A rebrand usually happens when a brand has outgrown its old appearance. The company enters a new market, launches a new service, changes its name, or the old identity no longer shows what it stands for today. The first decision is about how much is worth changing.
A rebrand rarely starts for purely aesthetic reasons. The most common trigger is a business change, for example a merger or a more premium positioning that the old identity can no longer represent credibly.
A rebrand has two extremes. A refresh keeps the familiar elements of the brand and only refines them, for example the logo becomes cleaner and the colours more consistent. Recognition stays, and the brand still feels fresher. A full rebrand starts from new foundations, and sometimes the name changes too. Most projects sit somewhere between the two.
The better known a brand is, the more carefully you have to treat what its audience has grown fond of. A rebrand succeeds when loyal customers immediately feel the new form is theirs, while new audiences see it as fresh. That is why the work always starts by mapping what people recognise you by today, and what has only stayed out of habit.
What to consider before a rebrand
- What has changed in the company or the market that the new identity needs to show
- Which elements your customers recognise, and which you could happily let go of
- On how many surfaces the old identity has to be replaced, from the shop sign to the website
- Who manages the switchover, and at what pace
After a rebrand it is worth telling your customers what changed and why. A post or a newsletter helps them experience the change as the brand growing, so they do not feel uncertain when they see an unfamiliar logo in a familiar place.
The switchover needs at least as much attention as the design itself. The new identity has to appear on the most important surfaces at the same time, otherwise two brands live side by side for a while, which confuses customers. That is why we always plan the rollout with a schedule, starting with the most important surfaces.
