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Rebranding Process
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Successful Rebrands
ARTICLE #23
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What to consider when rebranding your business?
Written by:
7 min read
Updated on: April 5, 2024
Samson Mosilily
Senior Regional Manager
African Market, Regional Management, Growth
Rebranding your business can feel like stepping onto a tightrope: you need steady footing, detailed planning, and the nerve to keep going despite the risk of a wobble. Some brands rediscover their spark after a refresh, while others stumble and face the fallout. When you rebrand, you might fine-tune your brand’s visuals or embrace a new message that speaks to an updated audience. You could decide to shift market position or introduce a brand-new product. All these steps alter how people perceive your business, so a proper plan is essential before committing your money, time, and energy.
Below is a detailed look at the key considerations that professionals often highlight when deciding whether a rebrand is worth pursuing. You’ll see what drives the need for rebranding, how to define values and missions, and practical advice for implementing changes.
1. Reasons for rebranding your business
When you decide it’s time to revamp and redefine your brand image, you are taking on a massive project, one that can change how customers perceive you, how you stack up against competitors, and even how your employees feel about going to work. Below are some common signs that it might be time to hit the “rebrand” button, along with real-world insights into why these moments demand a new look and message for your company.
The revenue is dropping
If your revenue’s moving in the wrong direction, consider it a flashing red light to re-examine your brand. Sometimes it’s price increases that scare off buyers; other times, you might be experiencing seasonal dips or economic slowdowns. Or maybe a game-changing market development (like a new Facebook ad feature) undercuts your main selling point. Regardless, a brand refresh can help you reintroduce your business with renewed purpose, offering something compelling enough to turn that negative cash flow around.
When numbers plummet, customers often suspect your product or service is out of sync with what they need. Rebranding can recast you as modern, relevant, and worth a second look—especially helpful if a big chunk of your audience has started ignoring you.
You are being outperformed and overlooked
If a direct competitor with the same features and price point is somehow stealing all the limelight, it’s time for a brand checkup. The best product in the world won’t sell if it comes across as bland or “me too.” Strong brands stand out like a neon sign in a pitch-black room at a glance, and people instantly know what you offer and why you are better. Branding isn’t just about visuals; it is about highlighting your unique value. If your rival is crushing it while you are stuck in neutral, a new brand identity could help customers see why you’re worth a shot (or a second shot).
Low customer interest
If shoppers browse your site or store, shrug, and move on, that’s a big wake-up call. It might mean your branding is either non-existent or unmemorable. Worse, it could suggest that your brand promise doesn’t match what people actually want. Low engagement spells trouble for lead generation and long-term loyalty. By rebranding, you can reposition your business to speak directly to customer pain points—maybe your messaging has been too generic, or your visual style is outdated and doesn’t reflect what’s hot in your industry right now.
Branding falls out of style or off-trend
Visual elements and brand messaging often revolve around current trends, but trends shift. A logo that looked sleek five years ago might now seem like a relic from an older era. Or your big unique selling proposition (USP) might hinge on something that’s no longer a big deal to modern consumers. People judge books by covers all the time—especially online. If your design or brand “tone” feels behind the curve, you risk losing sales before you even get a chance to talk about your product’s merits.
Brand no longer aligns with business
It’s not always external changes that force a rebrand. Sometimes your own evolution is the culprit. Maybe you’ve pivoted from a B2C model to focusing on larger corporate clients. Or your original USP was about being the budget-friendly option, but now you’re leaning toward premium, high-touch services. When your messaging, visuals, or tagline says one thing but your day-to-day operations tell a different story, you get a brand identity crisis. A rebrand helps you realign everything under one cohesive vision—no more mixed signals.
Your company is scaling up or down
Expanding or downsizing can drastically alter your audience demographics, the scope of your offerings, and even the tone of your marketing. A rebrand in these cases isn’t just about new graphics; it’s about redefining your place in the market. If you’re targeting small businesses now instead of enterprise giants (or vice versa), your entire brand story should shift. Customers need to see that your new direction is intentional and has substance, not just a random pivot.
2. Values and mission
Building a brand is about who you are at the core. Think of your values and mission as that first-day-of-school uniform: it tells the world something about you the moment they see it. Except in this case, you really don’t want to end up with ketchup on your shirt. If your business’s identity is murky, people will sense the inconsistency and lose faith in what you stand for.
Defining your core values
Core values are the governing principles that dictate every choice, from product design to customer relations. If one of your brand values is sustainability, that doesn't necessarily translate into recycling cans in the breakroom. It does mean considering every step, such as sourcing materials, packaging, and shipping, and asking yourself whether you are honoring your green commitment. The moment you skimp, loyal consumers notice.
Creating a clear mission statement
A mission statement should sum up why your business even exists beyond just making money. Are you trying to simplify people’s lives with a gadget? Elevate health and wellness in your community? Disrupt a stale market with fresh thinking? This short, sharp sentence or two sets the tone for both internal teams and outside audiences.
