Rebranding is the process of changing the image and messaging of an organization, to create a different identity. This strategy includes a new name, strategy, and identity for an already established brand.
Rebranding helps a company pivot to new demographics and stay relevant, especially if it's lost relevance with its target demographic, by changing its strategy to benefit its customers' current needs, adapting the brand identity to the current market, and open new revenue streams such as entering new markets or expanding product offerings fostering long-term growth.
This strategy is often used during mergers to help unify marketing and spread brand awareness, by building trust and familiarity with customers by changing and improving brand strategy, identity, and products or services. Or distance itself from outdated or negative associations, and connect with new demographics by conveying a shift in direction, values, or changes in its offerings.
Proactive Rebranding
This is when a company recognizes an opportunity to expand, innovate, tap into new markets or customers, and reconnect with its target audience, by proactively changing its image to align with current social values or anticipated trends.
Reactive Rebranding
This is done when the existing brand has discontinued services or changed, for various reasons such as mergers and acquisitions, legal issues, negative publicity, competition, or creating a niche, to create a new brand strategy and identity for the brand that is compleatly diffrent from its previous identity.
Petco dropped the cat and dog so they could pivot from animal supplies to health and wellness.
This former college online messaging platform, pivots from social media to virtual reality with Meta.
Kia known for its budget-friendly cars repositions itself as an attainable luxury brand.
Your current branding doesn’t connect with your target audience.
If you’ve been in business for a while rebranding and getting rid of what's not working to make way for new tools and assets, can help you regain relevancy, and adapt to the current market.
Your business is completely changing its identity, products, or services.
If you have new owners or are entering a new market with new partnerships you need to reflect these changes in your branding and reintroduce yourself to customers.
You want to attract new clients.
All things change with time. If you're moving on to new markets a rebrand will help you introduce yourself to your new audience.
You need to rebuild or merge identities to be consistent.
You want to make a good first impression. If you're merging with another business or entering a new market, rebranding will allow you to build a brand identity with clear and cohesive visuals and language.
Your visual identity needs to adapt to a new market or audience.
This is your chance to make an entrance. Rebranding gives you time to analyze your competitors and reassess your branding and positioning for new markets.
Get to know your new demographic.
What do they want? What do they need? What communities are they a part of?
What does your demographic care about?
What issues do they talk about? What are there politics?
Audit all your content, keep what's working, and fix what's not.
Inform everyone involved with your business of what's changing, and have access to your brand guidelines.
