You’ve decided it’s time to rebrand your business. What now? As you might imagine, it’s a multi-step process with many factors to consider.

We’ll go through what to do when rebranding, what makes a rebrand successful and also cover some pitfalls to avoid.

Things to Consider When Rebranding

Whether you’re deep into the planning stages of a rebrand or only starting to consider the possibility, there are some things you should take into account.

Your brand’s story

How did your business come to fruition? What’s the story behind the products and services you offer? Are you driven by a mission or social issue? These are questions for any brand to consider and they become even more important when rebranding. Make sure you’re telling your brand’s story in a way that resonates and including what makes you stand out from the competition.

Your customers

If you don’t already have a solid understanding of your customer base, now is a good time to find out. Through research, customer feedback and focus groups, you can decipher the target market(s) buying your product or using your services. You may find that your customers tend to value nonconformity or are drawn toward novelty. Or you may discover that your products resonate with a new market you had not yet considered. No matter what the findings are, analyzing your customer base will give you invaluable insight when rebranding.

Your values

What does your brand stand for? What kind of company culture do you strive to create? Whatever the answers, make a commitment to those principles and see that it translates throughout your branding. If you’re a company that’s passionate about sustainability, be sure to communicate how your brand aligns with that mission and what you do that’s different from your competitors.

How to Launch a Rebrand

According to Hubspot, “one of the most crucial steps in rebranding is tracking brand sentiment before, during, and after a rebrand launch.” Knowing how your customers feel about your products or services and how they view your business is of utmost importance. Collecting customer feedback prior to a rebrand can help you decipher the areas that need improvement while tracking feedback during and after a rebrand will shed light on what’s working and how your message resonates.

Now that you’ve done all your research, listened to your customer and have a clear idea of the direction of your rebrand, you’re ready to launch.

Rolling out a rebrand usually involves a press release that’s sent out to relevant publications as well as posted on your own site. You’ll also want to reach out to customers via your social media channels to let them know what’s changed. Depending on the size of your business, rebrand rollouts may also include local or national print, television and radio advertisements, as well as paid ads on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.  

What Makes a Rebrand Successful

According to Canva, the best rebrands tend to include three things:

• Audience feedback
• Organized brand kits
• A continued opportunity to build reach and awareness

Let’s take a look at some successful rebrand campaigns from recent years.

Chobani

Chobani recently shifted from calling themselves a yogurt company to labeling the business as a “food-focused wellness company.” They also changed their packaging to feature new typography and brighter colors to stand out from the competition. New products such as reduced sugar yogurt further support their wellness-focused mission.

Chobani’s new brand identity makes their product pop on shelves packed with competing yogurt brands, and their new messaging allows them to expand and grow in the future, perhaps even making room for potential new products launches down the road.

Dunkin’

The company recently dropped the word “donuts” from their name, but they kept the same color scheme and typeface for their branding to ensure longtime customers would still recognize them. The decision to drop the word “donuts” was meant to “simplify and modernize” the company name as well as shift the focus from just donuts to include other breakfast items like coffee – all in an effort to stay relevant and relatable to consumers’ changing preferences.

DoorDash

DoorDash recently saw the need to expand into three sub-brands: DoorDash for Merchants, DoorDash for Work and DoorDash Capital. This need no doubt arose from listening to customer feedback and analyzing the target markets that use their site. By catering to each market individually, DoorDash can better communicate with each customer base and address their specific needs and concerns. All three sub brands feature similar logos, colors and typefaces for a cohesive visual identity.

Rebranding that Misses the Mark

Rebranding is a huge undertaking and should never be done “just because.” Your rebrand should have clear reasons behind it as well as research and customer feedback to support the proposed initiatives.

It’s also best to refrain from changing everything about your brand all at once. Start with subtle changes and slowly build from there.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some rebrands that missed the mark.

Gap

In 2010, Gap attempted to change their iconic logo by quietly introducing a new one. But the negative feedback from customers was so strong that the company switched back to the old logo within days.

The new logo didn’t communicate anything new about the company, and from a customer perspective, the new logo seemed unnecessary and arbitrary. The takeaway: change for change’s sake is never a good idea, especially if your brand recognition is high among consumers.

Weight Watchers

In 2018 Weight Watchers changed its name to WW and attached the tagline “wellness that works.” While it may have been a well-meaning move meant to shift focus from simply losing weight to adopting a healthier lifestyle, the new name presented such a drastic shift that it seemed to leave consumers confused.