Keeping it real
Fancy words in a mission statement won’t mean squat if they don’t translate into action. People can spot a disingenuous “Our mission is to save the planet” claim if your company churns out heaps of non-recyclable packaging. So, if your brand mission is about authenticity, make sure every department is on board—marketing can’t promise one thing while manufacturing does the opposite.
3. Value proposition
When you rebrand, you are not just switching up your colour palette or slapping a new logo on everything. At the heart of it all is your value proposition: the core reason customers stick around (or new ones decide to show up). If you don’t clarify what unique benefit your brand brings to the table, all the fancy redesigns and snappy taglines won’t do much good.
Why the value proposition matters
Think of the value proposition as your brand’s “North Star.” It guides every decision—from which new features to develop to how you craft your marketing messages. If your team’s day-to-day efforts don’t align with that proposition, you’ll end up with a fragmented rebrand that confuses more than it captivates.
Whether you are targeting loyal long-timers or fresh faces, people need a clear, compelling reason to care about your rebrand. If they can’t immediately see “what is in it for me,” they will shrug and move on. A strong value proposition, one that focuses on tangible benefits, makes them say, “Oh, that’s why this brand matters to me.”
What goes into a value proposition?
Vague statements like “We put customers first” or “We struggle for excellence” feel more like hollow platitudes. Instead, point out something specific, such as promising 24/7 service, eco-friendly products, or the fastest delivery in your market.
Your competition might offer something similar, but your job is to highlight the angle only you can pull off. Maybe it’s a cool loyalty program, an innovative manufacturing process, or a distinct style that’s simply unmatched. If you blend in with everyone else, people won’t bother switching brands.
Facts and features are great, but they rarely hook someone’s heart the way an emotional story can. If your brand is about sustainability, show how you are saving oceans or cutting plastic waste. If you are about top-notch customer service, share real-life stories of how you’ve gone above and beyond.
How it shapes your rebranding strategy
From the visuals in your brochures to the tone of your emails, everything should scream (or at least politely state) the key benefit you offer. Rebranding might mean retooling all your designs and marketing materials so they reinforce that new value proposition. If your new brand look is bold and edgy but your core value proposition is about warmth and familiarity, there’s a mismatch. Ensure your brand voice, design language, and digital experience all reflect the new promise you’re making.
Don’t forget: it’s not just about how the public sees you. Your internal teams—marketing, sales, customer support—need to fully grasp and believe in this value proposition. If they don’t buy in, they’ll struggle to convey it to the outside world.
4. The needs of your audience
Before you dive headfirst into rebranding, it helps to remember who you are doing it for. You might have a crystal-clear sense of what your business offers and why you are in the market, but if your target audience doesn’t connect with that, the “why” won’t matter much. Here is why starting with “who” is key, and how to factor those insights into a truly resonant brand refresh.
No matter how good your brand story is, it won’t gain traction if it doesn’t address real people’s wants and needs. Whether you are selling eco-friendly products or cloud software, you need to figure out if your intended audience cares about your particular spin. Maybe they value sustainability, or perhaps it’s all about price or convenience. The better you understand them, the more accurately you can shape your new brand identity to speak their language.
Figuring out the “who”
Talk to real customers, run surveys, and sift through social media comments. Look for patterns: Is your audience raving about your fast shipping, but never mentioning your “luxury” branding? Could be a sign that you’re pushing the wrong angle.
Demographic vs. Psychographic: Demographics (age, location, income) give you a snapshot of who might buy your product. But psychographics (interests, beliefs, attitudes) tell you why they’d choose you over a competitor. Understanding both will guide how your new brand elements—color palette, messaging tone, even packaging—can appeal to your core market.
Balancing your vision with their needs
Sometimes, brands get trapped in a bubble of their own making—team members fall in love with a certain aesthetic or brand narrative. Then, when it goes live, the audience yawns or scratches their heads. By placing customer feedback at the heart of the rebrand process, you’re more likely to strike a balance between what you love and what resonates with the people actually buying your products. Run small-scale tests. Show design comps or messaging samples to a select group and see if it clicks. Tweak until the feedback is consistently positive or at least constructive.
“Start with who,” not “start with why”
Yes, understanding your why (your mission, your purpose) is important. But if you don’t account for who you’re trying to serve, that's why it might fall on deaf ears. By flipping the usual script, you ensure your brand refresh genuinely speaks to the customers who keep your lights on. If your rebrand aims to highlight “handcrafted” aspects but your audience mostly cares about a budget-friendly product, you might need a different angle—like emphasizing value-for-money craftsmanship instead of assuming everyone’s thrilled by artisanal details.
5. The impact of your rebrand
Before you dive in, ask how your rebranding will affect your customers and prospects—not just your internal team or your budget. Too often, businesses stress over the money, time, and resources involved but forget about the potential whiplash for customers. If your new brand identity throws them off or feels disconnected, you could lose their trust. Think of ways to re-engage them—through updated messaging, clear announcements, or special previews—so they don’t feel blindsided. A rebrand can be a great conversation starter—unless your audience is left scratching their heads. By proactively prepping your customer base, you avoid that dreaded “Who even is this company now?” moment.
