What is Rebranding, how and when to do it.

The term rebranding , or revitalization of the brand , refers to the process by which a product or service created and marketed under a specific name and logo is re-launched on the market under another name (or another identity). This is a very frequent operation in the case of brand acquisitions. But not only.

Indeed, a brand cannot be immutable . Or rather, there are very few cases in which a brand, always the same, can go through the decades always recording successes and approvals. For all the others, as the market and consumers, technologies and competitors change, it is necessary to keep up to date.

After all, one cannot analyze the meaning of rebranding without first knowing what branding is. And, therefore, that process that companies put in place to differentiate themselves from competitors thanks to distinctive names and symbols. Obviously, to define these aspects you need to start from your own corporate philosophy, question yourself about the ideas and emotions to convey. Because they will then be the starting point for carrying out a corporate rebranding.

What is rebranding?

Rebranding arises from a need: to change the brand image of a product/service , and therefore the perception that consumers have of this or of the company that offers it.

There really isn't just one way to rebrand: you can change distinctive elements such as the name, logo, marketing and sales strategies ( total rebranding ) or you can limit yourself to small changes that improve the perceptual assonance of the product . For example, if a company buys a product, it can keep everything the same and just add "the new" before the name (the new product name + the buying company name ). In this case, we speak of partial rebranding .

According to the essay "Rebranding Process - The Process of Corporate Rebranding" by Muzellec and Lambkin, rebranding can instead be evolutionary or revolutionary : in the first case it generally concerns the logo or slogan, in the second a more radical change takes place which can involve example the name. And if the evolutionary rebranding is perceived less clearly by users as it is gradual and responds to adjustments implemented by the company, the revolutionary rebranding brings with it radical changes that immediately catch the consumer's eye.

Finally, there is a third distinction, brought into play by The Economic Times: that between proactive rebranding and reactive rebranding. In the first case, the company adopts this strategy when it wants to improve its brand image, when it wants to grow, when it wants to open up to new markets or reach a target audience that has never been hit before; the second case is instead a response to specific events.

Therefore, depending on the case, a specific rebranding strategy will be implemented.

Proactive or reactive rebranding: when to implement it

The first case in which to study a rebranding strategy is of the "internal" type . For example, the desire to reach with that product a market or a target with completely different characteristics compared to the markets and targets currently addressed. Or, the desire to maintain a certain coherence between an evolution of one's business and the image of that product. Or, again, the will to grow and expand. It is the aforementioned concept of proactive rebranding.

Examples of rebranding of this type are companies that start producing products other than those that form their core business, and therefore want to adapt their image. The rebranding thus achieved does not therefore take place on the product, but concerns the entire activity: it is the so-called corporate rebranding .

Or, in the case of reactive rebranding, you act in response to an external factor. For example, a corporate sale or merger, the need to respond to legal or brand usage issues, innovations and changes implemented by major competitors. But also, simply, the change in the public (especially in sectors that change very quickly, such as technologies or digital marketing).

However, this is not a risk-free operation: change is always destabilizing , especially if it is very evident. And it is therefore necessary that your rebranding is the result of a very careful analysis, to prevent the public from reacting negatively. Or that he doesn't understand the motivations behind that change.

The case of Brand Gap and Airbnb

Years ago, for example, the fashion brand Gap radically changed its logo, receiving criticism from consumers, who didn't understand that choice and who didn't find the corporate values in the new graphics; thus, the managers were forced to restore the old image.

Airbnb , on the other hand, managed to make people appreciate the new logo (accused of having a sexual connotation) by better explaining its philosophy, that of a symbol that represents love, places and people. And explaining how it was designed to be simple and replicable, anywhere in the world.

How to rebrand correctly

Regardless of the purpose of carrying out the rebranding, it is necessary that the entire process follows a precise logic. It matters little whether your income is unsatisfactory or whether you want to acquire new markets: the strategy must be careful and take into account the target you intend to hit.

Everything must therefore start from a careful analysis of your company and your brand, identifying strengths and weaknesses, but also the market. The goal is to try to identify possible threats, so as to beat them on time. Therefore, a wise choice is to analyze your competitors , to understand what works in their company or in their product / service to try to replicate it. Or better yet, improve it.

Secondly, the corporate mission must be transferred to the brand . Always bearing in mind that that brand will have to speak to a specific audience with its needs, tastes and characteristics. The purpose of a rebranding operation is in fact to capture the user's attention: therefore knowing his interests and what he is looking for in a product is fundamental. Only at that point can you move on to the graphic, visual and textual aspect of the product.

Famous rebranding examples

There are companies that, over time, have carried out numerous partial rebranding operations, making small changes that are only slightly perceptible.

This is the case of Google which – several times – has modified its font, changed the order of colors, added elements (later deleted) and made resizing. Or Dropbox , whose rebranding operation lasted ten years, transforming the three-dimensional box into a flat box, according to the dictates of the increasingly popular "flat design".

Among the most successful examples of famous total rebranding we find that of McDonald's : initially known as a "junk food" distributor, between the end of the 1990s and the early 2000s the chain began to introduce a "healthier" offer, to which the logo no longer responded. Thus, the yellow M on a red background – synonymous with cheap and low quality food – has given way to a more discreet M, on a forest green background.

Similarly, Pepsi has also decided to carry out a rebranding operation to bring its logo closer to the values expressed by the brand: at the beginning it was a red writing, Pepsi Cola, with a baroque appearance. In 1950 the graphic of the cap was introduced, in 1973 it lost the name "Cola" becoming to all intents and purposes only "Pepsi". Today the writing has even disappeared, to make room for a white, red and blue circle which is the maximum stylization of the cap element.

In summary, it is good to think about a rebranding operation when:

• the company has changed , due to the introduction of new products or the opening up of new markets
• the public has changed , just think of how much the purchasing power and viral word of mouth of the Millennials have affected many products
• trends have changed , as in the case of agri-food which – today – is pushed towards an ever greener and healthier dimension
• the logo is obsolete , as it was created in a historical period with very different stylistic canons from the current ones.

Obviously, it is essential to rely on a professional who – for the rebranding operation – doesn't limit himself to designing a new logo with new colors, but knows how to fully grasp the company philosophy and the decision-making paths that led to the revitalization of the brand. Only in this way will the user perceive the implemented change as positive and will be conquered (or will remain loyal to the brand).