For a company that’s long been about weight loss, to suddenly move away from that seemed both counterintuitive and inauthentic. The new message just wasn’t resonating with some consumers: as Virginia Sole-Smith said, “It was both very smart of Weight Watchers to say, ‘Oh, let’s brand as a wellness plan, because that’s what people really want, and it gets us away from this whole weight loss thing that’s gotten so controversial,’ but it was also impossible. You can’t drop weight from Weight Watchers.”

We’ve all seen major companies go through rebrands. From the various iterations of the Airbnb logo to Dunkin Donuts’ major brand overhaul a few years ago, most businesses will eventually need to revisit and tweak their branding strategy.

But how do you know when a brand is stale and in need of a rebrand? What are the types of rebrands and the risks involved? We’ll walk you through what business owners need to know about rebranding.

What is a Rebrand?

Let’s start with the basics. According to Entrepreneur, your brand is the “sum total of the experiences your customers and prospects have with your company.” Your brand should let people know what your business does or offers and should appeal to your target markets and demographics.

But over time businesses change, whether it’s through a merger or acquisition, a new product launch or a shift in values and goals, and these changes can lead to a rebrand. But a rebrand doesn’t necessarily mean a complete reimagining of your company’s aesthetic and message.

Partial Rebrand versus Full Rebrand

As the name suggests, a partial rebrand focuses on certain aspects of a company’s messaging such as reworking a logo or launching a new product. Forbes states that partial rebrands are best for established companies looking to update their services or identity in the marketplace.

Full rebrands call for an overhaul of a company’s identity and may involve a new business name, new products or services and / or a new vision for the future. A complete rebrand typically happens when two companies merge or when a business wants to reposition itself in the marketplace. Keep in mind, though, that a full brand overhaul is no easy feat, so consider it carefully before moving forward.

How to Know When It’s Time to Rebrand

So how do you know when it’s time for a rebrand? Whether you’re considering a partial or a full rebrand, here are some telltale signs your branding could use a refresh.

The business has evolved or the vision has changed.

If you’re part of a company with some longevity, you may have already been through at least one rebrand. People change, times change, and businesses are not different. It’s not unusual for an established business to eventually expand into new product categories and services or to

experience a change in scope or vision. When this happens, it’s important to ensure your messaging is up to date and reflects the current scope of your company.

You’d like to reposition your company in the marketplace.

Perhaps you’d like to attract new customers in an entirely new demographic. Or perhaps you’re trying to recover after some negative publicity. Whatever the reason, a rebrand can help customers see your business in a new light. Think about where you’d like your company to be in five years, or even ten years, and build your branding on that vision. Changing a company’s messaging can be instrumental in recovering public opinion after a scandal or mistake or when taking your business to the next level of growth.

The business doesn’t stand out from the competition.

If you’ve noticed that your logo and website look very similar to your competitors, it might be time for a refresh. It’s possible you’re missing out on customers because your brand is too generic. Focus on the things that make your company unique and then translate those distinguishing points into your branding.

You’ve recently merged with another company.

If you’ve gone through a merger that’s a good opportunity to revisit your branding and make sure it reflects the new values and mission of your organization. Structural changes can affect a company’s offerings as well as their target markets and vision for the future. All of these changes should be taken into account when rebranding after a merger or buyout.

The brand is out of date.

If it’s been several years since you revisited your logo or website design, it might be time for a change. Your target audiences’ tastes will change over time and new technology makes for new possibilities. If a website is lacking in user-focused design or functionality, you might be losing out on customers. And if your logo is the same one you’ve had since the 1990s, customers may feel your brand is out of touch. It’s a good idea to revisit your branding every few years to make sure it’s still relevant to your target consumers.

Risks of Rebranding

A thoughtful rebrand can offer many benefits, but it’s not without risk. There are a few potential downsides that should be considered before undertaking any new business strategy.

According to Forbes, “a rebrand needs to be purposeful and deliberate, aimed at communicating a message tied to specific goals.” Undertaking a rebrand, especially a full one, when it’s not really necessary can actually hurt your business. For example, if you’re trying to

boost sales or generate buzz in the media, you’re likely to achieve these goals through a targeted marketing campaign versus a full rebrand.

For partial rebrands, make sure the messaging is consistent with your existing marketing. Inconsistent marketing can create brand distrust, whereas cohesive messaging will reinforce your company’s position in the marketplace and attract higher-quality customers.