We have all heard it before — “We need to rebrand!” It comes from all corners of the marketing world. It can come from the client company’s president, corporate marketing department, the sales group, the dealer organization, and every so often from the guy that runs the mailroom. You hear it in agencies too. From the account service people, the creative team, and once again, the guy that runs the mailroom.
One thing I have learned in my years in the marketing/advertising business is that the definition of rebranding varies widely, depending on the individual’s perception of what “rebranding” means. In a rebranding effort we must start by taking a step back to assess what the business objectives are and identify whether they need to be adjusted, redefined, or maintained. Only after that process is completed can we start to dive into the phase where we assess whether the brand strategy and messaging are on target to meet those objectives. This is a significant exercise that (if done properly) includes ample investment in research to gain the most non-biased brand assessment possible. Once the research is completed, an organization (and their agency) will have the confidence and knowledge to take the next steps.
Here’s the thing — the next step may be to stay the course and not change anything. Companies and agencies sometimes seem to get hell bent on rebranding, regardless of what the marketplace is saying (remember New Coke — oops!). We’ve all been there before — a new VP of marketing comes in and wants to put their thumbprint on a new direction, or the agency is growing tired of the same old thing and starts beating the drum of change simply for the sake of change.
A rebranding effort is more than an updated logo and creative style. Rebranding involves breaking things down to a point where marketers can package up a new, credible message that helps redefine the company or product personality and position in the marketplace. If a company truly wants to rebrand they must be willing to let go of certain attributes that may be failing them in their communications efforts and focus on a new attitude and personality.
The majority of branding projects should not be called “rebrand.” Most of these projects typically involve some basic contemporizing of the logo, updating the website, product literature, and advertising with some subtle creative enhancements to reflect the idea that the brand is keeping itself current. These updates are necessary and smart in most cases. But let’s start using the right words to describe what we’re dealing with 95 percent of the time. The right words are “brand refresh,” and not “rebranding.” Some may say the two are very similar but when you stop and dissect what is involved in each, it becomes clear they are actually quite different in both scale and purpose.
Tags: branding, creativity, strategy
