Branding is an essential component of any business strategy. It defines how a company is perceived by its customers, the market, and even its employees. Over time, a business may need to modify its branding to stay relevant, but understanding when and why to make these changes is crucial. Two common terms that often come up in discussions of branding evolution are “brand refresh” and “rebranding.” Though they might seem similar, they are fundamentally different processes.
Definition and Scope
Brand Refresh
A brand refresh is essentially a subtle update to a company’s existing brand identity. It often involves changes like updating the logo, refreshing color schemes, modifying taglines, and refining messaging to keep the brand feeling modern and relevant. The core identity of the brand remains intact, but these tweaks help the brand feel more current and energetic.
Key Characteristics of a Brand Refresh
- Subtle Changes: A brand refresh doesn’t require an entirely new brand identity; instead, it focuses on making small, incremental improvements.
- Updated Logo & Visuals: The logo might be slightly redesigned to give it a more modern look, while keeping the fundamental elements intact (such as color palette or typography).
- Modernized Color Schemes and Messaging: A brand refresh could include refreshing marketing materials to align with current design trends, making sure the brand resonates with the audience’s tastes and expectations.
Goals of a Brand Refresh
- Modernize and Energize the Existing Brand: The goal is to inject fresh life into a brand without losing its core identity.
- Retain Core Identity: Unlike rebranding, a brand refresh aims to keep the essential elements of the brand consistent while updating its image to be more relevant in the market.
Rebranding
On the other hand, rebranding is a much more comprehensive process. It goes beyond superficial tweaks and involves redefining the company’s entire brand identity. Rebranding typically includes changing the company’s name, logo, visual elements, and messaging, and it often represents a significant shift in business strategy, values, or target audience.
Key Characteristics of Rebranding
- Complete Overhaul: Rebranding is not just about changing the logo; it can involve a new business name, new visual identity, new positioning, and new messaging.
- New Brand Identity: Rebranding aims to create a distinct identity, often from scratch, that conveys new values or resonates with a different demographic.
- Total Shift in Perception: The company’s image is drastically changed, often to reflect a major pivot in strategy, products, or target markets.
Goals of Rebranding
- Reposition in the Market: Rebranding is typically used when a company needs to reposition itself in the marketplace, often in response to market trends or consumer preferences.
- Reach New Audiences: Rebranding allows companies to target different or wider customer bases by changing their public perception.
- Drastic Shift from Old Perceptions: Rebranding can help shed old images, messages, or associations that no longer serve the business.
Circumstances Triggering Change
When to Consider a Brand Refresh
Certain scenarios call for a brand refresh rather than a complete rebrand. For example:
- Outdated Visuals or Messaging: When a brand’s visual identity or messaging feels stale or outdated, a refresh can bring it up to date without completely abandoning what customers recognize.
- Expansion of Product Lines or Services: If a company has expanded its product range or services, but the core brand still resonates with its target audience, a refresh may be the right move to maintain consistency without overwhelming customers with drastic changes.
- Response to Market Evolution: When the market has evolved, but the brand’s core customers remain loyal, a refresh helps the company keep pace with trends while staying true to its roots.
When to Consider Rebranding
On the flip side, rebranding is often necessary in more significant situations, such as:
- Major Shifts in Company Strategy or Mission: If a company is shifting its core strategy, entering new markets, or changing its mission, rebranding helps signal these changes clearly.
- Recovery from Negative Publicity: In cases of reputational damage, rebranding can help businesses distance themselves from past issues and reset public perception.
- Merging with Another Company: When two companies merge, rebranding helps create a new unified identity that reflects the combined entity’s vision and values.
Impact on Brand Equity
Impact of a Brand Refresh
A brand refresh tends to strengthen existing brand equity by refreshing what’s already working. Customers recognize the brand, and the changes reinforce the brand’s commitment to staying relevant without losing its identity.
How a Brand Refresh Affects Brand Equity
- Strengthens Existing Brand Equity: A refresh enhances the brand’s presence and familiarity in the market.
- Enhances Recognition While Keeping the Familiar: Customers still recognize the brand’s essence, but the fresh elements help revitalize their perception of the brand.
Impact of Rebranding
Rebranding carries a higher risk of brand equity loss, as it involves a complete change in identity. However, it also offers an opportunity to build new equity by appealing to new audiences or repositioning the brand more effectively.
How Rebranding Affects Brand Equity
- Risk of Losing Established Brand Equity: Rebranding can be disruptive to existing customers who are attached to the old brand.
- Opportunity to Build New Equity: Rebranding can open up new opportunities for the company to build a fresh identity and establish stronger connections with new audiences.
Process and Implementation
Process of a Brand Refresh
The process for a brand refresh is generally quicker and more straightforward. It involves updating elements of the brand identity, such as logos and marketing materials, and typically requires minimal involvement from external consultants.
Steps Involved in a Brand Refresh
- Market Research: Understand current perceptions of the brand and identify areas for improvement.
- Updating Marketing Materials: Revise logo, colors, typography, and messaging to reflect a more modern look and feel.
- Stakeholder Involvement: Primarily involves marketing teams and creative agencies with minimal external consultancy.
Process of Rebranding
Rebranding is more complex and typically requires extensive market research, strategic planning, and the involvement of multiple stakeholders, including external branding experts and consultants.
Steps Involved in Rebranding
- Market Research: Comprehensive research to understand the need for a rebrand, customer perceptions, and market trends.
- Complete Redesign: Rebranding includes a complete overhaul of logos, names, websites, packaging, and communication materials.
- Strategic Rollout: Rebranding requires a strategic communication plan to inform stakeholders, customers, and the public about the changes.
Wrapping Up
While both brand refreshes and rebranding serve to enhance a company’s image, they differ significantly in scope, goals, and execution. A brand refresh is a subtle update designed to modernize and energize an existing brand, while rebranding involves a complete overhaul to reposition the company in the market. The decision to refresh or rebrand should be guided by the company’s objectives, market conditions, and how much of a shift in perception is needed.
Meet the Author
Feliz Dubanowski has over 5 years of experience in the marketing industry. She has a deep understanding of email marketing best practices and has successfully executed campaigns for a wide range of clients across various industries. Her skills include crafting compelling email copy, designing visually appealing email templates, and analyzing campaign data to optimize performance.
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