Rebranding is a marketing strategy through which a significant change is made to a brand’s identity to change how the public perceives it.
Before we ask what rebranding means, let’s take a step back and think about branding. It is the process by which a brand defines and builds its corporate identity.
Although it is a term closely related to brand image, this does not refer to a company logo or the color palette of its designs but goes much further. Branding encompasses the values, purposes, ideas, and lifestyles that a brand embraces.
These parameters are defined to generate certain emotions in consumers, challenge them from certain feelings, and awaken a sense of identification.
On this basis, we are going directly to analyze what rebranding is.
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What does rebranding mean?
Rebranding is a marketing strategy that produces a change in the corporate image of a brand and the perception people have of it.
Brand identity refers to the ideals a company seeks to be associated with. Beyond the product or service you sell, this differentiates you from the competition.
In this sense, there are many actions that we can identify as part of a brand rebranding process. Some of them are:
- Change of logo and general image,
- Adopting a different tone and voice for communication,
- Launch in a new market and item,
- Renewal of products or services in the catalog
- Modification of the commercial name.
A rebranding campaign is an excellent opportunity to get closer to your audience. How? Tell them what this identity change is, what motivates it, where you want to take your business with it, and what this rebranding means.
You can share details of the creative process and explain what your new brand seeks to convey. Also, often the audience is not expressly expecting these changes, so it is a good idea to share with your clients why they made the decision.
So far, it has already been clear what rebranding means. Now, when is the time to implement it? This transformation may be based on a series of causes we will see in the next section.
Rebranding: possible causes
The rebranding actions listed above involve big decisions for your brand. To face any of these challenges, it is essential to be clear if it is the right strategy for your business at this time.
Knowing the scenarios where this is a good alternative will allow you to understand the meaning of rebranding better and, with that, detect whether it is a technique to consider or not.
Modification of the ideal client or the sales strategy
As a company ages, some of the pillars that supported it initially may be altered.
For example, in the initial planning, a specific type of buyer persona, or ideal client, is defined and modified. If this happens, the entire communication strategy will likely fail because it is not addressing its target in the best way.
Rethinking your target audience and how to talk to it will be some of the actions to establish a new and better bond with your potential customers.
Is rebranding becoming more apparent, and when can it be a good strategy? Let’s keep going!
Evolution in sales of a product
In this case, we focus on the maturity stage within the life cycle of a product that is being commercialized.
This phase is characterized by generating sales in a sustained manner. But, it is also possible that the article needs a rebranding to adapt to the emerging trends.
Damage to corporate image
Businesses, from small undertakings to large companies, including cultural projects, can find their image deteriorating.
The root of this inconvenience can be a legal accusation, or a product failure, among others. To repair damage to the image that people have of a brand, the rebranding strategy is an effective alternative.
Indeed, it is necessary to make substantial and notorious changes, from the logo and all the graphic representations of the brand to even its commercial name.
Remove a bad reputation or prejudice.
Sometimes it is not about specific damage to the brand or a product that is marketed but about paradigms with which it is not in communion.
A clear example is that of sustainability. The fact that a business is not expressly committed to caring for the environment does not mean that it is not.
In this scenario, a rebranding action from the communication and identity of the brand oriented towards caring for the planet can represent a boost in sales!
Must adopt any rebranding strategy comprehensively. If a brand communicates an identity committed to the environment, it needs to work with sustainable packaging.
Tips for designing a rebranding strategy
Before finishing this article on the meaning of rebranding and the circumstances in which this can be a good strategy, we want to give you some advice in case you face this challenge.
To develop a good rebranding campaign and achieve excellent results, we recommend you keep these points in mind:
- Be clear about the cause and the problem to be solved. Identifying the root is the first step in understanding how the public perceives your brand. Then, it will be easier to think about the image you want to generate for your business and how to achieve it.
- Rebranding does not mean completely transforming the brand identity. At this point, we want to highlight the idea of valuing your original branding. Please review it to understand its strengths, why it worked for a while, what weaknesses it encountered, and what circumstances invalidated it.
- All this analysis will help you design a better brand rebranding strategy. The idea is not to transmit an abrupt and fortuitous change but a mutation that would not have to hide from which the previous stage it comes.
- In other words, the brand’s memory should not be left aside: it is a renewal, not a “clean slate.”
- Maintain comprehensive consistency. It is not about changing only and, in isolation, the logo of a company or its name. Just as the corporate identity depends on more parameters —such as, for example, the tone with which it is communicated or the values that the brand upholds—the modifications should also impact these issues.
- Conduct customer surveys and ask for opinions. What better way to get in touch with the people already consuming your products? Your complaints, wishes, and requests can be an excellent guide for each action.
- It is even beneficial to contact colleagues who can give you their point of view on the situation. You will obtain valuable information from both sources and confirm or adjust your plans.
- Analyze the branding of the competition. Keeping the characteristics of the brands with which you share your market niche is always a good practice. Studying the brands in-depth, you may discover that some also went through a rebranding process, and you can learn from that experience.
Examples of branding (and rebranding)
McDonald’s
Here we want to bring about a complete change in the brand’s identity based on damage to its image. Towards the end of the 90s, although the fast food chain did not stop growing in popularity, more and more people associated it with “junk food.”
It was where you could eat cheaply, but the food did not have good nutritional value. To make matters worse, the documentary Super Size Me showed how harmful it was for your health to eat in this chain.
McDonald’s changed its red color (which was even visually linked to danger) for green and included healthy options on its menu. Currently, the brand is trying to maintain this more elegant and healthy image.
Now that you know in depth what rebranding means, it’s time to consider whether your brand has any of the causes we mentioned. If so, a solid rebranding strategy can be the lifeline for your business.
Speaking of reinventing yourself, do you already have your online store? Scale your sales by creating your branding. We have plans that adapt to all types of businesses, making it easy to use the platform.
Show the world what you are capable of doing with your business!