6. Growth trajectory
Rebranding isn’t a magical band-aid for every growth or retention issue. Founders of startups might assume their brand is the only problem, when sometimes, the real culprit is the product itself or a weak marketing strategy. If your product isn’t resonating, slapping on a new logo won’t do much. However, a rebrand can amplify what already works, especially if you’re seeing solid traction but want to take it up a notch. If you rebrand without solid product-market fit, you’re just rearranging the furniture in a shaky house. Fix the foundation first, then let the rebrand be the megaphone that shouts about your newfound strengths.
7. Your 5 to 10-year plan
It’s tempting to focus on the immediate payoff of a rebrand, but long-term vision is crucial. Where do you see your company in 5 or 10 years? If you only design your new identity around current realities, you risk having to rebrand again soon. Map out future product expansions, market entries, or audience shifts. Then shape your brand to reflect where you’ll be down the road—not just where you are now. A short-sighted rebrand can lock you into a look or message that feels outdated way too fast. By thinking ahead, you ensure your brand grows with you, instead of boxing you in.
8. The increase in revenue
Rebrands can feel like a big financial gamble, but for many, the goal is a bump in revenue down the line. That might mean consolidating multiple brands into one cohesive entity or repositioning yourself to appeal to a higher-paying audience. Yet it’s not always a sure bet. If the immediate costs and potential dips in brand recognition overshadow future earnings, you might want to pump the brakes on that big launch. The best rebrands balance short-term pain (like new signage, design costs, or temporary confusion) with long-term gain. Make sure your math shows the eventual wins outshine any initial disruptions.
9. Brand building plan
Once you’ve hammered out your new brand identity, you still need a game plan for rolling it out to the world. Think about how you’ll hype it up—internally and externally. Will you host an internal kickoff event so employees become brand evangelists? How will you handle digital campaigns, PR, or social media promotions? Rebranding can flop if you just change a logo and call it a day. Success hinges on how you tell the story behind the changes and onboarding everyone, from employees to loyal customers, so they actually embrace the new look and messaging.
10. Update your digital presence
The final step is implementing those fresh visuals and messages across your digital ecosystem. That includes your website, social channels, email signatures, third-party listings, and SEO metadata. Don’t just swap out the old logo and call it good—think about rewriting product descriptions, updating brand guidelines, and refreshing ad campaigns to reflect the new identity. A half-baked rollout can confuse prospective customers and longtime fans. If your Twitter banner looks different from your website, people might question your consistency or wonder if they’ve landed on the wrong page. Keep the brand experience seamless and professional across all platforms.
Examples of rebranding your business
Rebranding has reshaped plenty of big-name companies. Some soared to new heights, while others tripped over their own shoelaces. Below are two success stories that show what a well-executed rebrand can do when it hits the mark.
Facebook/Meta
In October 2022, Mark Zuckerberg’s organisation rolled out a fresh identity and became Meta. This switch pulled Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp under one name, introduced a new logo, and launched Meta.com. Though opinions were mixed, the change hinted at the company’s larger plans in digital spaces.
Dropbox
Dropbox debuted in 2007 as a straightforward way to store and share files. By 2017, it had grown into a hub for collaboration with APIs, integrations, and a wide assortment of tools. The new logo and brand approach highlighted how Dropbox had moved beyond file storage, positioning it as a workspace for individuals and organisations alike.
Spotify
Spotify started out as a small music platform but soon gained global attention. In 2015, the brand introduced a more vibrant colour palette and a simpler, friendlier logo, emphasising its ambition to be the top spot for music, podcasts, and beyond. This refresh helped listeners immediately recognise Spotify’s willingness to connect people worldwide through accessible audio experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it a good idea to rebrand your business?
Yes, a rebrand can realign your company with its current goals. Many organisations choose to rebrand when their legacy identity starts to feel outdated. A strong rebrand can recharge how people see your business, which can support growth and a renewed sense of purpose.
What are the three types of rebranding?
Brand merger: Merging two existing brands into one cohesive entity.
Brand refresh: Moderately changing elements like visuals or messaging to appeal to a broader audience and modernise the brand.
Full rebranding: Overhauling everything from logo and name to messaging and core values, sometimes alongside a new business strategy.
How do I announce a rebrand?
A press release can outline the changes and clarify what remains intact. Compare the old identity with the new, explain why the rebrand matters, and highlight how it might benefit your current or potential customers. This is also a good place to mention any new direction for the company.
Final Thoughts
Rebranding your business can bring new energy to your organisation. It offers a second shot at connecting with markets, capturing attention, and staying competitive in the years ahead. Although change can feel daunting, it often sparks fresh opportunities when handled with a solid strategy. Make sure you map out what needs to be overhauled internally, set realistic goals for your market-facing assets, and consider whether technology could streamline the process. If done thoughtfully, rebranding can mark an exciting milestone in your company’s story.
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