Corporate Rebranding: what it is and when to do it

In this article we look at what Corporate Rebranding is, the different types of Brands and when it is appropriateo…. to get involved.

The business world is an ever-changing stage where different brands are constantly competing to capture consumers’ attention.

In this dynamic environment, corporate rebranding emerges as a crucial strategy to adapt to changing market needs and remain relevant over time.

In this article we will explore in detail all the aspects that determine a successful rebrand.

When is it appropriate to apply such a strategy and how best to carry it out through famous rebranding examples.

Rebranding what is

It can be a lot of work, going far (but a lot) beyond commissioning a new logo or freshening up the visual a bit.

In fact, a rebrand strategy aims to transform and reposition one’s brand identity, adapting to new market scenarios or changes inherent in the target audience.

So rebranding has a very important meaning for a Company.
For this reason, before talking about rebranding, it is perhaps worthwhile to look together very quickly at what a Corporate Brand is and what elements it consists of.

What is brand identity?

Brand identity, or corporate identity, is the set of all visible elements of a brand, such as colors, design, logo, naming, style, mood, and lettering, that identify and distinguish the brand in the minds of consumers.

It is the visual representation tool for expressing brand personality. it encapsulates all the visual elements that give rise to the brand experience

We can simply say that it is the way a brand presents itself to customers. It also influences customers’ perceptions at every touch point and subconsciously affects their thinking and buying behavior.

Brand identity is created and communicated everywhere.

It is manifested through products and services, external communication, and customer feedback. How?

Through any form of business promotion: from the website to social media, from brochure to business cards, from logo to lettering, from shapes to colors, from online marketing campaign to in-store event.

What are the elements of brand identity?

An original logo or memorable naming is not enough; to create a corporate identity, it is important, first and foremost, to know who you are as a brand.

The key elements for creating a lasting and consistent brand identity are: marketing objectives, mission, vision, corporate culture and values, positioning, and tone of voice.

Once you have established who you are as a brand, that is, what your personality is and how you want to speak to your audience, there comes a time to build the design that is the foundation of brand identity, that is, communicating your brand through images.

So from logo to naming, from corporate color palette to font, from website to social media, from external communication such as packaging to brochure and business cards.

All these elements are part of thecoordinated image that will depend precisely on the brand identity.

What is critical is that there is consistency in all your external communications with the customer, online and offline.

Why is brand identity so important?

Corporate identity is critical to establish yourself in the marketplace and be recognizable and competitive.
But most importantly, to create a niche in the customer’s mind by communicating a unique and positive identity.

If you really want to succeed with your brand and your audience, start telling your business story simply and consistently, and make customer experiences unique.

Having explained the value of a Brand and what its constituent elements are, it is even clearer how impactful and delicate a Rebranding strategy can be.

How to do Rebranding? The types

How much does your corporate identity need to change? And how do you rebrand? All legitimate questions.

The truth is, as always in a marketing strategy, it all depends on the goals you intend to achieve.

In fact, you could do a total rebranding or a partial rebranding. You could go so far as to change the corporate image altogether and create a real repositioning strategy from scratch.

Don’t panic. Now we’ll help you get your ideas in order.

First, let’s figure out when it’s appropriate to change the ‘corporate image and people’s perception of your brand. Then, we’ll define the different types of rebranding you can adopt.

When and why to rebrand

We will never tire of saying that this marketing operation has a significant impact on the way people perceive your brand.

Use it intelligently, only when it is really necessary.

Here are, below, some cases where companies tend to rebuild their brand identity:

you launched new products that can reach different consumer targets
you want to penetrate new markets
you want to target a new set of potential customers
market trends have changed
you want to consolidate your market presence
you want to carry out a rebranding of traditional products
your logo, packaging and communication strategy are outdated
your brand has been associated with negative emotions and feelings.

Once you have defined the goal of the rebranding strategy, you can decide what to do.

For example, you can revamp the logo or website design to communicate a new, more modern and up-to-date image.

You can improve your tone of voice, and you can open a new channel on social networks, where you will find your target audience.

But no, rebranding is not just limited to communication-it can also involve how your company is positioned in the marketplace.

For example, you can also reposition yourself by offering new products or services, or by leveraging new technologies to improve the brand experience.

Rebranding process: how much can you disrupt your brand identity?

There are several ways to conduct this very delicate marketing operation. We will describe them for you now:

Total rebranding: we talk about total rebranding when there is a major change in the elements that distinguish your brand: logo, naming, but also marketing and sales strategy;
Partial rebranding: consists of a change in individual aspects to improve consumers’ perception of the brand. For example, revising only the packaging layout or making minor changes to the logo;
Evolutionary Rebranding: this is chosen when the brand has evolved from the past. It consists of changing logo and pay off, to better describe the new identity;
Revolutionary Rebranding: we are facing a clear change of course, which may even lead brands to choose new names and logos;
Proactive rebranding: is done when a company wants to conquer new markets, grow or improve its image;
Reactive rebranding: is a reaction to a negative event, e.g., a scandal, negative publicity, a shitstorm on social media, a drop in sales.

Rebranding famous examples

There have been brand cases that have already made marketing history. Do you know the ones we are about to tell you about?

Steve Jobs’ Apple

A well-known example of rebranding involves Apple. In 1976, the logo was quite elaborate and depicted Isaac Newton sitting under a tree.
In ’77, Steve Jobs commissioned a new, simpler logo. Thus was born the iconic apple, which at first was in colored bands.

A later change led Apple to choose a monochrome version of the apple, communicating the mood of a technological, linear, modern company.

AirBnb

Airbnb also carried out a makeover of its logo back in 2014. The Brand’s stylized “A” suggests a kind of connection between people and the world.
The site’s tone of voice and content, focused more on engaging storytelling, also transformed to convey to users a sense of familiarity and a world just a click away.

Facebook becomes Meta

One of the most recent rebrandings concerns the social media giant Facebook. For some time now, in fact, Zuckerberg, after also acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp, has changed the naming of his company to Meta.

This new corporate identity, which refers to the concept of the metaverse, already suggests a radical and revolutionary change in the way we interact.

Burger King

A return to the past the fast food brand Burger King. Its, in addition to being a graphic change was a total rebranding that included online and offline communication, product packaging, and employee uniforms, among many other things.

Burger King’s strategy aims to convey a return to the past, a more genuine point of view in which product quality is more important than the speed of service typical of fast food restaurants.

Coca Cola and the New Coke flop.

Another famous but not-so-positive example is the flop of Coca Cola, which changed the soft drink formula in 1985 by launching New Coke.

For 15 years, competitor Pepsi continued to erode Coke’s market.
A famous taste test had shown that by covering the brands, most consumers preferred the taste of Pepsi.

So, after 99 years, Coca Cola decides to launch a new formula.

A wave of consumer protests arose, prompting the company to withdraw New Coke from the market after 79 days.

In return, they relaunched Coca Cola Classic. An adjective that was enough to definitely win the affection of consumers and detach the competitor.

But do you really need rebranding?

As we have seen, rebranding can be a good choice for companies that want to renew themselves and maintain their competitiveness in the market.

Doing rebranding is a delicate operation that can change consumers’ perceptions of the brand.
To avoid flops, careful planning and a well-defined strategy are needed to achieve the set goals.

If you are not 100 percent sure if you need to change your company’s image, or if you don’t know which type of rebranding is right for you, ask Factory Communication for a consultation.

The agency is experienced in marketing and communication strategies and can help you find the solutions that really align with your goals, to rebrand successfully.

Corporate Rebranding: what it is and when market repositioning is needed