Creating a solid brand identity for your business is everything. As we have previously stated in our blog post “The importance of creating a strong Brand Identity,” the role that your brand’s identity has is undoubtedly the most crucial part in creating a constant market share. Weak branding undermines all your efforts to grow your business.
What is rebranding?
Rebranding is the process of changing your company’s image by adopting a new logo, marketing materials, marketing strategies, or name. The reasons for rebranding could be various, but the common goal is to achieve a different brand in the eyes of customers, employees, and competitors.
Just like branding doesn’t mean just creating a logo, rebranding isn’t simply changing your logo but certainly is a big part of it.
An interesting example of a rebrand is Starbucks.
Starbucks looked far different in 1971. The company knew they wanted their logo to be related to the sea. In their research, they came upon a 16th-century image of a twin-tailed siren and chose it as the icon of their logo. Sirens were depicted in books as irresistible to sailors, and that’s precisely what they wished the coffee to represent for their customers. However, the image depicting the siren was too revealing, so, over time, Starbucks had to opt for rebranding in order to make the logo more appropriate. They cropped out a part of the image only.
Nevertheless, the main symbol in the logo, the siren, remained the same and recognizable throughout this evolution. It just looked more appropriate for the public. Their design is now also leaning towards a more minimalistic look, and the color changed from the original deep brown to a vibrant and energizing green.
When should you rebrand?
All the big names on the market have changed their logos throughout time, some even multiple times over the past few decades. Some companies tend to experiment and change things up every once in a while, to see what works for their brand.
Some businesses, on the other hand, can take decades to rebrand.
An example of an often-changing brand is United Airlines’ logo design, which has been redesigned since its establishment in 1930.
What are the reasons for rebranding?
1. Rebranding is done when the results you are achieving do not match the desired ones, so there is a feeling that a change has to be made.
This is apparent in cases where the traffic is low and the company wishes to increase their traffic or sales. When your sales drop too much or your business lacks sales, you might be in the need for a drastic image change that will help enhance the demand for the products you have to offer.
2. If you feel your brand is dull and doesn’t stand out enough on the market. Creating the logo or a name that will properly reflect the spirit of your company can be tough. So, in case the current design isn’t exactly working for you, switch it up to be more noticeable and striking.
3. Your company’s goals can evolve over time, so your previous branding may no longer reflect your brand’s personality and goals. Also, your brand may not align with your current idea of the company’s direction.
4. The brand may look outdated to your customers if it was designed in the ’80s. After all, those were different times carrying different trends. If you wish to compete in the modern market, you will have to keep up. If that is the case, you might be in need of a fresh image the audience can relate to.
A couple of decades earlier, the trend in logo design was having extra detailed logos, adorned with shades and glossy effects. It was a reflection of the advancement of technologies that was finding its way into graphic design as well. Not many companies could afford the high cost of fine printing. Therefore, having a detailed graphic design was considered a status symbol.
Now, the logos are being freed from all the clutter, and the designs lean more towards simplified forms. Logo design has adopted round corners and less-detailed images.
Let’s compare the new MTV and Apple logos. The older ones were more detailed and colorful. The new ones are simplified and limited to the usage of fewer colors.
5. When two companies merge, their logo and name need adjustments. It is wise for the new name and logo to still resemble the two companies. That’s why some companies choose to take a piece of each company in forming the new name and logo that will properly signify this union.
The mentioned example of an ever-changing logo design, United Airlines, is also suitable here. After a merger with Continental Airlines in 2010, the logo was redesigned again. Their new logo had bold blue “United Airlines” written in two rows, and next to it was a blue square with a white globe. The icon in their new logo was taken from the Continental Airlines’ previous logo.
6. Inconsistent marketing can unintentionally lead to the wrong image, thus leaning towards a different target audience. An example would be a luxury brand that sells clothes. In cases where luxury brands lower their prices, it will stop being a luxury brand since the demographic of its customers may drastically change. In order to retain the status of a luxury brand, the company would have to solve the situation with a striking image change, reminding people why the product they offer is luxurious.
7. Demographics change, and you can only sometimes rely on having the same target audience since trends change as well. Sometimes, it’s all about staying relevant. The younger audience that your business was once turned towards is now fully grown. If your content is still turned towards a younger audience, keep in mind that teens nowadays will lean towards a different aesthetic. Their experience is different, and so the references they will relate to will also be different and can appear in your new slogan.
When you shouldn’t rebrand:
When you are bored of your current brand image. Sometimes a change isn’t really necessary, and it’s smart first to assess whether the change is actually needed. We wouldn’t want a situation where people cannot catch up with all the changes the brand makes, making their image appear untrustworthy and hasty, and perhaps forgettable.
Make the best out of the rebranding
Let your audience know in advance the rebranding is coming, and use the whole rebranding process to create the hype for people.
Let them know that you are relevant, and keep them tuned in on all of your changes.
Author: Andjelija Randjelov
