Many reported that the new packaging looked like a generic or store brand, not the premium product Tropicana advertises to be. When sales dropped by 20%, Tropicana realized their brand was in trouble and reverted to their original branding by the end of the next month, throwing away
By, Titan Marketing
their 35 million dollar investment into the rebranding campaign.
Every business has to have a brand created for them at some
So what went wrong? For one, the drastic rebrand made
point in their existence. A brand is what a business stands behind
them unrecognizable. Secondly, they underestimated the
for their target market to connect with and recognize them. But
emotional connection their customers already had to their
what happens when that brand is recreated? Is it a smart move
original brand. And third, in an attempt to look modern, they
or detrimental one? Is it best to always stick to the classics?
made themselves look cheap.
From the companies we’ve looked at, plenty of them have succeeded in recreating their brand. However, for the sake of learning, we are going to focus on the brands that failed in consumers’ eyes. So while you may think some of these were a success, the majority of people would say otherwise.
02
pepsi
Pepsi’s most recent logo is one that didn’t fail due to how it
Here are 7 brands who failed at rebranding themselves and what they did wrong.
looked, but rather due to the market’s confusion over the price tag and strategy behind it. Most people have a hard time understanding why Pepsi spent a million dollars for their existing logo to simply be tweaked. If you didn’t see the
53 rebranding | Rebranding Fails
original logo side by side with the new one, you may not even realize there was a change. The only change was that the wave going through the middle of the logo became more of a swoop. So why pay a million dollars? What those who aren’t in the design world often fail to realize, and reasonably so, is that the price tag for a logo isn’t for the final product but rather for the thought and time that goes into its creation. Arnell, the agency responsible for the logo update has a 27-page design strategy behind the logo that refers to the renaissance, the golden ratio, earth’s gravitational pull, and so many other scientific reasonings to create the perfect “breathtaking” angle. So was all that thought process pointless? Possibly. Could they have stopped halfway in that process and ended up with the same outcome? To judge for yourself the thought process behind the logo update, read through Arnell’s “breathtaking” design strategy. The strategy behind the logo rebrand didn’t stop with their scientific reasonings, though. Once they had created this new logo, they created more to look like different smiles under the campaign of “One identity; multiple emotions.” Unfortunately, no one quite got that branding strategy either.
03
scifi channel
The SciFi channel’s decision to rebrand themselves wasn’t a bad choice. They needed to trademark their name and couldn’t. But instead of coming up with something more original, they decided to go with a misspelled version of their name. The problem: either no one looked up their new name on the internet or they didn’t care to concern themselves with the fact that their new name “SyFy” is slang in most parts of the world for syphilis. So while they were going for a more hip and cool vibe they could trademark, this TV channel can’t avoid the immediate association with an STD.
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04
olympics When the logo for the 2012 Olympics was released, it was believed to be universally hated by the world. There is no way to tell if everyone hated it, but plenty of hate rose up over the logo to show it wasn’t widely accepted. The logo was an attempt to be modern but ended up looking too urban, too young, and not representative of London where the
something to save themselves from negative customer opinions. They changed their name to Xfinity in an attempt to make people forget how much they hated Comcast. It may have worked for a while, but Xfinity has only seemed to adopt Comcast’s reputation. If you need a reputation fix, you need a strategy change, not a name change.
07 gap
Olympics were being held that year. With all the harsh lines and slantedness of the symbols, no one could be for sure
In 2010, the logo everyone knew and loved to be The Gap
what message it was trying to convey besides “2012.” Some
suddenly changed without warning. It may have been
believed they saw other words in the numbers, while others
this suddenness that made everyone cringe and cry “ew,
saw other symbols. And some may have just been joining in
no! Why?” The Gap is a pretty iconic logo to change. And
on the logo hate for the sake of being cool and fitting in. What
they discovered the hard way just exactly how much their
do you think of the 2012 Olympics logo?
customers connected with the classic “GAP” over the navy
05
square. The second that navy square became a tiny thing in
radio shack
RadioShack has slowly been decreasing in popularity over the years as they seem more and more irrelevant compared to the modern brands in the technology business. Knowing they needed to find a way to compete, they tried to rebrand themselves as “The Shack” while pairing their campaign with Shaquille O’Neal, otherwise known as “Shaq.” Their attempt at being a modern brand failed. While “the Shack” may sound more modern, it doesn’t sound like a place you’d want to purchase high-quality electronics. As an old brand, RadioShack can’t seem to revitalize themselves to succeed in the midst of sellers like Best Buy, Apple, Amazon, Verizon, and so many others. It’s no wonder they are slowly disappearing from existence.
06
the corner, customers lashed out and demanded a change. Some customers went a little overboard, saying they would never buy Gap clothing again. Whether those customers meant it or not, The Gap repented and asked their fans for ideas on how to remedy the logo everyone balked at the sight of. In just 6 days, The Gap reverted to their original logo design, and all was well again.
What Can You Learn from These Rebranding Fails? For one, don’t change all your branding elements all at once (logo, packaging, message, typography, etc). Two, sometimes it isn’t your fault if your rebranding isn’t as well received as you might have planned. While the strategy behind it may have been a good idea, it doesn’t work if your audience doesn’t connect or recognize it. Third, people tend to hate what they can’t understand. If they don’t understand the thought process behind it or the money that went into it (anyone remember the Tennessee logo outrage?), they just won’t accept it. And fourthly, some people will just like to hate on logos and rebrands for no reason other than that they can.
comcast
So when it comes to rebranding your business, it’s all about
When your brand has a bad reputation, you need to do
out at your branding, figure out what it is they connect with and
a lot more than change your name. But that’s exactly
strengthen that bond.
knowing your audience and how they will respond. If they act
what Comcast did when they realized they needed to do
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photo credit
c 1 8 8 9 12 13
56 rebranding | Photo Credit
Ben Chaser Padma Soren JP Gallery Marshall Thomas Sylvia Slous GraceLynn Cochran Andrew Hicken
14 Paolo Rodriguez 15 Hazel Lee 20 Takumi Park 21 Stacy Sherry 24 Thomas Mace 30 Riker Rowley 33 Sevedyn Jackman
38 Tyson Child 38 Tofa Tatu 39 Natasha Berlin 39 Emma Cox 40 Liesha Lowrey 40 Juan Rodriguez 41 Yoshi Palmer
42 Lina Anne Hershman 49 Paul Barfuss 50 Corey Tanner 52 Christopher Landing 53 Quinton Murphy 57 Miles Olson 58 Christina Sandoval bc Lance Gerring
57 rebranding | Photo Credit
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58 rebranding | Next Issue
Ranking the least to most expensive rebrands O C T O B E R
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