What Is Rebranding? Meaning, Process & Real-World Examples

The term “rebranding” describes the process by which a company alters the corporate identity of its business. It includes a complete overhaul of the brand, which may include its name, logo, design, and tone, or even the core messaging of the brand, to fit with the current vision, goals, or market position of the business.
Essentially, rebranding is not about changing either the logo or the colour scheme; it actually brings algo change much deeper change than modifying people’s perception and propagating the values of the brand with the consumers’ new emerging needs.

What Is Rebranding in Marketing?

Marketing rebranding is often a vital tool for refreshing brand perceptions and enkindling competition; it can further involve a whole new presentation of a company at all marketing touchpoints, from advertising campaigns, through website designing and packaging, even down to a company’s communication tone.

Rebranding marketing may help any of the following:

• Effectively overcome a bad brand image or outdated identity.

• Casually reflect new product or service offerings.

• Appeal to different consumer market segments or demographics.

• Keep up with current trends and consumer behaviour.

Rebranding in marketing can be said as a renewed purpose for the brand, delivered through consistent messaging and visual identity so that it remains relevant and appealing to audiences.

See also: Performance Marketing vs Brand Marketing: Key Differences Explained

Rebranding in Marketing: Process & Successful Case Studies

Rebranding is a comprehensive, systematic makeover, not just a cosmetic upgrade; it’s about arriving at an image that is outdated and doesn’t represent the essence of what the company stands for. Brands, like people, have an epiphany: when yesterday’s image suddenly falls out of sync with today’s pulse, that’s the cue for a new brand.

Rebranding tells the world, “We have changed,” and is an opportunity for companies to alter their purpose, rejuvenate communication, and realign perception with modern business realities. From Apple dropping “Computer” to Dunkin’ dropping the “Donuts,” rebranding tells the world, “We changed.” Rebranding is to reimagine purpose, refresh communication and realign perception with contemporary business realities.
In the time when consumer attention is diffused and brand relevance reigns supreme, rebranding has evolved into one of the most potent marketing strategies-an unbridgeable gap from what a business once was to what it wants to become.

Why Do Companies Choose to Rebrand?

Rebranding can come about for many reasons, and several common triggers exist: 

• Market Repositioning: To change their target audience or reposition themselves into a new market.

• Mergers and Acquisitions: To bring several brands under one unifying umbrella.

• Reputation Recovery: To overcome some negative publicity or consequences of a given crisis.

• Product or Service Evolution: Due to some technological or major change over a period of time in an offering.

• Global Expansion: To create an identity that is appealing in a global sense and across cultures.

If done right, rebranding can allow organizations to adapt to changing conditions while remaining true to the essence of their brand equity.

See also: Mastering the Art of Digital Marketing Design

What Is a Rebranding Strategy?

In clear words, a rebranding strategy is really a process of recons that every company should have to get into the tactic of reinventing an identity, plus how this will be sold to customers. It thus brings transitioning to come to a close as completely humdrum, as congruously non-stigmatizing, and as admirable as these efforts are designed to become serious business goals.

Rebranding strategy involved:

• Remodel the office by redefining vision and mission.

• Formulate fresh messaging suitable for the audience.

• Redefine visual identity.

• Manage internal and external communication.

In marketing terms, an end-to-end rebranding strategy lays out the blueprint for transformation; every element couples logo design with customer communication.

The Process of Rebranding

Rebranding is a meticulous and evidence-based procedure. These are the stages through which almost every brand follows in rebranding: –

Brand Evaluation

Before any initiatives are taken, the performance, perception, and positioning of the brand must first be assessed by the company. This exercise, performed by companies, usually analyzes consumer opinions and rival actions with market trends to ascertain what is working — and, often, what isn’t.

Define Objectives

Brands must find out why they rebrand. Is it to add new customers, to bring things into the modern era, or to signify a merger? Defining very specific goals keeps everything on track.

Research and Strategy Development

Extensive research is the basis of any successful rebranding. It includes studying competitors, understanding audience psychology, and finding the emotional triggers that drive loyalty to the brand so that the insights result in a rebranding strategy.

Redesign Visual and Verbal Identity 

This encompasses the updating of items such as the logo, tagline, colour palette, typography, and voice of the brand. The balance between fresh appeal and brand recognition should be maintained in the redesign, especially when a company has a strong legacy.

Internal Integration

Rebranding is also internal. Employees should know and live the new brand essence. Internal workshops for ensuring a consistent approach across departments are also organized.

Launch and Communication

The introduction of a new identity to an audience is by careful marketing campaign coordination. Most times, the said phase also includes press releases, social media rollouts, website changes, and advertising to communicate the changes.

Monitor and Measure

Brands turn to gathering data on audience perceptions, the media buzz, and performance in the market after the relaunch to uncover how well rebranded brands did on their projects.

See also: Why Viral Content Is Important for a Successful Branding?

Real-World Examples of Successful Rebranding

Starbucks

In fact, its logo was simplified for this reason in 2011, dropping the word “Coffee” so as to show that it now sells more products. The minimalistic mermaid emblem allowed the brand to easily continue to enjoy public recognition while sending signals of evolution beyond coffee.

Apple

That’s what it was known for once and would be known as such forever; until then came 2007, when “Computer” was automatically dropped. This was the best way to put the identity more in line with the iPhone and iPad. This helped make Apple more of an innovative tech brand.

Dunkin’

Here, it would become “Dunkin'” in 2019 to indicate focus and modernity, and on the whole, identity remains familiar while new audiences are targeted. 

MasterCard

Mastercard’s 2019 rebranding involved a complete overhaul of its logo by eliminating the name and keeping only the newly endorsed red and yellow circles. This means that the visual identity pivoted from legacy recognition to digital-first branding and global recognition.

Rebranding can definitely be a good motive behind modernization, provided it is well planned and clearly strategized.

See also: What is Brand Marketing? Importance, Strategy, and Examples Explained

Benefits of Rebranding

Benefits that a good rebranding strategy can offer include:

• Contemporary Relevance: Updating the brand with the changing minds of consumers and making it relevant amid a buzz.

• Positioning Competitive: Assists in positioning the brand vis-a-vis competitors.

• Broader Engagements within the Environment: Attracts new customers and rekindles those who existed.

• Stronger Brand Equity: Creates trust for the long term and recognition.

• Increase the Growth of Business: Triggers sales in line with changing consumer needs.

Common Challenges in Rebranding

While a rebranding process brings opportunities, it also brings challenges, such as: 

• The threat of disorienting loyal customers. 

• Heavy initial expenditure and, indeed, a lot of time on the road. 

• Resistance from staff opposing change. 

• Inconsistencies in the alignment between messages and their application.

See also: All About Logomark, Logo and Logotype

Conclusion: Rebranding

At the end of the day, rebranding is more than a paint coat; it’s a strategic pathway that leads to re-formulating the accepted construct of a company in the marketplace. Whether it be a slight update of a logo or completely changing its visual identity, It must embark on a torturous path of research, planning, and finally execution.

In a fast-moving marketplace, rebranding ensures that organizations can adapt to the present-day market and their audience and stake a claim for relevancy and competitive advantage.

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