Any brand worth its salt will be conscious of its identity, and how that translates into perception and awareness. As consumer demands, marketing channels and trends evolve over time, so must a brand. And that doesn’t mean a full 360 overhaul. A rebrand can be as subtle as a palette refresh, or as drastic as a brand new look and feel.
So, what are the different kinds of rebrand, and when should you use them?
A brand refresh is like a spring clean. You’re not chucking everything out; just re-evaluating its role within your real estate. A refresh spruces up your brand look and feel, without going back to the drawing board. Lots of brands don’t need a full redesign (or just don’t have the budget); like all things, branding elements go in and out of fashion. Brands can go stale over time, and organisations settle for business-as-usual. Many larger, more established companies opt for a pretty discreet makeover to keep up with design trends, without losing brand recognition (like Google Chrome dropping its drop-shadows).
Brand values make brands who they are. Rebrands give leaders the chance to implement changes and boost growth, by appealing to a wider audience. Successful rebrands start with redefining the strategy and mission to become more customer-centric, and get ahead of the game.
Our client, Printed.com, wanted to level-up their offering with a whole new brand. They were already well-established and well-respected within their industry, but needed a new look that would last—and do justice to the beautiful designs they create themselves.
Perception is subjective. But more often than not, a brand knows when its reputation is off. When businesses have negative press, bad associations, poor customer service, or an outdated set of values, a rebrand is a great way to distance themselves from mistakes of the past—and carve out a new vision for the future. A rebrand can save face, and help a business align strategically with the needs of its target audience.
Take Hermes. Marred by allegations that their drivers mishandle parcels, they were recently rebranded—and renamed—to become Evri. Their old brand didn’t evoke the right emotional connection with their audience, or evoke a sense of speed, convenience and service. To resonate with their demographic, the courier service revamped its identity to appear more approachable, human and community-driven—with a suite of bouncy, ever-changing typography to reflect the diversity of the people it serves.
As a company matures within the marketplace, its business and brand must align with its offering.
Many early-stage startups pivot their offering to better serve an unmet need. The dating app, Thursday, originally started as Honeypot in 2018. They changed the premise of the app and the brand early on in their journey, so they could capitalise on the IRL spontaneity its users were demonstrating on competitor platforms. The Tinder-esque app was swapped for an event-centric platform to meet other eligible partners in person: ‘micro-dating’. The change was prompted by the realisation that the Honeypot model needed “an absolute tonne of people” to work (which it didn’t have). The company now focuses on a slightly different mission, incentivising all its users to interact and meet on one day of the week.
As they strive to make Thursdays the unofficial ‘date day’ of the week, their brand now embodies the cheeky, f*ck-it attitude its users expect from an app that isn’t afraid to own a small window of opportunity.
What better way to launch your rebrand than a full-blown brand campaign?
This year, eyewear brand Ace & Tate ran a sunglasses campaign that, ironically, didn’t feature any sunglasses. Their photography-first activation emphasised functionality, and gave away just-enough about their aesthetic from their art direction: people-first, Insta-worthy and creatively executed. Just like their products.
“The brand strikes that ‘Dutch Design’ balance: be thorough and serious about what you do, but stay offbeat.”
With a clever campaign, brands can put their stake in the ground and move away from existing brand perceptions limiting their growth.
Any brand worth its salt will be conscious of its identity, and how that translates into perception and awareness. As consumer demands, marketing channels and trends evolve over time, so must a brand. And that doesn’t mean a full 360 overhaul. A rebrand can be as subtle as a palette refresh, or as drastic as a brand new look and feel.
So, what are the different kinds of rebrand, and when should you use them?
A brand refresh is like a spring clean. You’re not chucking everything out; just re-evaluating its role within your real estate. A refresh spruces up your brand look and feel, without going back to the drawing board. Lots of brands don’t need a full redesign (or just don’t have the budget); like all things, branding elements go in and out of fashion. Brands can go stale over time, and organisations settle for business-as-usual. Many larger, more established companies opt for a pretty discreet makeover to keep up with design trends, without losing brand recognition (like Google Chrome dropping its drop-shadows).
Brand values make brands who they are. Rebrands give leaders the chance to implement changes and boost growth, by appealing to a wider audience. Successful rebrands start with redefining the strategy and mission to become more customer-centric, and get ahead of the game.
Our client, Printed.com, wanted to level-up their offering with a whole new brand. They were already well-established and well-respected within their industry, but needed a new look that would last—and do justice to the beautiful designs they create themselves.
Perception is subjective. But more often than not, a brand knows when its reputation is off. When businesses have negative press, bad associations, poor customer service, or an outdated set of values, a rebrand is a great way to distance themselves from mistakes of the past—and carve out a new vision for the future. A rebrand can save face, and help a business align strategically with the needs of its target audience.
Take Hermes. Marred by allegations that their drivers mishandle parcels, they were recently rebranded—and renamed—to become Evri. Their old brand didn’t evoke the right emotional connection with their audience, or evoke a sense of speed, convenience and service. To resonate with their demographic, the courier service revamped its identity to appear more approachable, human and community-driven—with a suite of bouncy, ever-changing typography to reflect the diversity of the people it serves.
As a company matures within the marketplace, its business and brand must align with its offering.
Many early-stage startups pivot their offering to better serve an unmet need. The dating app, Thursday, originally started as Honeypot in 2018. They changed the premise of the app and the brand early on in their journey, so they could capitalise on the IRL spontaneity its users were demonstrating on competitor platforms. The Tinder-esque app was swapped for an event-centric platform to meet other eligible partners in person: ‘micro-dating’. The change was prompted by the realisation that the Honeypot model needed “an absolute tonne of people” to work (which it didn’t have). The company now focuses on a slightly different mission, incentivising all its users to interact and meet on one day of the week.
As they strive to make Thursdays the unofficial ‘date day’ of the week, their brand now embodies the cheeky, f*ck-it attitude its users expect from an app that isn’t afraid to own a small window of opportunity.
What better way to launch your rebrand than a full-blown brand campaign?
This year, eyewear brand Ace & Tate ran a sunglasses campaign that, ironically, didn’t feature any sunglasses. Their photography-first activation emphasised functionality, and gave away just-enough about their aesthetic from their art direction: people-first, Insta-worthy and creatively executed. Just like their products.
“The brand strikes that ‘Dutch Design’ balance: be thorough and serious about what you do, but stay offbeat.”
With a clever campaign, brands can put their stake in the ground and move away from existing brand perceptions limiting their growth.
